Right theme: The selection of appropriate themes will support your work very much. You need to find a theme that creates a strong impression. For example, the love story of the couple, or how they met for the first time can make up for a great theme for the shoot. Couples usually have certains ideas in mind. The task of a photographer is to give their technical feedback.
Location: After the theme is decided a location for the pre wedding shoot is scouted. As the location plays an important part in the making of a final image. If any permissions are supposed to be taken, do the needful before hand. There are many photographs that look beautiful due to its location. Make sure that you concept and the shoot location compliment each other. It is better to choose a location adapted to the agreed concept, not just because that location looks beautiful.
There are many photographs that look beautiful due to its location. Make sure that you concept and the shoot location compliment each other. It is better to choose a location adapted to the agreed concept, not just because that location looks beautiful.
Time: The timing of the shooting is also one of the most important thing to make a unique pre-wedding photos. It will be difficult to make a nice photo with a bad timing. Don’t do the prewedding photo session with a narrow interval from the wedding day. 1-2 months prior the wedding will be ideal.
Remember the best hours for outdoor portrait photography is 6-9am in the morning and afternoon at 4pm till 1 hour before the sun goes down. The soft natural light during these hours will provide you with excellent results.
After the pre-wedding becomes the main eventthe wedding. Amidst all jazz and a plethora of rituals taking place simultaneously, what are all the difficulties you face when you try to shoot the event as it happens? Can you give some tips to avoid blunders that a photographer might create while trying to get the perfect shot?
The problems are manyfold when we try to shoot the weddings as it is not only the rituals and the guests. Sometimes the client might hire additional teams for services like videography or traditional photography. This leads to many problems like crowding around the couple, photographers getting in each other’s frame, and so on. You can completely avoid this problem by talking to your client beforehand and explaining to them the problems that might occur. You also need to coordinate with the other teams at the venue. Here are some tips to help you work with them:
• Be friendly – Greet them when you arrive at the venue and exchange a bit of friendly conversation.
• It’s not a competition – Don’t try to compete with them, instead try to work along with them.
• Split time – Talk with them and come to an understanding how much time each gets to spend with the client, this will ensure both of you get good shots.
• Don’t complain- Look at it as a challenge.
One of the biggest problem faced during a wedding shoot is the distortion created by guests coming in the frame to get a shot of the couple from their mobile phones. The way we counter this is by having two or more candid photographers. This helps us ensure that whatever the situation the shot is captured and the moment isn’t missed.
It also becomes difficult to get great pictures if the couple getting married is nervous. Break the ice and get them to talk with each other. Crack a few jokes to break the tension. Remind them they are in the present and most importantly, remind them to have fun. The main challenge is delivering good photos in a stressful environment.
During the wedding, there are shots that cannot be redone, such as the alliance exchange, the official first kiss, funny moments and situations. You need to be constantly alert to what’s happening around you.
The other big challenge is being able to manage the low light environments where you shoot. For example, while shooting in a church. There isn’t enough light to fix the action. You need to get the right equipment to make sure you get nice results at the end.
What are the latest trends in technology used to cover modern weddings?
With the advent of technology, it has become easier to get shots that were once upon a time deemed difficult or expensive. The best example is aerial photography or videography. But as technology keeps advancing we have to keep updating ourselves as well as keep practicing with the latest equipment. Because at the end of the day it’s not the technology that makes a shot perfect, it’s the person using it. Hence familiarizing yourself with the latest device and technology is very important.
How do you ensure your wedding images are free of color casts since video lights and electronic flash have different color temperatures Do you prefer to shoot in ambient light or you prefer electronic flash and why?
If it is our team that’s shooting the video and the photos, the video light and flashes will be white balance checked, and the color temperature of the LED’s for video will be matched with that of the flashes. As we always shoot RAW and our systems are color calibrated with SPYDER, our white balances can always be matched even at the post production stage. But we strongly believe in getting the shot right in camera and leaving the least possible requirement for post-processing of the images. In case of selecting lights, the preference changes from situation to situation. But in most of the given situations we would be using both. This helps us in maintaining optimum exposure for our shots which in turn reduces our post production time.
Usually, what is your typical turnaround time and how do you present the images/video to a client? Do you incorporate the latest trends like the ‘augmented reality/live videos’ in your wedding albums?
Copyrighted low resolution images are handed on the very same day of the final event. The client gets to choose the images he needs for the album. Typically, it would take 4 weeks after the client has selected the images and the final images and album is delivered. In case of no album it takes 2 weeks to deliver the final images. Video takes around 6 weeks for delivery with a trailer given to the client in 15 days. We also provide same day edits. Also, we believe in delivering quality to our clients and the LED screens provided in digital photo albums are not of the best quality and hence they do not do justice. We have also been strong believers in the fact that gimmicks’ do not sell and the content matters more than anything else.
Lastly, what are the suggestions that you can provide to budding wedding photographers?
The biggest mistake new
photographers commit is shooting on a long lens at a very small f-number. Candid photography is much more than just a blurred background. It is important to study the work of successful national and international photographers and also get a formal education in wedding photography and assist a good photographer for 2-3 years to gain invaluable experience.
When you try to become a wedding photographer, you’ll find yourself faced with a bit of a conundrum. You need experience of shooting weddings to get hired, but you can’t get experience until you get hired. This is incredibly challenging, and tough for every budding photographer. You may assist an established photographer in order to gain experience or try your lucky at a friend’s or relative’s wedding if they agree. Either way, it takes hard work and perseverance to get that much needed experience under your belt. |SP
“The study of various wedding ceremonies, rituals and customs of different cultures and religions will help photographers gain an insight and understand what’s coming next. Practicing with the photography gear will help them be better prepared in any given situation and they will never miss a shot again.”
