Photography by Srdjan of A&M Photography

Photography by Srdjan of A&M Photography

Megan and Eric got married at the Crossline Church with the Reception following at the Pacific Hills Banquet and Catering in Laguna Hills. Awesome families and friends, a very cheerful event! It was a pleasure being a part of it. Photography by Srdjan of A&M Photography.

Wedding photography is a precise and subtle art. To recreate the atmosphere of the wedding, as well as to get plenty of beautiful portraits of the bride, bridegroom, their families and friends, you need more than good equipment and hard work. Not only must you have the sensitivity to understand the wishes of the bride and bridegroom before you start, but at the wedding itself you need to be able to predict constantly what is about to happen, even when totally unscripted. Patience, persistence and a total renunciation of self-consciousness are also vital qualities if you are to get the best wedding photographs. However, there are more things for a wedding photographer to bear in mind than simply the challenging task of getting the best images.

A wedding is a very important event in the lives of those involved, and the photographer must remember that the photographs are not the sole purpose of the event. A photographer must not be too intrusive or too demonstrative, and I would go as far as to say that he or she should be as invisible as possible. The solemn and immensely personal aesthetic of the ceremony itself for example, can easily be upset. A wandering photographer, or one who positions themselves directly in the view of the guests, or even worse, in front of the bride and bridegroom, can distract horribly from the more important things at hand.

As for the group shots, everyone has at some point been at a wedding where these seem to take over most of the event, this is far from desirable. In essence, a wedding photographer should document (not direct) the wedding. They should work in total harmony with their surroundings, responding to each and every person and each and every happening with sensitivity and skill. In my experience, being the perfect wedding photographer is just as important as taking the perfect photographs and this is why wedding photography is such demanding and exhausting work.

Having said that, it is largely the wedding photographs by which the wedding will eventually be remembered. This is why natural and honest photographs that depict the wedding as it really was are the best wedding photographs. Overly styled or posed photographs will not only be less meaningful but will fail to remain evocative for the future. And it is for future memories that the photographs will largely have to serve.

Think about any wedding photographs you have seen of your parents, grandparents or indeed of generations before; they are a joy to look at because they represent the people as they really were: smiling, laughing, or crying at what is traditionally one of the most pivotal moments in their lives. I have seen some contemporary wedding photographs that depict nothing more than the glossy magazine fashion of the time, a silhouette of a bride and groom under a palm tree, or a blurred image of a figure in a white dress running across a bridge. These photographs could be of anyone and this is missing out on the whole principle of wedding photography which, of course, is to capture something personal and something real. A beautiful wedding photograph is somewhat vacuous unless it somehow represents a real person or indeed a real moment, and this is what a wedding photographer should bear in mind every time they photograph a wedding.

By Phoebe Ling

Source: photographik.org

Must you have them? You hear about “must have” shots in magazines and online regularly. Wedding planners, venue coordinators, wedding writers, you know, pretty much everywhere. What are they?

Well they are either those special events in weddings (the first kiss, the first dance, cake cutting), ‘photo-walks’ (essentially posed portraits directed by the photographer) or locations at the venue used over and over for posed photographs. Let’s talk about each.

Must-Have Special Events

Many photographers now offer a ‘photojournalistic’ approach as part of what they do. This essentially is the photograhpic documentation of your day, moment by moment. It stands to reason that if there are important (and real) events happening, your photographer will want to capture them. Take them! While its unlikely the photographer would miss getting a picture of your first dance, it’s probably best for you to let them know what’s going to be happening and when it’s likely. The shot below, evocative and unposed, is truly one of those ‘must have’ ones .

Must-Have Photo-Walks

The ‘photo-walk’ type posed shots are becoming less popular these days, for several reasons. One, they are fairly non-spontaneous and unrepresentative of your personal day. In the days of exclusively film photograhy (read expensive), they served to reliably produce acceptable pictures. Of course, they were essentially the same picture, couple after couple. With modern digital cameras, there’s no reason not to avoid these same old standard shots and let your day happen. The picture below is the oft photographed scene. I shot it when another photographer was stagging it. Oh well.

Must-Have Venue Locations

Most venues have their “must have” locations for posed pictures. Sometimes it’s these locations that have attracted couples to the venue. While they can be acceptable locations, even very nice – this also means that you will join many, many others who have had that same pictures taken. Not very special. On the other hand, the quality of light can make a huge difference in any picture and that can change day to day and hour to hour (not to mention weather changes). l recommend being flexible about where pictures are taken and concentrating on enjoying your day. If you’ve chosen well, your photographer will see the light for you. By the way, remember that posed pictures, like group shots, take up a fair amount of time. That’s time you’ll want to spend with friends and family. Besides, some of my best shots happen in the strangest places like the venue’s tiny bride’s dressing room (Women’s room).

You are unique, your wedding will be unique and you never can tell, your photographer might just be able to capture that uniqueness, posed or not. So don’t stress about “must have” photos. If your photographer is good, he/she will be there to capture your special day in a special way.

By: Dan Derby