Wedding Ceremony Etiquette - Will You All Please Sit Down

With the rise of the smart phone technology, there has been a decrease in manners at wedding ceremonies, as now 50% of wedding guests are taking photographs. Professional wedding photographers used to only have to dodge two or three people, now it is just about everyone. Now ten people go for the same nice shot that the photographer is trying to take. Not to mention that you are at someones wedding, please sit down, and show some respect.

Please sit down

Let us start with the obvious, ladies, gentleman and children, please sit down.

I have been to hundreds of weddings, with outdoor ceremonies the seats are always empty, except the first row, which is usually direct family. Outdoor ceremonies have become very popular as there has been a decrease in religious weddings.

Everyone stands in a mob behind the seating taking photographs, some of the others sit in the aisle seat leaning out to take a photograph, pretending they are trying to courteous to the photographer and other guests.

Wedding Photographers Cost Money

Your hosts have hired a professional photographer as an investment into fantastic professional wedding images, their whole investment in photography is likely to cost $10,000 USD and some couples spend even more than that. Just think next time when you are getting that great shot at a wedding, the photographer is probably right behind you, thinking, "please get out of the way or the moment will be gone". Some moments only last a moment and happen only once.

The Main Dilemma

Photographers understand that guests are trying to be creative, it just isn't the place for it, the professional photographer is responsible for capturing these moments. You can imagine that when 50 people try to take photographs at the same time, this is no exaggeration, with there arms out at varying lengths depending on eyesight, it makes it more of a challenge.

I would expect guests to take images as the Bride walks down the aisle, get a nice kiss shot, get a posed shot of the couple with the certificate and some family group shots; constantly at every moment is just annoying and just a little disrespectful.

How many of those shots will be deleted, that day, to make room on limited space in the camera?

How many of the shots you have taking will get used?

These days photographers do share images on Facebook and other social media, it is easy to show the shots of your friends or relatives wedding on you own social media site if you wish. You will even be doing the professional photographer a favour if you like the wedding photographs on their Facebook page.

Solutions

- Take some key shots only (down the aisle, the kiss, holding certificate, family images).

- Sit down on one of the seats provided and watch the magical moment of someones wedding.

- Use images from the photographers social media site.

One of these solution would be preferable, than having a disclaimer in the contract that the couple signs that says they are responsible for guest behaviour with cameras and to let their guests know before their wedding. This doesn't solve the problem with guests getting in the way of the professional photographer, at least the photographer can't be held responsible for the action of guests causing bad photographs.

A bit of give and take is necessary from both sides to solve the problem. After all everyone wants the happy couple to get the excellent wedding images that they have paid for. All you need to do is sit down, it takes no effort at all.

Professional Wedding Photographer and facilitator. Mark has 20 year experience in photography, he has had a varied career, international band photojournalist, magazines and wedding photographer. Now principal and owner of Xpose' Wedding Photography, located in Brisbane Australia.

Original article

How to Choose a Wedding Photographer

Choosing a Wedding photographer is an extremely important decision. It is important not to go for the cheapest or the easiest option. This is because the photographs will be with you forever; they are the memories of the best day of your lives.

When choosing a wedding photographer it is important to have a clear idea of what type of photographs you want, do you want Reportage Wedding Photography that will report the story throughout the day or is a contemporary wedding photography more your cup of tea?

A photographer's website is a clear indication as to what type of photographer they are. If it is a bright, attractive, clear website it is a very good indication as to how they approach their photography. On the other hand, it is a boring, cheap website with very little work being put in to it then their photography may well follow suit. Photographer's use their website to sell their business, as with anything, follow your first instinct.

Ask the Wedding Photographer for a portfolio of work that he has done for other clients and ask for examples of the style of photography that you want. It is important to meet a few different photographers to find one that you feel comfortable with, that you feel comfortable approaching with ideas and are confident that they will take the ideas on and implement them exactly how you would like. Don't be scared to ask for some clients names and telephone numbers that the photographer has worked with before to get a good feel for how they are to work with. The photographs in their portfolio might look incredible but they could be unreliable or awkward to work with. Best to find this out in advance rather than the big day.

Once the wedding photographer has a clear idea of what you require from them it is time to discuss cost, again it is important to meet a few photographers in order to ensure that value for money is being received. Very often photographers charge based on what they think they should charge, not how much their work is worth. Once you have met with a few photographers you will have a good idea of what they charge for what standard of work you can expect.

On the big day itself if it is reportage wedding photography you are after you will want the photographer to be there from the start to report you getting ready and travelling to the venue. Sometimes two wedding photographers can be useful, one to report the bride and one to report the groom.

Regardless of what type of wedding photography you decide on it is important to keep in regular contact with the photographer, running ideas off each other and pointing out any areas that you feel they are missing, are they getting enough family shots? Are they getting up close and personal or are they standing off? Are they putting in to practice what you discussed before the wedding?

Remember, these are photographs that are going to stay with you forever. You have to make sure they are going to turn out exactly how you want them, after the wedding it is too late.

Once the Wedding Photographer has done his work and the big day is over it is now time to decide how you want to receive the photographs. The cheapest option is to have them put on a compact disc and sent to you but is this really how you want your wedding photographs to be delivered?

