Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Wedding Day Photography - The Reception, Formal Group and Documentary Photography

Following behind the bride and groom to the reception offers a little respite for the events to follow. This is where experience and organisational skills come to the fore, and advanced preparation means that formal group shots flow with ease. The person assigned to the task of gathering the groups for the formal wedding shots primarily selects the immediate family for the first photograph, gradually building the group arranging family members and close friends around the bride and groom. This is a fast and efficient way to produce comprehensive family group images, without missing out any primary guests. The time saved in working in this organised manner minimises delays in the wedding reception; a factor that can make a photographer unpopular with wedding coordinators, who in turn can prove valuable in providing referrals. Also and more importantly more time is made available to capture candid images of family members, guests and details such as the table arrangements and the cake.

As the guests are being ushered to the dining hall there is a natural lull, the golden hour. This is the time when you have the undivided attention of a relaxed bride and groom to recreate images which they practiced earlier in an engagement portrait session. Photo events such as, capturing the introduction of the bride and groom, where in Scotland the bride and groom are often preceded by a piper, to whom the bride rewards with a dram of whisky, to the cutting of the cake, give strong documentary form to the unfolding of events and compliment the more informal candid shots.

When the formal wedding photography is complete you may be invited to dine, it shows good grace to maintain a professional manner with your hosts and their guests. Bearing in mind all weddings offer potential for referrals and as such a professional conduct should be matter of course. A few occasional photographs can be taken following the meal and during the speeches, be mindful at this point to check camera batteries and ensure there is enough memory available to shoot the first dance. Aim to capture the movement in these shots, blending available light and flash by using a slow shutter setting. Always aim for variation in shots to give a strong selection of high quality images.

Last but not least, before leaving the wedding venue ensure all photographic equipment is securely packed away including the now very valuable memory cards holding the wedding images!

Source : Ezinearticles

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