Tips for Taking Better Wedding Photos
It never fails. You buy a new camera, take some good pictures and a friend asks… "Can you shoot my wedding?"
Be Careful
If you haven't shot a wedding before, consider the following benefits of contracting with a pro:
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Better photos of their wedding day
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A much more enjoyable wedding day for yourself
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Many more hours of free time
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Much less stress in your life
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Your friend will remain a friend
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And, to top it off, you can watch the professional and hiring the professional makes a great wedding gift.
If you are determined or it is just for fun and practice, read on...
Wedding Photo Preparation Tips
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You will need at least one high quality SLR, a flash bracket, external flash and diffuser, lots of extra batteries, lots of memory cards, and a backup camera.
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You must plan your shots ahead
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Shoot in RAW mode
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Spend time researching and learning your camera.
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Taking test shots on location using different settings and record your camera settings in a notebook you can refer back to when choosing the best settings based on the test shots.
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Extra equipment you may need include:
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Batteries
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Memory Cards
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Spare Camera
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Format cards before the wedding (double check)
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Set Expectations with your friend
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Avoid harsh shadows
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Use an external flash
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Use fill flash
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Shoot outdoor pictures in the shade if possible
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Avoid Red-Eye by keeping the flash a short distance away from the camera lens.
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Avoid glare from prescription glasses by tilting the arms of the glasses up a bit so that the lenses are angled downward.