A great way to have this done is to get the wedding photographer to take as many photographs as he can and then send them to you. You can now go through all of the photographs and decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you don't. The wedding photographer can now collate all the final photographs and put them in to an album that you both like.

The album might not seem like a huge deal but it will probably be the only one you will ever buy so have a look at what the photographer can offer. If they don't have anything that you fancy you can always buy one yourself and give it to them to populate for you.

You will now get all of the photographs that you want delivered to you in the album that you want. This in my opinion is the best way to receive the photographs that tell the story of the best day of your life.

Oh and don't forget the disc to make copies for the family!!

If you ate looking for a Wedding Photographer Kent then please visit us at Wedding Photography Kent

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Must-Have Equipment for Professional Wedding Photographers

When it comes to taking professional quality wedding images the lens is much more important than the camera body itself. This doesn't mean get the cheapest camera body that you can find, if you're on a tight budget and you can't afford to go full-frame, you should consider getting a semi-professional camera such as the Nikon D300. This article outlines different equipment used in wedding photography and the reasons why they are so important to have in your bag.

When you are responsible for documenting such an important day as someone's wedding day, there is no excuse for cheap equipment, this simply won't get the job done for the level of quality that is required, remember they will look back at these images throughout their entire lives! They're investing a lot of money in your services as a wedding photographer, so don't rip them off by using the cheap amateur equipment.

If you initially can't afford to buy that 24-70mm zoom lens or that professional body outright, then rent it! Most professional photography stores have a rental department. This is a great way to cut back on your outgoings while still providing a high quality service. This will help boost your reputation for the future, and help you save towards that professional camera you have been drooling over. Figure out the best rental arrangement for you. You can save money if you hire it for a few days in a row, this isn't a bad idea to hire it for an extra few days before the wedding day, so that you can master all of its settings, if you are proficient in using your camera this will boost your confidence on the day. Try to practice when there is no- one else is around, don't leave it till the actual day remember you'll be under pressure on the day, and It doesn't look good when you are fiddling with your equipment and the couple is waiting on you, they are paying for your time. Another thing I would recommend is mastering manual use of your camera, this is so you can create images how you intended them to be. If you want to underexpose slightly to shoot a nice silhouette shot you won't be able to if its in auto mode, as it automatically balances out the exposure.

Lenses with a wide apertures of f/2.8 up to as wide as f/1.4 or more are extremely valuable for weddings. These wide apertures enable you to use more available light, think about how dimply lit a church or reception hall can be. You don't want to risk having to boost your ISO so much that you lose too many details. So remember that big apertures are a strong tool for the wedding photographer. Another great benefit of using wide aperture lenses is not having to fire a flash. I wouldn't recommend shooting with a flash in the ceremony itself, its a very special moment for them so show them some respect. A lot of brides specifically request no flash in the ceremony or the location might have restrictions for flash photography. If you must use flash in the ceremony its always polite to ask the venue and bride just to be sure. I also see a lot of photographers firing a flash directly into a someones face which isn't very flattering, there is normally always a surface around that you can bounce your flash from, using a white ceiling or wall to act as a giant soft box which creates a much better quality of diffused light. Although its best to try to use the available light as much as you can.

A lot of photographers prefer to carry only zoom lenses in their bag, this saves a lot of running around to position for their shot. I prefer with work with mostly primes, as prime lenses are available in wider apertures the end result is the subject appears much better separated from the background, this enables you to draw your viewers eye. This method of photography makes it easier for you to tell a story with your images. It creates more powerful images with minimal distractions.

For wedding photography lenses I would recommend covering a focal length from 24-200mm. 24mm is wide enough to provide expansive views of the ceremony and reception, and 200mm has enough reach to get a nice closeup of the bride or groom from the back of the church.

Here are some different types of lenses used in wedding photography.

Wide-Angle lens

The wide-angle length typically covers focal lengths between 10-24mm. This lens is very important when it comes to wedding photography. They are wide enough to show the entire view of the church or ceremony location, wide-angle lenses also make it possible to photograph in confined spaces, such as the bride's dressing room or a packed dance floor. The wide perspective creates a sense of expansiveness and grandeur by showing the entire church or ceremony location. Wide angle lenses on a full frame body provide the best results, if you have a cropped sensor keep in mind that a 10-20mm lens will give a similar view to a 24mm on a full frame body.

Wide-to-Telephoto Zoom

The wide-to-telephoto lens such as the 24-70mm or 17-55mm are considered the most important lenses for wedding photography. They are wide enough to take a group photographs, and also three quarter length portraits, if you had to choose just one lens to shoot an entire wedding this would provide you with the best coverage.

Image-Stabilized Telephoto Zoom

Telephoto zoom lenses have a focal length of 70-200mm. If your style of wedding photography is an unobtrusive, photojournalistic style, then this is the lens for you. Its a great for ceremony's, as you don't want to be in the way of the guests, you can still get a great portrait shot of the bride and groom at the altar from the very back of the church. You can also capture the bridesmaids or groomsmen as a group without having to swap lenses.

The f/2.8 maximum aperture of these lenses gives you the option of narrowing the depth of field, keeping the viewer's attention on the in-focus subject while blurring the background, and the Image-Stabilization mechanism will give you razor sharp images when taking shots fully zoomed in and taken by hand. The only downside to these great lenses is that they aren't cheap by any means.

