Helping Your Wedding Photographer Achieve Best Results

First and foremost, understand that even the most professional Corporate Headshots NJ can only capture that which you portray. They may be able to get great angles and a fairytale setting, but how you feel and what you think will most certainly be evident in you facial expression and level of comfort in front of the camera. It is, therefore, of utmost value to be comfortable with your photographer and their camera. A very good idea would be to get to know your photographer before the wedding in order to achieve this. Many photographers will be more than happy to arrange a pre-shoot to help you and your fiancée become more comfortable with the lens and it truly is advisable to grab the opportunity with both hands. Not only will it help you and your fiancée to become more comfortable, but it should also be a time in which your photographer will couch you in the little things that really matter on the day of your wedding like “chin up, elbows away from your sides, breath” and so on. All in an effort to capture your most precious memories in the best possible way. Remember that your photographer is the one person who will be there ALL THE TIME. They are probably going to be the one calming you when table settings aren’t right or the correct accessories to your dress have not arrived (I’m speaking from experience of-course). Yes, they will be the one standing by with that glass of wine, the cigarette or the calming tablet, whilst still capturing every moment in eternity. In getting to know your photographer, it will offer the photographer a glimpse into your personality and give them the opportunity of capturing YOU in your photos.

A great way of allowing your photographer to get to know you is to invite your photographer to your bridal shower to capture a few shots there. It will also offer your photographer a chance to get acquainted with some of your key guests. Most photographers would love to get to know the couple before the wedding. Make the photographer a friend.

Now, most photographers will be able to deal with any lighting condition, but the best photos are usually achieved using natural light. Please keep this in mind when planning the time of your wedding. Remember that if the ceremony is scheduled for just before sunset and the ceremony is an hour long, there won’t be much light left for your photographer to work with. Also keep in mind that once you step outside the ceremony venue, there will be a stampede of guests who will want to congratulate you. This is very time consuming and can take an hour or more. You may not expect that it will be so time consuming, but experience has taught me that it always does, so please be sure to cater for this in your schedule. If you are planning a late or evening wedding, your photographer will probably ask to take photos of you and your fiancée before the ceremony or the next day, or they may take a more photojournalistic approach and have no formal shoot with the bride and groom at all.

Also keep your photographer in mind at the reception. Dimming the lights to almost complete darkness when opening the dance floor or cutting the cake, may add to the romantic atmosphere, but may leave your photographer in complete disaster, especially if he/she does not even have enough light to see you through the camera’s view finder.

Please ensure that your photographer knows what will be happening at approximately what time. Remember that your photographer needs to be aware of important moments at your wedding in order to capture them e.g. Speeches, opening dance, throwing of the bouquet and so on. There is nothing worse for a photographer than sitting down to that well deserved meal, taking a big bite of that lovely food, and being caught completely off-guard by the announcement of the wedding cake being cut, and having jump up, mouth full of food, hands full of gravy – need I say more?

An event guide is someone who knows the rest of the guests at the wedding, who can help the photographer to get the right people together for the photos of friends and family that you have requested. You have many other things to concentrate on and will probably not have the time to help your photographer co-ordinate this. Besides, you will probably be in most of those photographs and will have to stay put while the rest of the crowd is being gathered. Remember that your photographer is great at what they do, but unfortunately, probably not clairvoyant, and will not know who Uncle Frank and Aunt Sally are. Having an event guide will help to ensure that the process is quick and efficient and that all those special guests get photographed.