Shooting a wedding is like shooting while you are walking. As a wedding photographer, you are constantly moving, your lighting is constantly changing, your models are not professionals and getting their attention is next to impossible. So with all these obstacles, how do you go about getting those one-of-a-kind beautiful wedding photos? Well in short, you do it quickly.
As a wedding photographer your skills as a professional are never in more need than they are during a wedding. A wedding is a moving photoshoot. From the time that the bride and groom walk down the aisle to the time they are together on the altar the lighting is different. You as a photographer have to be able to adjust for this. You have to know that in the 30 minutes or so after the wedding you have to put together 10 to 30 small portrait sessions when you do the formal portraits of the wedding party. You have to anticipate what your lighting is going to be like when you get to the reception. You have to be ready for anything.
Your first priority is planning. If you have never been to the ceremony location and it is located in the same city you are in I suggest you make a visit prior to the event date. Check the lighting; check out the surroundings and the backgrounds. Scout for the best location to take the formal portraits after the ceremony. Talk with the location event coordinator if possible and ask about rules for photographers during the event. Every location has their own rules and they are all different. If you want to be respected and asked to return I advise that you follow those rules to the best of your ability. I also suggest that you make your client aware of any rules that may impair their perception of how the wedding photography should happen. Read More→
My name is Robert Hillis and I operate Memories of Your Lifetime Photography. I specialize in wedding and portrait photography in San Antonio, TX. I am an artist at heart and I love to “Paint with my Lens”! I’ve been shooting professionally for about 5 years but I’ve been doing it for fun forever! I truly love what I do and I think that shows through in my photos.
I like to tell my clients that because a wedding is truly a once in a lifetime event, what I offer them will stand the tests of time. Of all of the things that you buy for your wedding, what I offer will outlast them all. The food gets eaten, the cake goes away, the tuxedo is returned and the limo is a distant memory. The dress may stay in the closet out of view for years to come but my images, my photos, will outlast you, your kids, their kids and even their kids kids. I’m not just taking photos, I’m preserving your family history. I am capturing the Memories Of Your Lifetime!
When I first started out I did not shoot my own weddings. I was highly inexperienced and the thought of doing a wedding on my own was just daunting. To be able to move quickly, adjust my camera as necessary and still get the important shots was just too much to concentrate on in the fast paced environment of a wedding. What I did do though was a lot of 2nd shooter jobs. A 2nd shooter is a great tool to have as a wedding photographer. They allow you to take the informal photos that you want to capture that help create beautiful portfolios.
