Migration Photos

The temptation with digital is to check images as you go and to delete those that don’t work immediately. The problem with this is that you might just be getting rid of some of the more interesting and useable images. Keep in mind that images can be cropped or manipulated later to give you some more arty/abstract looking shots that can add real interest to the end album.

Get a little creative with your shots. While the majority of the images in the end album will probably be fairly ‘normal’ or formal poses - make sure you mix things up a little by taking shots from down low, up high, at wide angles etc.

Visit the locations of the different places that you’ll be shooting before the big day. While I’m sure most Pros don’t do this - I find it really helpful to know where we’re going, have an idea of a few positions for shots and to know how the light might come into play. On one or two weddings I even visited locations with the couples and took a few test shots (these made nice ‘engagement photos’).

When shooting outside after a ceremony or during the posed shots you’ll probably want to keep your flash attached to give a little fill in flash. I tend to dial it back a little (a stop or two) so that shots are not blown out - but particularly in backlit or midday shooting conditions where there can be a lot of shadow, fill in flash is a must. Read more about using Fill Flash.

Show them your work/style. Find out what they are wanting to achieve, how many shots they want, what key things they want to be recorded, how the shots will be used (print etc). If you’re charging them for the event, make sure you have the agreement of price in place up front.

One more piece of advice that someone gave me on my own wedding day. ‘Things will Go Wrong - But They Can be the Best Parts of the Day’. In every wedding that I’ve participated in something tends to go wrong with the day. The best man can’t find the ring, the rain pours down just as the ceremony ends, the groom forgets to do up his fly, the flower girl decides to sit down in the middle of the aisle or the bride can’t remember her vows.

One of the challenges of weddings is that there are often people going everywhere - including the backgrounds of your shots. Particularly with the formal shots scope out the area where they’ll be taken ahead of time looking for good backgrounds. Ideally you’ll be wanting uncluttered areas and shaded spots out of direct sunlight where there’s unlikely to be a wandering great aunt wander into the back of the shot. Read more on getting backgrounds right.

As a coordinator, Wendy Stoller, has been a guest in many weddings and has collected a series of heart feltExamples of Wedding Speeches. For some inspiration, visit and listen.

Technorati Tags: amateur, camera, digital, Digital Camera, film, lens, photo, photographer, photography, shutter, wedding

Tags: amateur, camera, digital, Digital Camera, film, lens, photo, photographer, photography, shutter, wedding

There are many digital camera equipment that you absolutely need if you are going try to make it in this industry. Here are just a few to get you started so you won’t start out blind.

For those just starting out, I would go with Canon or Nikon. They are by far the biggest players in the market and once you start going with one brand, it’s mighty hard to switch to a different one.

Many people don’t like those kit lens that comes with the cameras, but I would suggest going with them for your starter camera. That’s because you don’t really know what you want yet and want to experiment with it.

Many people buy protective filters for their lens but they fail to buy good ones. This is not good because the glass may not be perfectly flat, causing unwanted reflection.

You can spend a ton of time figuring out your equipment setup, or you can just buy the lens as you need them. Personally, I think your set will evolve so much through time that the latter approach is better.

A bag that can withstand a minor fall is of the utmost importance. Also, make sure it’s convenient to carry around and that the shoulder straps are well supported.

There are many accessories which are useful like a good cloth to clean your lens, as well as a squeezer to blow air and dust off the glass of your lens, which you will need to do constantly.

Many people will tell you to buy a huge memory card from the beginning, but I would actually tell you to get a moderate one. That’s because when you are learning, you want to look at your photos often.

Hold off on photo editing software at first because you want to hone your skills as a photo taker first and then add onto your skill set at a later stage. Photography skills is still the core of what you are trying to accomplish.

The Internet to transfer files to clients is a necessity for any photographer now. With the Verizon promo code you see there, you won’t be spending a fortune on this service.

Technorati Tags: aperture, art, bag, camera, cleaning, digital, Digital Camera, glass, lens, light, outdoor, photograhy, picture, shutter, software

Tags: aperture, art, bag, camera, cleaning, digital, Digital Camera, glass, lens, light, outdoor, photograhy, picture, shutter, software