Why a wedding photographer

Future bride...?

Why a Wedding photographer?

I started performing weddings after I graduated from Bible College and someone asked me to perform their wedding ceremony. I found that I enjoyed performing weddings as an officiant and I built a website to advertise that I performed wedding ceremonies. I really liked doing weddings.

Wedding photography is different from many other forms of photography as to the expected wedding shots or pictures that are expected. I took guest pictures at the reception while the main photographer concentrated on the bridal party and family with the formals. I had purchased my own Nikon camera equipment for my own beach wedding pictures and added some to my website. I had great difficulty obtaining pictures from other photographers of my performing a wedding with the bridal party. I wanted pictures of my arch and decoration to add to the website and photographers never gave me their pictures so I had to purchase my own camera and take my own digital images or pictures.

I helped a professional photographer build her portfolio and get jobs. She hired me to take pictures of the wedding guests while she photographed the bridal party and the immediate family posed formal pictures. This was how I gained experience. Soon I brought my camera to almost every wedding I performed and took pictures for practise and experience. I learned the camera quickly this way. The wedding guests usually did not mind and the bridal party loved getting free photography. I have quite an extensive portfolio now thanks for my free photography offers in the past.

Wedding photography uses a mix of formal posed and candid pictures. Posed pictures means you ask the people to hold still and you make them stand a certain way and you take their pictures while they expect you to do this. Candid pictures are taken while the people are interacting and they are not expecting you to take their picture. Photojournalism is a style and photography technique when you record the event step by step as it is happening and the series of pictures tell a story.

I took over 1,000 pictures with my digital Nikon SLR at the last wedding I worked at. I purchased a modest Nikon digital SLR and took pictures of my brides and grooms so I could remember them for the future. I would assist the main wedding photographer by taking pictures of the guests, while she took pictures of the bridal party and the immediate family.

Many photographers charge by the picture, in addition to an hourly rate, so they almost never bother to take guest pictures. The professional photographers know most people will not spend $5-7 on a picture of a casual friend who is a guest at their wedding. So I took pictures of all the couples at the wedding party and wedding reception. This is very similar to doing family portraits and I always get lots of pictures of children.

Children’s pictures are very challenging at times, as they do not always want to sit still and let you get some good pictures of them. Little boys are especially difficult to photograph as they almost never want to sit still. I have professional studio lighting and a nice blue-grey and blue backdrop for family portraits. I love children’s pictures and they can be very photogenic and good subjects if you set up for them and follow them around to get the good angle.

Facial expressions are very important in photography as is the lighting conditions. I love outdoor photography in the late evening for the ambient lighting and one only needs a fill flash for spectacular shots. Inside photography took me about one year to feel really comfortable to be able to rely on the flash and get reliable lighting that is flattering for the photographic subject.

I purchased a Nikon D-300, D-200, D-90 and a D-40 with some really great lenses to go with it. I have the Nikon 18-200 mm lens as well as some f/2.8 lenses for low level light photography for dark indoor photography that does not allow for a flash, like in a Catholic Church or Synagogue. Those types of lenses are what are used for sports photography as they are considered “fast lenses” for action. I have all the camera equipment needed for a wedding and adequate back-up redundant camera’s and lenses in case of failure.

I always wear two cameras in case one has a problem. Nikon lenses are first class and very high quality for the professional photographer. Nikon camera's are not junk either and you pay for the quality. I heard that Nikon will soon get out of the lens manufacturing business to concentrate on making camera bodies. Carl Zeiss will soon take over the making of lenses for Nikon. Zeiss is a German optic manufacturer and has made top quality glass since World War II.