Prime Lenses

I love working with wide aperture primes, they give a beautiful depth of field and an advantage when working with available light. You can shoot at f/1.4, which will cover even some of the darkest areas. Here are some popular prime lenses on the market.

24mm f/1.4 This lens was recently released by Nikon. It is an amazing lens, you can take great venue and ceremony shots, even though it is a wide angle lens you can still manage to get subject separation from the background and great quality 'bokeh' out of focus areas at an aperture of 1.4.

50mm f/1.4 An affordable lens. This lens is great for the bridal preparation shots, and detail shots such as bouquet, rings, shoes etc. It also covers closeup portraits, and small group shots.

85mm f/1.4 This is the classic focal length for portraits. It also provides a beautiful and creamy quality of 'Bokeh', which is how the out of focus areas appear.

These lenses perform at their best on a full-frame body, although you can still produce some great images on a small sensor camera. As I said before, the if you had to choose between getting a new camera body or a professional lens of the same value, I would recommend the lens hands down. You will notice a much bigger difference in the quality of your images.

A good combination of lenses for a wedding is a couple of fast primes such as a 24mm and an 85mm, and a 70-200 telephoto-zoom lens. The 24mm covers you for expansive venue and ceremony photos, and group photos. The 85mm produces great quality portraits and couple shots, and the 70-700 will give you the speed and length that you need for great candid photography, and ceremony shots at the altar and coming down the isle.

You might also consider getting a quality macro lens for amazing detail shots like wedding rings etc. 105mm is a good option.

If you carry all of these lenses in your kit you will be able to capture the day at its best. Of course you need to have an eye for photography and many will argue that its not the equipment its the photographer which is true, the reason I express that professional lenses are such a valuable part to carry in your kit, is solely for the image quality. These lenses will make a big difference as to how professional your portfolio appears to viewers.

Camera body

There are many advantages in carrying a professional camera body. Some of the main benefits are high ISO capabilities which will give you a higher shutter speed in low light situations, and some full frame cameras feature incredibly high megapixels such as the Nikon D3x, which is great if you get a lot of orders for larger wedding prints. For wedding photography I would say that a high ISO camera like the Nikon D3s is more beneficial, having this capability means that you will be able to capture every moment in any lighting situation without fail, and without having to constantly work with flash. Carrying a professional body for wedding photography also means higher shutter speeds, enhanced colour replication, quicker menu access using dials instead of buttons, and of course the benefits of a full frame sensor. Other benefits include wider range of view, reduced image noise, reduced lens distortion. Small sensors have a 1.5 ratio crop factor which artificially magnifies an image. The downside is that this magnification brings out all of the flaws in the lens, but there is a also a big advantage in having a 1.5 crop sensor. When you attach a professional full frame lenses you can potentially get the equivalent of a 400mm lens from a 200mm lens. A professional 400mm lens can cost you upwards of 8k.

When photographing a wedding, I cannot express how important it is to carry a backup camera. If you are unable to afford a full frame camera as a backup, a small sensor body will do nicely. Or considering hiring a backup camera.

Flashes and Accessories

Another important thing to consider with wedding photography is carrying an off camera flash. Whether it is on a stand or held by an assistant, you need to be very fast in putting it all together, its a good idea to practice the controls as home, and do plenty of testing so that when it comes the day itself you don't have the bride and groom waiting on you. Speedlights with TTL in combination with wireless remotes such as pocketwizards are a good option. Speedlights are very portable, although don't provide as much output as studio monolights. When using pocketwizard remotes you can attach 3 or more speed lights. They are triggered via a radio transmitter, this means that they don't need to be in line of sight to your on camera transmitter/ reciever, so you can put one inside a building or around a corner for example and it will still fire via the remote. Its a very powerful tool but takes a lot of practice to master well. When considering a speed light you should make sure that it has a rotating the flash head. This is so that you can also use it as an on camera bounce flash, to bounce off ceilings etc.

An important accessory to carry when working with off camera flashes are diffusers such as soft boxes or umbrellas. I find soft boxes to be much better when it comes to location shooting as umbrellas blow over with the slightest gust of wind, you can get sandbags for them but this means its just more weight that you'll be carrying throughout the day which just isn't practical. You want to streamline your equipment as much as you can. Working with a small portable soft box that you can carry off camera is a good solution. Ideally you should have an assistant hold this for you, or use a flash stand. A single properly executed off camera flash with diffuser is more than enough to provide stunning couple portraits with a beautiful quality of light, that softly highlights them and 'pops' the subject from their background which creates a more dynamic image, this is a particular advantage when the weather doesn't cooperate. You can still create great images when its a miserable and dreary day.

You can get great shots using just a single off camera flash, although you need to have perfect placement. Consider using 2 or 3 flashes. You can create so many great effects with off camera flash, including rim lighting, and highlighting different surfaces as well as the subject, there are also flash gels that you put over the flash head to output different colours like red or blue, flash gels are also used to balance the flash with ambient light, such as tungsten or flouresent.

Camera bag/jacket

Consider a bag with wheels. Doing wedding photography is hard work, it doesn't help when you are hauling heavy gear with around with you. You want to make this as easy on you as possible so you can focus on the job at hand. Camera jackets are a great solution, all of your lenses are readily available to you anywhere you go, you can fit up to 4 lenses in a single jacket!

