Finding your nitche

I have been in a turmoil over what it is I like to shoot. Personally, I think one can be great at shooting everything, but I also think you have to have that ONE thing that you are the best at and love to shoot no matter what. What I mean by that is, the one thing that you will drop everything for.

Lately it is urban exploration for me.. I am not sure why though. Maybe its the fact that I love history, and a lot of the places I visit are all apart of history. A great resort that started in the early 1900's or a old castle that someone did something great in or an old factory that was apart of the growth of a new city. I want to preserve the history, the location and the memories of a lifetime that has long past.

But it also could be argued that there is a some sort of high about going into a place that you aren't supposed to be in, that you could possibly get hurt in or breathe something that could potentially make you sick. Or there is the possibility  of coming across vagrants that live in some of these places or gangs and teenagers who are there to specifically ruin these places as well. You do need to be very careful in what you do. I think for me it is a mixture of both while I love preserving the memories and history, I get to do research and study the location, what happened there, what is was used for, who visited and so on. But I also get the rush of going to these places and walking in the footsteps of the original people who worked, visited, vacationed there as well.

I have to admit though, in my travels it is very sad to see some of these places. When you see how they originally looked when they were in their hay day, and what they have amounted to now is very disheartening to say the least. I have a real hard time with this fact out of everything. Why you ask, because of the entitled society we now live in is what it comes down too. People think that because a location is vacant that that fact entitles them to go in and do whatever it is that they want to do. Take a resort I visited in July, beautiful place and 100 years old. Yes it was pretty much run down, roof was leaking, floors where coming apart in places.. and yes there had been vandals in there as well. But when I went back to photograph the rest of the location just a mere few weeks ago it was far worse then back in July. The windows in the indoor pool were all tagged, in the main entrance it was also all tagged and it looked like people were pulling down walls. When you got to the other side of the place thought it looked like people were fixing the place up, new sheet rock, but the floors where all gone. Very odd to say the least.

When I left I have to say I was very sick. Please if you visit any place like these wear a mask be proactive with things. You never know what you are going to breathing in. Even though you are healthy you might not leave healthy. Also be prepared to run into vandals, homeless who are living in whatever location you visit. I carry pepper spray in my camera bag, I know not lot of protection but it could give me the time I nee to get out of there. Wear gloves and boots as well, as you never know what you are getting into. And lastly do your research, look at satellite photos, find out the history of the place, ask others who have been there before. And please beware of police traffic and nosy neighbors. For example, I went to a location last weekend, no intentions of going inside, but I was just looking. I shot all around the building but neighbors came right out once they knew I was there and followed me until I went to my car.

Some might say that even a photographer is doing the same thing as a vandal. Now I might not agree with that statement I do understand what it means. For me it is all about preservation, the history and documentation. But not all photographers think that way either. For them its about getting into locations that are off limits. What I mean is, if someone like me gains permission or entrance to a location, I go in shoot, do my thing and eventually post the images on my blog here or web site, it means for the next photographer who doesn't do things by the rules that this place is free and open and no matter what they can get in there and do what they want. I guess that is a little cluttered, but what I mean is, its an open invitation. So I guess I have mixed feelings because I too see images on the net and I want to go there too and be able to see and record and shoot as well.

So what are your thoughts?

Early morning sunrise

Quick and Effective Facial Photo Retouching

Whether it’s for a friend, family member, or client, retouching images is very common these days. In this tutorial, I will lay down the basics of retouching and take you through the entire process, layer by layer.

Sadly, I spent my money made from tutorials on ‘Long Island Iced Tea cocktails’ and therefore I am forced, yet again, to live in a box with a broadband connection and a computer. Therefore, I would like to thank Jean Scheijen for providing me with this beautiful free stock image. Free stock images, I love ‘em!

Here’s a before and after (just roll over the image to see the before):

Lastly, before we begin with the actual tutorial, I would like to show you my layer structure. For me, this setup works great. With this setup, I can navigate quickly through my layers and cut down on my work time. All of the layers will be discussed in the tutorial, so don’t worry if the scheme confuses you at the moment.

