How to avoid boring wedding photos
You are only going to get married once and in all likelihood you’re going to spend a lot of money on services and products for your wedding day. Therefore, it’s really important that you can look back on this special day with wonderful and lasting memories of all the fun, emotion and love. With this in mind, I would urge couples to think very carefully about their selection of a wedding photographer.
“the job of a wedding photographer is to crystalize moments in time, so they live on forever, from generation to generation”
The latest trend in wedding photography shows an increasing demand for a documentary/photojournalistic style with the focus (excuse the pun) on candid shots rather than the more dated formal/editorial approach. Even so, there are still major differences between one photographers work over another - surely this shouldn’t be the case, after all we are all shooting with superb cameras and fast lenses, and we all have access to fantastic editing tools like Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, etc. So what is it that makes some images stand out?
Wedding photographers need to see with their heart as well as with their eyes!!
Parents, Aunties and Children - a fantastic recipe for an authentic wedding photograph.
The following tips are aimed at helping couples:
Avoid giving your wedding photographer a long list of formal/group photographs to capture. Not only is this time-consuming, it also breaks-up the flow of the wedding day and constrains the photographer’s creativity. I usually ask my couples to provide a list of 10 group/formal shots as a maximum. For me, there is nothing worse than being tied-up corralling groups of family members whilst the true story of the wedding is unfolding somewhere else. Remember that time creates pressure throughout the day!
Get to know your photographer and help him/her to learn about you as people not just clients. You’ll need to demonstrate that you have a strong rapport with your photographer otherwise your family and friends will not relax and allow the photographer to move amongst them during the day.
Remember that your wedding day is unique and avoid asking your photographer to copy images taken at other couples’ weddings. It’s OK to discuss some desired shots with your photographer but it shouldn’t be a game of oneupmanship. Personally, I dislike the challenge of bettering someone else’s shot as seen on Instagram.
Recognise that documentary/photojournalistic images may sometimes be imperfect. As one of my mentors Joe Buissink says “There’s no such thing as a perfect image - only a perfect moment” Many of my own dance floor photographs will have motion blur, haze, shallow depth of field and crazy colour tones; but surely that is a true and authentic capture of the moment!
Work with your photographer to identify key people - these are special friends and family of whom you want a photographic memory. Some photographers speak of ‘the magic three’ - kids, pets and grandparents. You are guaranteed smiles and tears when these groups interact - your photographer needs to predict these moments and be snappy!