With wedding photography you need to be confident and full of ideas on the day. So you need to make sure you know your equipment like the back of your hand before you take on the job of photographing someones wedding day. Take plenty of time to practice your new equipment and read the instruction manuals carefully beforehand so that on the actual day you are quick and ready to capture all of the special moments as they unfold.

Melissa Fiene is a wedding photographer based in Sydney Australia. She produces high quality images, providing contemporary, and natural style wedding photography. To view her work please visit http://www.melissafiene.com/

Original article

Starting a Business in Wedding Photography

Becoming a Professional Wedding Photographer

Creating a successful wedding photography business is a lot of hard work but doesn't come without its rewards. Just because you can take a good picture doesn't mean that you are ready to start your own wedding photography business. There are many stages involved in building a successful wedding photography business. Believing in yourself and your abilities as a photographer is essential in starting your new business in wedding photography.

Some things to consider when starting out. What makes your images unique, for example, are your images more of a photojournalistic style capturing candid moments, and working in all natural light? or do you enjoy working with off camera flash in a studio like setting. Always be true to yourself, find your own creative style. If you perfect your skills in a certain style of photography you're passionate about this is the best way to building confidence in yourself. Practice on friends and family, but don't take their word for how good your work is as naturally they are going to be bias. The average customer you will get as a wedding photographer is going to be more critical about your work.

You might be wondering how to get exposure out in the field? You currently have no portfolio to show potential clients, and no experience dealing with new clients. From my experience, one of the best ways to start out in the Wedding Photography business and start building your portfolio is to find work as an assistant or second shooter for an already established photographer or studio. This is the best way gain confidence, and get first hand experience not just for producing some great images, but also customer service and learn how to direct a shoot. Even at this early stage you should always carry a backup camera.

I wouldn't recommend taking on a friends wedding as the main photographer, this is way too much of a responsibility, even if you think you are well prepared. Its their special day and shouldn't be time for you to practice wedding photography.

You need to also be critical of your photography. Know that you're good, but also know where there is room for improvement. Rather than trying to compete with a million other wedding photographers out there, set yourself a personal high standard. If your not at the level you need to be at, find a photographers work that you admire, research what makes them successful, understand the quality of work they have to offer and know whats involved in producing it. Forget about the rest, there are a lot of ordinary photographers out there too. Remember you need to aim high. Research what you need to get to that high level. You can never spend enough time researching new photographic methods and the latest equipment on the market. Always use your camera in manual mode, know your equipment like the back of your hand. This will give you the confidence and practical skill that you will need as a professional.

It is also of great importance to be proficient in post processing, spend plenty of time using Lightroom and photoshop, buy photography magazines, watch tutorials online, you can educate yourself, as everything you need for honing your photographic skills is online. I've always thought that if you do a course in photography, you are only ever going to be as good as the person that teaches you, their technique is not necessarily the best, teaching yourself builds more confidence, you are learning your own style not someone else's!

After gaining some experience as a second shooter, and you have your own portfolio, you might be thinking that your ready to begin your own business, remember not to don't rush into it. Try to save as much money as you can from your assisting work to go towards advertising your business. If you have enough work on as a paid second shooter you can think about advertising your business locally and online, and see what kind of response you get. If you have a good contact that you are assisting for that has plenty of work, I wouldn't recommend moving on to your own business until you are close to fully booked for a year.

When setting your prices an important factor is knowing your value. don't set your prices too low, people will second guess your quality, even if you do great work, they will perceive it differently. Of course don't charge too much either if you are just starting out, you don't want to lose clients because you're too expensive! I find smack bang in the middle is a good option. That way clients won't second guess your prices. If they like your work enough they normally have a set budget for their wedding photography, and they'll hire you. The average for photographic coverage with all images in high-resolution on a disk is $2500, this doesn't include an album, but with the disk they can print as many photos as they like for their own personal use, and perhaps create their own album.

Establish a relationship with a local print lab learn about the proper conversion of files from digital to print, get some test prints done and figure out what type of finish best displays your work. Make sure you have a logo, and business email, its these finishing touches that make a big difference in how you present your business.

Look into wedding album suppliers, and have some ideas for when a client requests an album, getting a sample album made up is a good option, you can take this or an iPad with you to show clients your portfolio.

When running your own wedding photography business, start locally. Pick an area and start advertising with local business linked to weddings. That includes:

Dress makers

Cake makers

limo drivers

wedding planners

wedding venues etc.

Get some quality business cards and brochures made up to give to them. A good idea is to offer a finders fee for any referrals. 10-20% is a good amount. This will mean that they will be actively promoting you by passing on your business cards, and brochures and recommending your work to new customers looking for photographers.

After registering your business, you should be promoting your own website online. A great way is doing some SEO - search engine optimisation, again, this takes a lot of time and research, but you will reap the rewards if you put the hard work in. There are great tools online that will scan your website for keywords, meta titles and tags, this is how people find your website. If you don't promote it online, you will not have a presence. People will never see your work. Pick only your best images to display online. Photomerchant.net offers some great web templates specific to a professional photographers needs with pages in HTML format which you need for optimising your site. Make sure you monitor your site online using google analytics and web master tools. If its not performing as well as you'd hoped, you can do tweak as necessary by doing more SEO.