Step 1

We begin by duplicating the original layer, and with a combination of the Clone Stamp (S) Tool and the Healing Brush (J) Tool, try to remove all spots and blotches that we can find. In essence, we smooth out the skin this way and prepare it for the brushing. It is very important to use a soft brush when working like this, so that the end result blends better with the surrounding skin. If an area is hard to tackle, use the Clone Stamp Tool first and then blend the treated area with the healing brush.

Step 2

Symmetry is naturally attractive to human beings, and there are certain ‘lines’ that run across the face that when these are symmetrical, the subject seems to be more attractive to the eye. So let’s give our subject a little plastic surgery. Duplicate the layer, and using the Forward Warp Tool found in the liquefy gallery (Filter > Liquefy… or Shift+Ctrl+X), raise the area around the eyebrow just a little.

Step 3

Right now, we’ve come to the point where we can fiddle a bit with contrast, enhancing it further as we go. Let’s use a modification of a well-known technique called the ‘Angel face’ technique…at least, that is what I always call it. Again, duplicate your layer and then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and give this layer about a 8-10px blur. After this we set this layer to ‘Soft Light’. Since we do not want this effect to be visible everywhere, I added a Layer Mask and filled that with black, concealing the effect. Then I took a big white, soft, round brush set to around 30-50% Opacity and started brushing around the nose, cheeks, eyes, and hair to enhance their color. This effect can do miracles for blond hair since it can transform it from a dull yellow-ish color to a vibrant gold color.

Step 4

Now we’re going to focus on the actual airbrushing. This is a delicate process that requires a certain amount of patience and experience. Depending on your wishes or your client’s wishes you will have to decide how much airbrushing you want to apply. For instance, models in magazines and especially adult magazines are usually heavily airbrushed since they have to look ‘perfect’. On the other hand there are cases where you might just want to tweak the face by removing a few wrinkles or smoothing out the skin in a few places. For this reason, when I do the airbrushing, I generally do it over a few layers which gives me the option to switch layers on and off depending on how much texture I want to preserve in the end. On this image, I did the major airbrushing in two layers and merged them afterwards.

The trick is to use a low opacity (between 10 and 20 percent) soft brush. The color we pick comes from the image itself. When we pick the color, set the sample size of the Eyedropper Tool (I) to 51 by 51 pixels. If I remember correctly, this feature has only been available since CS2, so if you are using a version before that you will sample the color from a single pixel. Try to select an area where the skin is more or less smooth or set a flesh tone manually. Brush over an area multiple times and watch it become smoother.

The change is significant, especially around the nose area, and it is even more noticeable when the image is viewed on a much larger scale.

Step 5

After the airbrushing, let’s tweak the lips and the eyes. The lips have been slightly saturated using the same technique as in step 4, just pick a color from the lips instead. Then make a selection around the eyes and use ‘Layer via Copy’ (Ctrl+J), which can be found under Layer > New > Layer via Copy, to copy the selected part onto a new layer. Make sure this layer is on top at the moment. On the new layer, use the Dodge Tool with the settings shown below to lighten the iris.

Step 6

This is the final step before we apply our adjustment layers and bring this piece to life. In this step, we’re going to focus on the eyes a bit more, since these are very important in any portrait photograph.

1. Using a low opacity (15-20 percent) black brush, we enhance the make-up around the eyes. Don’t worry if the change seems small, it will pop as soon as we add those adjustment layers.

2. With the same technique as used in step 4, get rid of those wrinkles around the eyes. Yes, we all have them or we are going to have them, and yes, we all seem to hate them.

3. Finally, let’s desaturate the sclera (the white part of the eye). There are several ways to do this, but I believe that the easiest is simply to create a layer, select a white brush, and go around the white bit of the eye and set the mode of the layer to color. It’s quick, easy and gets the job done nicely.

