How to get great wedding photos….things to ask your photographer.

So, I’ve been thinking about good wedding photos versus bad ones. (Hopefully not that many wedding photos turn out really “bad”.) But I wanted to give some hints and ideas on how to get the best wedding photos possible. There are 3 things you want to keep in mind with wedding photos – it would be a good idea to discuss these with your photographer

1. Time of day & weather

2. Indoors or Outdoors

3. Posed Pictures vs. Natural Looking

Wedding photography is all about light. How much is too much? how much is just enough?

The time of day is so important to your photographer. If it’s sunset or early morning – you may be able to get some really good lighting. The sun is out, but it’s not so bright to make you squint. Fill-in flash is very important for middle of the day photos. This way, if there are shadows or darker sections on your face – this little bit of flash can fill those in with a soft natural look. A reflector can also work – but sometimes this makes for squinty face photos.

Weather will always be a concern…Too much sun makes for shadows on faces. You’ll notice that shady areas are nice photo locations during full sun. Rain obviously doesn’t work for outdoor weddings and makes lighting a little more difficult for indoors (not as much ambient light). Gentle overcast actually makes for great lighting outside.

Indoor lighting and photos will depend largely on available light and whatever flash equipment your photographer brings. A good photographer will take advantage of lighting and incorporate that for fabulous photos. Flash is usually necessary indoors…but again, soft fill-flash. Keep in mind that sometimes the best pictures are those without a lot of light.

Remember the family portraits photos where someone is blinking? Those posed shots have their place…but now a day, nothing beats the natural looking & relaxed photograph. Now don’t get me wrong – I want the family photos! I want to have everyone smiling. But not EVERY photo has to be that way. It’s so nice to catch a tearful embrace, laughter, and the bride and groom looking into each other’s eyes…moments like these are brief, but if caught by your photographer…you will love them forever.

Discuss with your photographer what type of photos she specialized in. Tell her some of your expectations. Let her know if you enjoy more natural looking photos or if you want her to direct you, pose you, and otherwise tell you what to do. Sometimes it’s hard to act naturally when a camera is going off in your face for hours. But if you can be patient with your photographer…and discuss with her what you are expecting. You’re sure to get some amazing wedding photos.