There are plenty of wedding photography business listings online that are worthwhile to sign upto, a lot are free, and some can charge $100 or more per month, most of the time their reasoning behind charging that much money is because they get so many views per month. Check compete.com, this shows how popular their site is and then maybe you can possibly trial them for a month and see if you get any leads.

A very important aspect of being a wedding photographer is your customer service skill, always be on the ball and be very clear with your clients, don't wait to long to reply to their emails, and keep them unto date with whats happening by confirming their payments, and delivering contracts to them.

Its very fulfilling when you start your business from scratch. Your images should speak for themselves when it comes to marketing yourself, but with wedding photography producing great images is 50% and the other 50% is great customer service. If they loved working with you they are going to pass on the good word to their friends and family. Do your job well, and you will find most of your work is in referrals.

Melissa Fiene is a wedding photographer based in Sydney Australia. She produces high quality images, providing contemporary, and natural style wedding photography. To view her work please visit http://www.melissafiene.com/

Original article

Thinking of Becoming a Wedding Photographer?

A wedding photographer is more than someone who takes photos at a wedding. Instead, a photographer works with a couple to create memories which will last a lifetime. In order to become a wedding photographer, you will need photography experience, a portfolio of your work, a computer, and good camera equipment.

Some wedding photographers have formal photography training and others do not. Many wedding photographers begin their careers by attending an art school or getting training in photography. After that, a wedding photographer may get experience by assisting other photographers. Eventually, an assistant will branch out and begin his or her own business. Other photographers may work a day job during the week and work as a wedding photographer on the weekends simply because they love the business. Yet others who have an innate artistic talent may begin their business by photographing friend's weddings. Eventually, their business may begin to expand beyond friends and family.

Taking wedding photos begins long before the big day. A photographer will usually meet with the bride and groom many months in advance of the ceremony. During this initial meeting, photographers discuss their experience, as well as their portfolio packages. Some photographers take engagement photographs which can be sent to family and friends or published in the local newspaper.

A photographer should also have a written contract. A contract will specify the terms of the contract so that the couple knows exactly what services to expect for the price that they have been quoted.

As the big day draws closer, the photographer will be in close contact with the couple. The photographer usually will make an appointment to see the church or facility where the ceremony will be taking place and the facility where the reception will take place. This is important because a photographer needs to know where to set up equipment in the facility. A photographer will also need to assess the lighting in the facility to see what type of equipment will be necessary.

After the event, a photographer will develop the photos and use computer programs to re-touch the photos or to create special effects. After that, the photographer may meet in person with the couple to go over photographs, or he may send files to them using a computer.

It takes a very special person to become a wedding photographer. A wedding photographer needs to be artistically inclined, yet he or she also needs to have a bit of business sense. A photographer also needs to have good communication skills and should be able to deal with stressful situations with tact and grace. Overall, a wedding photographer needs to be a people person who really enjoys being around people and socializing.

Colin McDonald writes on behalf of Steven Brooks Photography - Wedding Photographer London

Original article

Wedding Photography: How to Make Sure Everything Goes As Planned

If you're in the profession of wedding photography, you know that weddings are a disaster waiting to happen. Many people are unaware that it takes a lot of planning as a wedding photographer to get everything just right. For those that are just starting out, here are some techniques that can help you when you are about to photograph a wedding.

Look over the venue:

The couple selected their wedding location for their own specific reasons. That being said, they deserve, and expect excellent pictures from their photographer because they are paying to get one of their most precious moments captured. As a wedding photographer, you should always do a reconnaissance of the location, so you can make sure you find it. By doing so, you can have a visual in your mind about how the wedding is going to be set up, and that way it will make it easier on you to produce high quality shots.

Always be aware of the Bride:

Make sure to always follow the bride because essentially you want to be wherever she is. This isn't to say that the groom isn't as important. You do want to get him in as many shots as possible, but in all reality all eyes are focused on the bride. The guests want to see her in her makeup, and her dress, and see how stunning she is. She is the center of attention because it is her wedding day, and you want to take pictures that reflect that.

Always have a backup:

Unfortunately, technology isn't fail proof, and you never know when your camera will fail on you. No matter how reliable your camera is, it is bound to have problems some day. For this reason, always bring at least one spare camera. I recommend bringing both a wide angle lens' camera as well as a longer lens' camera. You can capture most of the wedding with the wider lens' camera, and get the most intimate moments with the longer lens' camera.

Make a shot list:

You will be on your feet going at full speed all day of the wedding, and it can be quite easy to forget to take some important shots. To avoid this create a shot list. This shot list should include shots that the couple has set out for you to take as well as shots that you think you want to take. This is the easiest way to always remember what shots need to be taken.

Making sure everything is set for a wedding is a difficult task. You have to be meticulous in everything you do as the photographer because you have people counting on you to capture one of the most precious moments in their lives. If you follow these tips, preparing for the wedding day should be a little easier for you.

In Savannah wedding photography can be an excellent career. If you would like to know more tips on wedding photography visit: http://www.mikeforce.com/

Original article

Finding Beautiful Light for Fine Art Wedding Photography in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco is a truly amazing city. The city just oozes amazing people with such beautiful backdrops. It is truly a photographers dream. What more could a wedding photographer ask for? Well for me, often times the only thing missing is the warm golden light! To really capture wedding photography in a fine art matter that will make the bride and groom look like characters from a love story it takes more than just a love and a camera. You NEED light! Light is everything. The warm caress of light reaching around a backlit couple can take an image that is nice and cute to something that is so much more, something that will evoke emotions of deep connection and an undeniable romance. "The Fog" often keeps these special moments from ever being captured. But don't worry, follow this Engagement Session and Wedding Photography guide and you will not have to compromise the light.