Step 7

Time for the grand finale. This is the part where we make our picture stand out using the adjustment layers shown below. The adjustment might seem tiny but they make that crucial difference:

The levels and curves layers add contrast to the image as a whole and enrich the colors.

The brightness/contrast adjustment layer makes the make-up around the eyes and the lips pop out. As you can see, there’s a mask applied to the layer. It is entirely black (therefore hiding the effect) except for the area around the eyes and the lips.

The lip hue/saturation adjustment layer adds a vibrant pink color to the lips. Again a mask is applied to limit the effect strictly to the inner area of the lips.

And finally, another hue/saturation adjustment layer to slightly remove the warm shade from the face.

And well, did all of this make a difference? You decide:

Conclusion

Well there you go, a complete overhaul. Oh, and just in case there’s this voice in your head saying ‘Well, she looks too fake,’ send the image around to some friends and ask if they think that to. When you actually see the process take place, the person seems to look fake afterwards because you know what is wrong, but when you show the image to someone who doesn’t know it’s a Photoshopped image, you will get a completely different response. Download the PSD to see the larger image and you will appreciate the work even more (available via Plus Membership).

Have fun!

Exposure blending tutorial

We all have had this issue pop up every once and a while when shooting, I saw this post and wanted to share it this morning.

Exposure blending tutorial

John Watson // April 1st, 2007

After posting Getting the Exposure Right, I received a quite a few questions about how I achieved the HDR (High Dynamic Range) version of the mailbox photo (last photo in that article). This tutorial will walk you through the basics of creating the same look by hand. All you need is camera and photo editing software that supports layer masking (you can follow these steps in Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and The GIMP, among others).

A little background: HDR is a type of image manipulation. The goal is to blend multiple exposures of the same scene into a single image in order to get a result that has more dynamic range than your camera is capable of recording. Typically this applies when you have uneven lighting in your scene as in the example photo.

Final HDR result—this is what we’re going for.

The first step in creating an HDR image is to shoot your scene multiple times at different exposure settings. A tripod comes in handy here. The idea is to get at least one frame with the correct exposure for each region of your scene. In this case, there are four regions I want to capture full detail in: the sunset, the clouds surrounding the sunset, the middle ground trees, and the mailboxes in the foreground. I started shooting with the exposure set for the mailboxes and then gradually decreased the exposure in steps of about 2/3 of a stop, taking a shot at each step, until I got a good exposure for the sunset. I ended up with about 10 frames but decided just to use the following four in the final image:

Exposures chosen for HDR blending.

The next step is to load these images up in your image editor of choice. Create a new image and stack each of these exposures in separate layers. You can go from darkest to brightest or brightest to darkest—whichever way you choose, keep them in order. I chose to put the darkest layer on top and the brightest foreground layer at the bottom of the stack.

Then I add masks to my top three layers so that they are hidden (the contents of the masks are black). This effectively removes the top three exposures from the image and lets the fourth, bottommost image show through. Now grab a largish brush with a soft edge and paint white onto the black areas of the masks where you want the associated image to show through.

Imagine you are looking down on a set of transparencies stacked one on top of the other. Where the mask is black, the layer beneath shows through. Where the mask is white, the image in that layer is what you will see. Gray portions of the mask blend the layers smoothly.

This step can be quite time consuming and you’ll find yourself going back and forth painting different portions of the masks on different layers to bring out more or less detail in your final photo. Start with a large, soft brush to quickly get to a rough draft. Later, switch to smaller brushes to make refinements.

The masks for this project ended up being quite complex. Here are the individually masked layers:

Layer 2 mask (one from bottom)

Layer 3 mask

Layer 4 mask (top)

The following images demonstrate how these masks combine together to achieve the final result:

Layer 1 (bottom) by itself

Layer 2 is added on top of that. Notice this layer was used to bring in detail in the clouds and to darken the street for additional contrast.

Layer 3 added. More cloud and tree detail.

Layer 4 added. Sunset detail. Final result.

