Wedding photography is a lucrative business and these days, many aspiring photographers are trying to get into this domain by offering their services for free just for the experience. They are eager to learn and willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to deliver quality images.
However, despite their eagerness, there are some important things that they must first consider before taking on such a responsibility. After all, a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event and you can’t do a retake. So it’s imperative to make sure that you have the skills and knowledge necessary for the job.
If you’re a complete beginner who’s never shot a wedding before, it can be tough finding the right advice. A thousand wedding photographers will tell you that you shouldn’t do it, but they don’t have to work with your budget!
If you’re an amateur photographer and you have a friend who wants you to shoot their wedding or a family member who needs a photographer on a budget. Here are some of the essential tips that amateur wedding photographers should follow.
Atend wedding photography workshops
A lot of photographers offer workshops and classes for beginners, so if you’re interested in wedding photography, attending such events can be very helpful as well. Not only will you learn about the necessary equipment and have the opportunity to practice your skills on real models, but you might make some valuable connections that could lead to more work later on. In addition, if you know anyone who’s getting married soon and is open to having an amateur photographer shoot their wedding, ask them if they’d like to help you out by doing a free practice session for their special day.
Plan styles shoots
If you want new images for your portfolio but can’t afford to book any models yet, consider organising styled shoots with other vendors such as florists or event planners. The results will be well worth it!
Wedding photography tutorials
You Tube is a great source of knowledge and wedding photography is no different here. You can follow various photographers and learn by watching wedding photography tutorials. Here is a popular 2.5 hr free tutorial as an example:
Expect the unexpected!
Weddings are emotional events, and emotions can run high at times. You need to be ready to adjust your schedule accordingly if something comes up. If you’ve never been around emotional people before, this can be hard – especially if you’re not used to dealing with moving targets.
Bring backups
The last thing you want during a wedding is equipment failure. Bring backups! Batteries fail, memory cards fill up, flashes die…you’ll be glad you have spares when these things happen
Conclusion
As you can see there’s more to wedding photography than just showing up and shooting. Even if you’re just shooting for friends, you need to know how to capture a wedding and all its moments in the best way possible. We hope you enjoyed our tips from wedding photographers to help you get started in this usually lucrative side job. Once you know the basics, you can get creative with your wedding photos and offer a professional-looking product that will please the newlyweds and their parents!