Plan your wedding in October: October wedding offer the most predictable weather. The fob is usually kept far enough off the coast while the weather is still warm. And the rainy season hasn't quite started yet. If you must have your wedding withing the city limits, and want to take all your wedding photos in the city, this is definitely the best time to plan your wedding. The Indian Summers of October is not big secret so planning your wedding during this time maybe harder than other months. You may have to plan 2 years in advance, but your wedding photographs will thank you.

So you couldn't book an October wedding, now what? Have no fear, all you need is time. My next suggestion is to take your wedding images outside the city limits. There is no denying that San Francisco is a truly beautiful city. But so are the surrounding areas. To the north there is Sausalito, and one of my favorite places on earth, Mt. Tam. To the east there is Berkeley and Walnut Creek, and to the south there is San Mateo and Sunnyvale, All the places I mentioned are within an hour from the city, and have much better weather than San Francisco. You can easily either opt for a first look and take your Bride and Groom photos before the ceremony. If you are more traditional and seeing each other before the wedding is a "no-no" then you can opt to have an early ceremony, with a long break before the reception. This will also give you plenty of time to get out to nicer weather and find that beautiful light. These are also great places to have your engagement sessions. Engagement sessions are a way to familiarize yourself with your photographer, and how she or he works. They also will give you extra images that are associated with your wedding. If you have great engagement images with amazing light, maybe you can forgo needing Wedding Portraits with similar light.

Finally, you can decide to not have your wedding in the city at all. There are plenty of amazing picturesque areas around the San Francisco. Everyone knows that Napa is very close by, which is an amazing place to have your wedding. The light is just so beautiful there, and the backdrop of the vineyards will really make your wedding stand out. There are also many vineyards near Livermore east of the city. Another great unique idea would be to have your wedding on one of the rolling golden hills around East Bay. Find a lone tree, get permission and you are in for an amazing photo opportunity. Try to have your wedding around sunset when the light is just right. Then you can take all the bride and groom images around the fields and hills.

Now you have plenty of choices to get amazing wedding photography around San Francisco.

Original article

Digital Wedding Photo Album Software Free Download - Photographer's Top Secrets Revealed

If you're looking for digital wedding photo album software that is free to download and that allows you to make high-quality, professional photo albums then this article is a must-read for you. Not only is this program very easy to use even for people who have never created a single photo book before, but it produces amazing photo books printed on top-quality award-winning photo paper, professionally bounded with numerous cover options. Cover options for your photo book choices range from a very budget-friendly linen hardcover to luxurious handcrafted genuine leather. These photo books are meticulously finished and crafted to last for years and years.

If you think that you have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get that expensive, one-of-a-kind look for your photography book, think again! Despite the fact that many professional photographers are charging top dollar for handcrafted photo albums, you can achieve the same results for a bargain price, if you know where to order your photo books and what digital photo album software (free is always a plus) to use. In fact, many professional photographers are using this exact program and would hate to share this information with you.

This digital wedding photo album software (free to download and use) is packed with great features that no other software program offers on the market today. You can fully customize your album pages, add personalized captions, make custom cover pages with your own photos and text. The software program has powerful photo editing tools, if you need to spruce up your pictures before putting them in the photography book.

But it doesn't stop there! You can also share your digital photo books online with anybody who has an e-mail address for free. Once your friends receive an e-mail with a link to your photo album, all what they have to do is just click the link in your e-mail, and the smiles begin. Your friends can view your photo book without downloading those bulky attachments. Your digital photo album will look like an online magazine, so your friends will be able to turn the pages, zoom in and out, etc.

If you would like to send a printed photo book as a gift to your friends, you can do so with just a click of your mouse. In fact, your friends can order as many prints of your photo books as they like themselves without downloading this digital photo album software.

You can customize your photo album for each recipient by adding a separate cover page and cover title to make a truly unique and personalized gift for any occasion. Who doesn't love receiving gifts with a nice personal touch? Now you can make yours! And no, these gifts won't come with a huge price tag. You will be shocked how inexpensive they are!

Here is a great bonus for you. To help you save even more money, I have posted step-by-step instructions on how to receive a 50% off your first order in case you decide to buy a photo book (you don't have to if you just want to make a free photo book online and share it with your friends via email or Facebook for free). Take a look at the examples of photo books, watch a program video tour and see for yourself how stunning these photo albums are! They look exactly like the ones you might purchase from a professional photographer for hundreds of dollars. Click here to get your wedding photo album software for free for Windows or Mac.

Original article

Photo Booths - Making Memories At Your Wedding Reception

In recent years, hiring a photo booth for wedding receptions to capture the most amazing shots has become a trend and you can also rent and get your guests to have fun while posing for the camera.

Planning the most memorable day of your life takes a toll on you as you put in many efforts to make your wedding reception fun and entertaining for your guests. From the decoration and the food to the band, everything is planned with perfection. But if you think of the weddings you have attended, you would notice not all the guests get to pose for the camera. The newly weds are so busy attending people that they don't get the time to pose with every guest. Plus, it's impossible to keep track of whose picture has been captured or whose isn't.

