| By :
Mark Etinger
A wedding can be one of the most challenging missions for an amateur photographer because there’s so much riding on it. A successful shoot usually brings great recommendations and more business; a failed shoot can mean the end of a career. With wedding photography, there’s no second chance. If you get home and find that the photographs are under or overexposed, or just plain out of focus or badly framed, there’s no chance of a reshoot. You can’t exactly ask your clients to restage the event. Here are some tips to help you pull off a successful wedding shoot using professional photography equipment: 1. Do your research. Talk to experienced wedding photographers, and head to the library and borrow books on wedding photography for information about what to expect. 2. Determine style. Wedding photography is not just about turning up on the day and shooting. All the photographs should be in a consistent style that matches the personality of the bride and groom. Spend time talking to the couple, go through wedding magazines with them, and find out if they are seeking contemporary, traditional, black and white, or more off-beat photography. 3. Rent equipment. Rent equipment including reflectors and lenses from a trusted professional photography equipment service; scope out a few to get the most competitive weekend or day rate. 4. Create a schedule. Meet with the couple to plan out a photography schedule for the day. Determine when you will shoot wedding preparations, bride portraits, groom portraits, bridesmaid and groomsmen portraits, family portraits, the full wedding party, and, of course, the bride and groom. 5. Connect. Make sure you are fully connected on the day by ensuring that you have the mobile phone numbers of the wedding coordinator and key members of the wedding party so that you can contact them for help hunting down guests who have gone astray or inform them of schedule changes. 6. Have an assistant. If you’re shooting a wedding for the first time, have an assistant who can help you carry your professional photography equipment, round up and assemble guests, hold reflectors, and generally keep track of the schedule. 7. Make a shot list. Make sure you have a list of all the shots that the bridal couple wants. This is particularly useful if the couple requires some less expected or out-of-the-box shots. 8. Map your locations. Check out all your shooting locations ahead of time. Make sure you’re familiar with the church and any parks, gardens or other shooting locations requested by the couple so you have a plan for light and backdrops. 9. Be brave! Know that on the day, not everything is going to go to plan. Embrace unexpected happenings and use them to your advantage. Make sure you project a calm image at all times to inspire confidence in your clients and help them relax and be the best subjects they can be. When you take your nervous energy and channel it into creative energy, you’ll be able to focus on taking great photographs. Tell yourself that you’re going to enjoy and learn from the experience, and it’ll make you an even better photographer next time.
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