This technique is time-consuming and difficult to master. A good way to ease yourself into this kind of manipulation is to try blending just two layers together with a single mask. That is much simpler than trying to juggle multiple masks. Two exposure masks are actually very useful in a number of situations. In fact, you don’t even need two separate exposures. This same technique is often used to simply blend an adjustment made to one layer with the layers beneath such that the adjustment doesn’t affect the entire layer. This technique can be used to adjust the contrast only in a portrait subject’s eyes, for example, or to apply localized sharpening or blurring.

Enhancing eyes in photoshop

Photoshop Techniques

Just follow these easy steps!

If you think about it, the eyes of your subject in a glamour, wedding or portrait are usually the most important element in your photo. Here is how you can fix that.

Step one, you can use your dodge tool to lighten the whites of the eyes. You have tp watch this though, you can easily over do it, and the eyes will look fake. To make sure you don't do that, zoom in to the eyes and use your soft brush, set it to maybe 12% and make some move over the whites only.

Step two, Your subejct may have brown eyes, if ou have ever noticed that people with brown eyes, you have a lot of trouble telling the iris of the eye from the pupil of the eye. So to fix this, zoom into your eye, click on a soft brush, set it at 12 or 15% and then use your dodge tool to run it over the brown part of the eye only. This then gives you a bit of a difference between the iris and pupil of the eye.

Step three, If you really want to make the eyes stand out, use a small (2-5px) brush and use the burn tool to the darker the very other edge of the iris of the eye.

Link

Here is the link to all the photos I took today of Bennett College

Bennett College, Millbrook, NY

It was such a nice day out today, that my husband, daughter and I piled in the car for a small road trip. I had been playing around on the internet this morning looking for ideas for old run down buildings to photograph... I am still on that kick for some reason, so don't ask. And I found a photo of Bennett College down in Millbrook, NY (Dutchess County).

Note that we knew nothing about this place, other then it was one beautiful old, run down building that I wanted to shoot. It looked like old wood, stone, some cool woodwork and archways. Great texture right? We had thought it was old, from maybe the late 1800's, and as it turned out we were right.

Please note that part of this is part of an apartment complex, so be mindful of people. I parked (you can see my car in a few of these pics) by the front of the building (well it turned out to be the back) and got out.. felt good, was excited about what I was seeing, and how my pics were going to come out. I am not above the smallest of trespass to get the shot I want, but I will not endanger myself, this place was def dangerous. So I vowed to stay safe, use the big lens, and shoot away. Further down my journey in front of the building (this place is HUGE) i started to feel funny, my head was heavy, eyes hurt, and found it very hard to breathe. It was almost surreal feeling (sorry I dont know how to explain it) the further i went, the heavier the feeling. It got hard to talk, and my ears started to bother me. My husband was with me during all of this, and I felt like i had to yell for him to hear me when I was talking. We continued to walk around, and eventually back to my car. My daughter had told us that she experienced a lot of feelings, emotions, blood shed, murder and and even sucide there. She also said that she got sick, and moved the car forward when we walked out of sight.

When we were on our way back home, we did some googling about what had happened there, the school went out of buisness in 1978, but had been founded in 1893 (there is that year again). it was an all woman's school at the time after it was a hotel. The majority of the students committed sucide and some killed other students. That might explain alot of the things, feeling that we both felt today. My husband, of course did not feel a damn thing. I felt fine on the way home, until I opened the photos to look at them.. and I got the same feeling as I did when we were there, but on a leser scale.

I wanted to post what happened to me and my daughter today.. because I really havent had anything like that happen since I last visited the witche's grave.

Not my video: but you can see it better with no leaves on the trees

Photorestoration

Now I have to say, this isn't something I have considered before.. but being assigned to do something at work, forced my hand... in a good way!

So this is of an Alumni of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1874

Things going on around...well life

Life can change at a split moment, and be forever different. I am leaving that, and the art on how to let go of things that can not be changed nor controlled. It is very hard mind you, we are all out there in the world, and we all want to protect our families, give them the best that we can in everything, make sure that they grow up and be good people.