Only when you go through the pictures after weeks, you notice how many of your guests aren't in a single photo. To have all your guests appear in your wedding photo album, you should place a photo booth in the reception hall. If you are thinking that would make the reception look like a shopping mall, then you have got it all wrong. They are the latest rage in the weddings, corporate parties, birthdays and other events where couples and groups flock to these booths to get their pictures taken.

These not only entertain guests but give you great shots for your wedding album and keepsake for your guests. These are easily available on rent and theirs prices vary from one rental service to another and are charged on the basis of hours or day/night, type of photo booths, additional props and others. Some of them rentals provide props for free whereas others charge money for each piece. Since it's a wedding reception, make sure the photo booth is decorated to match the wedding theme.

When you rent a photo booth, it usually comes with an attendant who assists people in operating the system and makes sure it works fine. In case your photo booth doesn't have an attendant, print the instructions and place them in the booth for your guests. Available in two different types, classic arcade and open booths, these booths offer a great time to your guests. Classic boxed-in booths are a little cozy and fit in 2-4 people at a time whereas open booths can accommodate up to 10 guests.

If there are space concerns, you should definitely get the enclosed arcade style booths. Since lighting plays the key role in photography, you have to ensure that it's appropriate. With arcade booths, there isn't any problem regarding additional lights as these are enclosed but is the main concern when you are using open booths.

Make your photo booth even more fun. Get props like funny hats, funky glasses, wigs, masks, fake mustaches, etc. See how your guests pose in front of the camera with these props. You can even have the photo booth frame customized to suit the wedding theme. Add the photo booth pictures to your wedding photo album or compile them into a scrapbook. Several booths can now save the pictures which are later copied to a disc. The new age photo booths come with video recording option as well. Guests can say a few words in honor of the happy couple after having some snaps shot.

If you are being charged per hour for the booth, the best time to set it up is during the drinks. At this time guests can be kept busy with the photo booth while you have your couple pictures taken by a professional photographer.

This article has been written by an expert associated with A A A Photo Booth, a leading company that rents out portable booths for various events at affordable rates.

Original article

24 Things You Should Be Concerned About When Choosing A Wedding Photographer And Why

Here's an article for soon to-be-married couples. The list will below will give you an idea if your prospective wedding photographer will be the right wedding photographer for your wedding day.
Portfolio. Ask the wedding photographer to provide you with a url of his or her website and meet him or her in person to see actual prints and/or albums. Better yet, ask him or her to show a complete portfolio of a single wedding.
Scope of coverage. Will the coverage start from your preparation up to the end of reception? Or just the ceremony or reception? Again, your choice, as this may impact on the cost.
Coverage Style. Ask the photographer what's his style. Photojournalistic, traditional, or mixed?
Will the photographer personally shoot your wedding. Because some photographers sometimes assign the work to others. Ask him or her to put it in writing, together with alternatives if he or she can't really personally shoot your wedding.
Unique and personal photos.What's the photographer's plan or M.O. or S.O.P. with regards to making your wedding photographs unique and personal to you?
Prenup and postnup photography. Does the wedding photographer offer an engagement photo session or prenup? How about postnup? Ask him or her how much, and if there's a discount for any of these services.
Photographer's experience. Ask your prospective wedding photographer how long has he or she been in business?
Costs. These are the different packages. Does the wedding photographer have different wedding packages to choose from. Most wedding photographers will spell out the things included in a particular package.
Overtime fee. Will there be an overtime fee? Ask beforehand and request that it be put in the contract if the wedding photographer has one.
Travel Fees. It's customary for photographers to charge travel fees for out-of-town weddings. Negotiate if you can.
Discounts. Will he or she give you a discount for duplicate prints, albums, enlargements, thank you cards, signature frames, etc.?
Proofs for the album. These may be in the form of contact sheets, CD /DVD, online gallery, or 3R prints. From theses proofs, you will select the pictures that will go into the album. It's seldom now that photographers provide contact prints and 3R prints. Wedding photographers and couples today prefer a CD/DVD or an online gallery because of convenience. The photographer may likewise opt to send you the pictures thru email (slow and laborious) or send the photos to a cloud storage service (easy to use and fast), like Dropbox, which I currently use.
How long will the wedding photographer give you the pictures for selection after the wedding. 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month?
How much time will the photographer allow you for picture selection. I usually give my clients all the time they need to choose. But, as a rule, you should make the selection within 2 weeks, at the most, because after a month or two, your wedding photographer may be busy with other shoots.
Picture selection. Will the photographer help you in selecting, like give you a short list of his own choices to make the process easy for you? In the Philippines, most couples like to choose themselves from the thousands of pictures I give them. Your choice, really. There are pros and cons to both.
Prints/Reprints Orders. Would the prospective wedding photographer have a system that will make it easy for your friends and relatives to order reprints for themselves?
Picture quality. How long will the printed pictures and album last, in terms of fading.
Viewpoint or attitude towards photographing weddings. For instance, is it just a job for him/her? More often than not, the answer to this question will tip the scale for or against your decision in hiring the photographer.
Assistant. Will he/she have an assistant or assistants?
Backup equipment. Another basic and yet very important so that your photographer can continue shooting even if his or her main camera or other equipment decided to take a rest in the middle of your celebration.
Film or digital. Again, there are pros and cons to both.
Payment policy. This is another item you and your photographer should be able to agree on beforehand, preferably in writing.
Availability. Is the wedding photographer available on your wedding date?
Guarantees. This is important as you are paying with your hard-earned money. Ask him or her if the service comes with some form of guarantees.

