In the last issue we talked about lighting tips to make your photos look

professional. In this issue we are going to talk about taking wedding

pictures that will capture the moment!

 

Your wedding album will be one of the most precious memories of this

big day that you will have.  But have you ever noticed how so many of

those “professional” pictures are all the same from wedding album to

wedding album?  In fact, one thing that jumps out about the wedding

photographer is that for a little while on the wedding day, everything

halts and it’s all about him.

 

You know the drill.  The ceremony is exciting and fun and full of joy,

some tears and plenty of meaning as the bride and groom kiss and

become one family.  Then it’s all over and everybody files out to go to

the reception to dance, have cake and celebrate this union.  But wait,

the whole proceeding has to grind to a halt while the photographer

stages the wedding party for as long as an hour or more to “recreate”

the ceremony and make those perfect wedding photos.  Meanwhile the

reception may be getting underway and many of the guests that the

bride or the groom or others in the family want to hug and share the joy

with may have to go because they just can’t wait out a fussy

photographer.

 

Somehow this complete disruption to the day has become accepted as

just part of what the wedding day is all about.  And the worst part about

it is that the photographs, while nice and well staged, look like a bunch

of mannequins being arranged for a store window.  The joy and fun of

the ceremony is over.  For decades to come everybody will say they

are beautiful and meaningful but if you look closely the wedding party

looks nervous, uncomfortable, bored and like they wish they were

somewhere else.

 

Well maybe it’s time to throw that tradition out and put some creativity

into how the wedding photos and the wedding photographer works in

your wedding.  By finding a photographer who will put together some

wedding pictures that have some style, some creativity and some

sense of inventiveness, you will have that wedding album that really is

full of memories worth remembering.

 

To get that kind of photographer, you are going to have to start early.

You have to find that maverick photographer that “gets it” that the

wedding is about the people, not the gowns and the hall and that his

photographs must shout out “this was a wonderful day and we

celebrated this union.”

 

You may have to look outside of the conventional “wedding

photographers” listing in the phone book.  An artistic photographer may

be more appropriate.  But be patient and find one that is just as

professional as any photographer in that yellow pages but can bring

some creativity and investment of getting to know this wedding party to

the job of taking your important wedding pictures.

 

That wedding photographer should become as much a part of the

wedding party as the groomsmen.  After all, if he is going to capture the

personality of this couple, he will have to get to know you.  Spend some

informal time with him and share those fun memories of when you met,

those special times while you dated and certainly those very special

places where important moments in your relationship took place.

 

Armed with that kind of creative individual in charge of your wedding

photographs, you will look forward with great anticipation to what he

comes up with.  Many of the best shots will be created before the

wedding, at some of those special places and he can Photoshop them

to blend them with wedding day moments.

 

Above all that wedding photographer will understand that he is there to

serve this wedding and capture those special moments as they occur.

Sure, you may “pose” for a picture from time to time but this whole

business of bringing the wedding day to a grinding halt to take stilted

pictures of bored wedding party members will go out with the trash.

The outcome will be wedding pictures with style, with life and a lot of

love in them to reflect the love that was exchanged in those vows and

the love of family and friends as they enjoyed this magical day with you.

 

Make sure you look for your next issue soon. We will be talking about

great still life photography techniques.