5 Tips from a San Diego Wedding Photographer

When you are asked to be the one to take photos of the wedding is a huge responsibility.  If you’ve been asked to do it as a favor, or have been asked to do it professionally, here are 5 tips to do to get the job done right.

This tips are coming from first hand experience as a San Diego wedding photographer.You could be a seasoned pro, or you could be an amateur, but by following these tips, you will do the job smoothly without second guessing yourself.  You will be fully prepared for whatever may come.

Our first tip is a simple thing you can do and that is to have the couple and the families go and make a shot list.When you know the day will be hectic and chaotic, doing this will help you get the family and group shots later on in the day more smoothly.You will love how you can just go through your list and get all the shots you want without leaving anything out.

The second tip on our list is to not delete any shots.  In this day and age of digital cameras, most photographers use them.Even though they are great, it is also tempting since it is so easy, to delete a shot.Don’t bother even peeking at the previews.  What makes a great shot in your mind could differ widely that what makes a great shot in the couples minds.You know what, they might like all those un “professional” shots you take.

For the the third tip, make sure you get candid shots during and after the wedding.A good wedding photographer doesn’t look to just take your typical shots, like group shots, or wedding shots or your standard newly married shots.  But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.  And that includes some of the things that could go wrong, like a flower girl not making it all the way to the front, or the ring bearer dropping the rings.Every photo matters.

The fourth piece of advice is make sure you have back up equipment.Do you even want to think of the horror of not being able to take any more shots of the wedding because of a broken camera.Be prepared for anything that can go wrong.Being prepared with more equipment will ensure that you avoid that awkward moment of not being able to finish the rest of the day because of a broken camera.

Lastly, make sure to practice for your lighting. There can be a huge difference between the lighting inside the wedding and outside, so make sure to practice for all the different possible conditions. Think about seeing if you can go to the locations of the big day and look for the best spots to take pictures as well as study the lighting needs.

Following these 5 great tips will help you greatly on that special day.  It will prepare you for whatever might go wrong, it will prepare you for capturing what goes right, and it will prepare you to help contribute to this wonderful day by being the best photographer you can be.  Take it from my years of experience as a San Diego photographer.