If you feel that the wedding photographer is right for you, you can now relax and make the commitment with the confidence that you've made a well-formed, smart decision.

Tony Oquias is a professional photographer and writer based in the Philippines. You can visit his website at http://tonystill.com/ or read his blog with more photography articles and tips at http://tonystill.com/blog.

Original article

Tips for Perfect Wedding Photographs

Cooperation on a location.

If you are getting married and want to get really good wedding photographs, you should cooperate with your wedding photographer.

You have to reserve enough time for a location of your choice. How much time do you need to reserve depend on how many good photos for printing you would like to get.

If you single out 2 hours for a location between a ceremony and a reception, for example.

2 hours is enough for good wedding photos, but you can meet one or a few of the following problems.

Situation 1

The bride finishes her dressing up and last preparations much later (often from 1 hour to 2 hours later).

Situation 2

The groom comes to a bride's house (place of last preparations) very late.

Situation 3

You spent significantly more time near the church after a ceremony just talking to bridal party or relatives.

Finally you and your wedding photographer have only 20-30 minutes for a location, which is not enough even for standard group portraits.

Situation 4

You are worried about the day and checking up all details, deciding last small problems/ questions, giving a call to anyone all the time.

Situation 5

You get phone calls all the time or your guests congratulate you.

Situation 6

You are emotionally exhausted, tired and very worried about being late on a reception, because of guests who wait you to join them.

Formally a photographer have enough time, but can't do his or her job completely. In this case a photographer can make only reportage photos, but people talking on the phone make a lot of different grimaces, facial expressions, gestures, often not very attractive, and absolutely don't pay attention to the wedding photographer.

In conclusion

It doesn't matter how many hours you reserve for locations, please add 2 hours. Please start this important for you day 2 hours earlier. By the end of the day you will understand why.

If you suddenly have a 30 minutes break - it's break for check the bride's makeup, catch a deep breath and just enjoy the day and think how happy you are.

Cooperation on the reception.

There is a paragraph about a cooperation in the photography contract, please read it and say to the bridal party and all relatives and guests who is going to be with you on the big day.

Guests don't read and sign a photography contract, so they don't understand that their behaviour can make any influence to photographer's work and your photographs. It's not a photographer's job to explain guests that they disturb plans and interfere in photography process. It's your responsibility to make your big day perfect.

What you should say to all your guests. Tips for guests.

Guests should give necessary access for a wedding photographer to the couple all the time.

Guests must not pass any plates, cameras, glasses or shaking hands just in front of the photographer's camera, especially in the most important moments, like cutting the bridal cake and the bridal dance, because we can't replay these moments.

If there is a special booster light for the couple, guests must not overlay this light, because it's very important for wedding photographs.

Guest should not ask the photographer to take a portrait of them, especially when he or she is busy with a couple. The photographer will do it in due time, if it's coordinated with the couple.

Original article

What to expect from a contemporary wedding photography

Contemporary photography is currently very popular among brides and grooms-to-be and it is easy to understand why. Full of genuine emotion, these photos are absolutely beautiful. Contemporary photographers provide a fee take on marriage portraits, featuring a photojournalistiques approach that really brings viewers in the moment. Style of wedding photography today gives importance to tell a story of a wonderful day: the day of your wedding.

As contemporary is basically another word for modern, photos, defined as "contemporary" will change over time. For example, during the 1980s, a photo of staged marriage was still considered contemporary. It was only a decade later that wedding photographers have begun to explore an approach to portraits wedding photojournalism. At this time, minimalism was rage with modern photographers. Why photos of minimalist marriage certainly pushed the limits, they also end up dated by the end of the Decade of research. Since then, contemporary wedding photography has advanced considerably, given new photo technology which has become available in recent years. The modern new includes the same approach to journal which became popular in the 1990s, but with a vintage touch which makes the acceptable style for those who have committed an error to classical and traditional.

The greatest reason to invest in a marriage for the big day photographer is that your photos will eventually be much more memorable. Other styles of wedding photography are renowned for their stiff and awkward poses, but it is rarely in contemporary images. A contemporary portrait of marriage will be something that you will be proud to put in place on the wall for all. If you are in a more modern style of Interior design, the photos will look amazing in your apartment or House, but they will also be consistent with a more traditional style of furniture and decor. It is the same for the scrapbooking. You can do an incredible Scrapbook of marriage with a diverse set of wedding photos while taking advantage of several different page layouts and styles of decoration.

If you choose a contemporary wedding photographer, there will be little work preparation for you. The photographer will take care of all the details. The most important piece of advice is to try to relax and to ignore the photographer. The lens of photographer is to catch you at the moment, and it is impossible if you keep checking on him. If you have done your research in advance and selected a photographer from marriage with ratings high client, you should be able to put your trust in your photographer and let him or her to do all the work.

Colin McDonald wrote for Steven Brooks - London wedding photographer

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