PLAN YOUR WEDDING FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S EYE
You would ask, how has your wedding planning got to do anything with wedding photography. Well, if you want all those stunning images that you have dreamt about then you have to ask the expert (photographer) what they think about your wedding plans.
The wedding photographer would have the experience of shooting many weddings and will be able to guide you to a wealth of information about all aspects of your wedding. Besides, this information is free for you. I’m not asking you to get your photographer involved in all the details of your wedding planning (If you do he will run away), but you should keep your discussion focused on getting amazing photos. All this advice can make a big difference in getting either average or outstanding wedding pictures. Let’s go through all these points that you can discuss with your wedding photographer.
1) Venue
The venue for your wedding or the location for your couple shoot are very important decisions from the point of view of photography. Your photographer will be able to guide you on the pros and cons of each. I know the decision for the wedding venue has a lot more considerations to be made like the availability, price, size etc but it wouldn’t hurt if you can have an extra opinion. But for the location of the couple shoot i think you should definitely discuss with your photographer beforehand. They will easily guide you to the best options available. I would even recommend travelling to new location where you aren’t stressed or pressed for time to get those breathtaking photos.
2) Your Dress
One of the often overlooked things most couples don’t consider while planning is what to wear for your couple shoot. The colour, style and design are all very important. I know you love your new dress and think it would look lovely in the pictures but perhaps not. If you haven’t yet decided what to wear ask your photographer and their advice could help you in buying a new outfit for yourself. Be ready to shell out 🙂
3) Flow of the Day
Talk to your wedding photographer before finalizing the schedule for your wedding day. There’s a lot to consider in terms of photographing and natural light. The photographer will be there with you right from the time you start getting ready to till the very end of your wedding party. They can easily guide to the best possible sequence to get the most from the day and to ensure there is nothing that gets missed out.
4) To Pose or not to pose
Couples are often confused whether to pose or not. Without knowing some couples either get conscious and everytime the camera is pointed at them they leave everything and just smile back at the camera. This can be awkward and you shouldn’t do this because the pictures will all look very artificial. On the other hand some couples completely ignore the photographer and everytime the camera is pointed to them they look in the other direction. Even this is not right. This is the reason a good photographer will get his clients to be comfortable in his presence and will educate them on what to do. The best thing to do is relax and act naturally. Be in the moment. Be hopelessly in love with each other—the pictures will turn out smashingly!
5) A second shooter or not
I prefer shooting with another photographer ( tho i have shot alone a lot). Agreed this increase the cost but consider this: The second photographer offers another unique point of view throughout the entire day that you would not have had photographed yourself.
6) One Team is better than two
I personally only do wedding photography but i also have another team which specialises in wedding videography. I do this because i have seen having 2 different teams at a wedding leads to a lot of friction. It becomes like a constant struggle for both teams to coordinate and act like one team. Each team tries to capture the best shot from the best angles without consideration for the other. Many a times things can also go out of hand. The last thing that a bride would want is to mediate between the two teams. Worse still, what goes un-unnoticed is the impact that this friction has on the quality of work. The reason is because some photographers will just sulk and withdraw into their shells while others will make it a point to keep competing for the shots and make it difficult for the other team to do their work. The end result is the bride loses. It is to address this exact situation i try to present one team so that they can coordinate amongst themselves and give their best shot to their clients. I would advise that you can look for a single photography/videography team for your wedding, plus it makes your life a lot easier to deal with one person for all your photography requirements.
7) Letting Relatives Get in the Way
“Everyone who has a camera these days and everyone considers themselves to be a photographer. In a weddings all the photographers of the family come out with gusto with their big guns to show their skills. They may have all the right intentions and may even think they are doing you a favor by taking more shots but usually they just get in the way and makes us miss our shots. Tell them to leave the cameras at home and just enjoy their time at the wedding without making our lives difficult.
8)Trying to Make Things “Perfect”
Just have fun. Whether it’s getting a little cake on your face or some thing didn’t turn out 100 percent like you’d hoped it would, don’t sweat it, go with the flow, have fun and keep smiling.
