I absolutely love shooting weddings! From start to finish they make for a very busy day, but there is nothing more satisfying than coming home, uploading the photos onto my Lightroom, and begin the process of sorting through the images to find the find the ones that best tell the story of the day. Out of the hundreds of photos I take that day, I am looking for the ones that make me stop and go wow, what a moment! Here is a list of shots that are an absolute must have if you are shooting a wedding or getting married yourself.
Candids - Perfectly posed portraits are to be expected when delivering a completed set of wedding photos, but I always strive to present my clients with a good mix of posed and candid shots. It's the photographer's job to tell the story of the day, so I like to think of posed portraits as the chapter headings, while the candids provide a unique voice to each ceremony. Maybe you steal a shot of a beloved pet trying to get in on the wedding party's spotlight, or you manage to capture a photo within a photo (one of my personal favorites). Nine times out of ten, at some point during the day a photographer will end up competing with well meaning wedding guests who want to take a photo of the happy couple on their smart device, so instead of getting frustrated, I try to use it as an opportunity for a quirky shot. Heck, sometimes you are not competing and a shot like that makes a great addition to the final photo set.
Funny and Lighthearted - Hair, make-up, pre-drinking, making sure someone knows how to tie a tie; odds are that clients may be feeling nervous just trying to make it down the aisle, or perhaps they are anxious to get to the party and have the group shots over with. Keeping time frames in mind, I always like to suggest doing some funny or silly group photos to keep things lighthearted. Not only do these types of shots ease any last minute wedding jitters, but they also make great additions to any wedding album.
Details, Details, Details! - Not to state the obvious, but I'm going to, weddings are a lot of work to plan! From the food, to the dress, wedding favors, and decorations, a tremendous amount of time and effort was spent to make everything come together for the special day. Whenever there is a lull between shots (i.e waiting for the ceremony to begin once you have the getting ready photos done) I like to take a walk around the venue before things get underway to get photos of the decorated space. Center pieces, signs, photo displays, flower arrangements, etc. it is easier to store a photo of these items rather than the actual items themselves.
Something Extra Special - Anytime I am asked to shoot a wedding, I ask the couple if there are any shots they specifically want before the wedding date. Pinterest is a great tool for this because it allows the client to send or tag me in shots that they are inspired by in so I can get a better idea of what they want for their own wedding album. By doing this you can plan out your shot list and know what can be done in camera, and what needs to be composited together in Photoshop. It's important to have these conversations before the wedding, especially if a key family member has passed away and are represented at the ceremony symbolically.
There you have it! A brief list of shots that are, in my opinion, crucial for any photographer to deliver for a dynamic wedding album that captures the story of the day. If you are in need of a wedding photographer, please message me at emilymacneilphotography@gmail.com or on my Facebook page (link below) for bookings.