Life can throw curve balls, but its all how you react to them and move forward right? So here is to moving forward!

Ghost Hunts of Sorts

On our visit to see my brother and his family last summer in Mineral, VA my brother had decided that he wanted to go on a ghost hunt of an old cemetery that houses civil war era soldiers. Now I know, you have a lot to contend with, when you are at a cemetery... but I have a few videos to post:

Spotsylvania Video 1

Spotsylvania Video 2

Spotsylvania Video 3

I had my camera, Nikon D200 with 2 full batteries (oh come on now, what kind of photog would I be if they weren't fully charged...right?) and both were dead within 10 min of shooting. It was a very odd place, scared me a bit if I do say so myself. But we did have fun!

I have also attached some stills as well.

Long Lost Post

Yes, you are reading the dates right, it has been way over a year since my last posting here. Have I decided whether or not I am going to keep this up, the blog that is...I am not sure. Time plays a huge role in actually having the extra hour to blog per day or week for that matter.

I passed along my url to a good friend today, and I guess it spurred me to post something tonight. Its been a long year, I have decided to change my school. Why you ask, recently I have become very un-motivated to take part in any of my classes at AI, as I posted back in May 10, the classes were boring and lacked enthusism even from the professors. Well it had only gotten worse over this year, I went through a term where not only did I not receive any guidence from my professor, they had decided that I was not worthy of the class, and gave me apoor grade. I did all the work, yes, I did the work according to what my interrpution was (it was a photo class) of the instructions. And not once did my professor say 2 words to me. Can I ask, how are you supposed to learn and improve your game if your teacher ignores you? Also, and I feel very strongly about this next point, photography is a form of art, like any other form of art, it is very personal, not everyone is going to like what you shoot or how you shoot something. But does that make it any less of an art form? This came up in another class as well, the professor did not understand why I was shooting what I was shooting, I explained it, but they still did not understand it, and from that moment on, I was the black sheep in the class.

So I went on a search for other schools out there. I know the grass is not always greener on the other side, but there is a point where you are spending all this money for a degree, you want to get the best education you can for your money, and you are just plain old tired of being treated how you are treated. I did some research, contacted a few universities about how classes are run among other things. I got to sit in on a class, see how it worked, how the students and teachers interacted with each other, and loved it. So in January 2012 I am attending Academy of Art. They had sent me a few forms to fill out, answer some questions to waive out of a few basic/intro photog classes, and these questions were above me.. yes I have been in the business for 10 yrs now, but what they were asking, I had no clue about. To me, that tells me what kind of education I was getting at AI and what kind of education I will be getting at AA in January.

On to photography, I have some tips and tricks that I need to post here, but I left my little black book of tips at work, so I will have to get that done next week (I hope). But to Liz, if you are reading this, get a little book and write info on shoots, locations, setting, directions, what is around you at a location in that and keep it with you.. it has helped me numerous times!

I haven't really shot much like I used to, and I have to change that. I think gas prices have played a huge role in that, sadly. I love to shoot, but heck to spend 4dollars a gallon in gas, is hard to do these days. Not that its an excuse, but its just one of those things. I have done some low light work, weddings, and senior photos this year. I think my work has shifted a bit to something more people sided rather then nature sided. I find too that I am using my phone a lot more to shoot, sadly. Not that I dont have a good camera on my phone, it is 8mp.. but I am finding it a lot easier to carry my phone, rather then my 20lb camera pack.

Maybe I need to put together a girls weekend and go shoot with my friends.. any takers?

