Ramblings, thoughts, tips & tricks of a Wedding Photographer

Weddings are fun, so they should be shot as such. That's my theory, The amount of times i hear of horror storys of guests not enjoying the photo part of the Wedding day, It is the most common thing that is said to me. “Oh i was at one once where the Bride & Groom was gone for hours and then they shot stood about ages doing groups” I love having a relationship with the couple & to be able to chat beforehand so i know exactly what they want out of their day, Yes, no one wants to stand around for hours on end doing formal photographs. But if we sort a short list beforehand we can get them done sharpish. The sooner the Bride & Groom has a drink and a pastry orderve in the hand the better, because who doesn't smile n laugh when they have food & drink in there hand :D

I was asked if i would like to share some tips on how I capture moments that dont distract from the main event of the day, My favorite thing to do at weddings is Candid photography. It is hard to work and not be seen by the guests to capture moments but my fave way of doing this is to walk around with my Olympus EM-5 camera. It is so small and most people hardly notice it. This lets me wander around seeking out people having a good time. I am intrigued by a new company called Light that is developing a compact camera that could be a game changer for this. they can be found here http://www.light.co/camera

Also Having a 2nd photographer with me during the day helps me so much. While I am photographing the must haves the 2nd photographer can cast a second eye over everything and pre-empt things happening from a different angle. For example. Here is a shot taken by Greg thurtle who 2nd shot for me at a Poole, UK wedding. i was waiting at the end of the aisle for the bride so this would of never been captured if i was on my own & to this day is one of my fave images.

Life is to short, Dont be a stick in the mud. Why not join in on the fun ? this is a prime example where i was remembered by a guest and 6 months later… I was photographing their wedding day. I love chatting at weddings and i hate the word but “banter” with the guests can lead to making new friends and clients.
Ill leave this post with a bit of advice I would of liked when i started.
Having a Rapport with the guests can lead to lovely shots like this
Let kids be kids

Do your exercises

Avoid vapors

Dont drink on the job *cough*

Dont bring your own kids #effort