I wanted to talk too about what it costs for a photographer to shoot a wedding. This topic is always a touchy one for the photographer to bring up to clients/prospective clients. My view on this is,it is your time, your expertise, talent that you are bring to an event or wedding. You know what you have to shoot, and how to shoot it before you even get to the wedding or event. Chances are you have already been out to the location to scout it before the event, so there are no surprises for you as the photographer. Always meeting the B and G and parents (if they are paying for your services) before the wedding. Have some sample work for them to see (if you have any), ask them if they have a budget, ask them what they are looking for photo wise and what they expect from their photographer. A helpful hint is to do a inclusive engagement shoot with the bride and groom, so they are comfortable with you, and how you work ad vice versa. Tell them that you want them to sign a contract (once they have decided on you shooting their wedding), go over the contract and make sure that what they want is clearly listed on the contract. Have them sign it and you follow suit. The way I do it, is at time of booking 50% of the cost is required. Most of the time, its a good chunk of change, if they opt out, forget, change dates, they will be missing that $$. As for cost, it comes down to it as your time.. and its not just the 5 or 6 hrs at the actual wedding.. its the weeks afterwards of editing and enhancing, ordering, printing of the photos. Have a standard price range, 5hrs with 1 photographer for lets say $1500. Its your gig, and if you feel the need to play with the price when you meet witht he clients, feel free.. I know I have done that for friends. To shoot a wedding for 10+hrs for anything lower then $1000 or $1500 is insane, for a potential client to expect anything less is....My opinion on how I would handle that client would be to tell them that I could not shoot their wedding for that low of a price, and that they should call around to some other local photographers for pricing. I might even hand out a few names and numbers as well.. tell them good luck in their search and hang up. So my adivce would be, meet with them, ask about a budget, tell them your standard price and go from there. But always be upfront and sign a contract with them. That covers you!!

I think thats good for tonight.. I know I might have more to say tomorrow, but for now.. good night all.

AI Blog

So as you can tell I have not posted to my blog here in a very very very long time.. tisk tisk.. Anyway, on my last post, I was thinking about going back to school. Well I finally bit the bullet, so to speak, and went back.. I am working on semester 1 or 2 however you look at it.

The one thing with online school is, you don't always use the books. But you have no way of knowing if you will or if you won't. This also runs true for supplies as well. Like most of us, we are all here for some sort of art major, whether it be graphic design, photography, drawing, painting.. doesn't matter.. my one class this term has us buying paint.. when you read about it, it looks like you will be painting for the majority of the 6 weeks.. well you use the paints once.

There were a bunch of us thinking of creating a place to trade tips and tricks, books, supplies, get help when needed and so forth for the art institute.

My first classes where Art History and Drawing.

Art History, well if you want a boring class... this is it. Its not a bad class per say, but in my opinion, it just dragged on. I did use my book to a point, but you could easily just use the www or the lectures in class and not spend the $130bucks for the book. The assignments are the same every week too, they don't change. I think this part made it harder to handle too, just for the sure fact that the same thing over and over gets old real quick.

Drawing, this class was better the one above. I mostly draw in pencil anyway, so i thought this was a wy to get back to my roots and get back to drawing. I did improve on my skills a little and met some really talented people. I DID NOT USE MY BOOKS at all.. don't purchase them, you will not use them under any circumstance.

If for any reason you want my books, I will gladly sell them to you for a reduced price.. if not I am going to sell them back to a college book store in my area. I really don't have a need for these on my book rack :)

Ok this is all my tips right now.. feel free to post anything here, its more then welcome :)

School or not.....

I have been thinking for a while now... should I go back to school? I know a lot of jobs these days are requiring a degree, the only good thing is most jobs these days don't care what kind you have.... all that matters is that you have one. Which is sad really, but alas that's what happens I guess.

So I have about a year left for mine. I was thinking of going back for photography, and move on to my masters. Or I was thinking going for forensic photography... which I would only need my AS for. Not that I mind going back and doing the full sh-bang... really, I love school, love learning.

I am not sure what I should do really... one or the other... its like a crap shoot really. What are your thoughts and ideas?

Bash Bish Falls

Terri and I went to Bash Bish Falls over the weekend... so here are some of the shots that came from that. It was really nice there, the water was so clear and beautiful!

The rest are located on my flickr page.

Bash Bish is located just east of Copake Falls, NY

Anyway we hiked from the top parking area, its a 300ft elevation drop from there.. but the trail is clearly marked and easy to follow... just watch the ice and wet leaves if you go around this time of year. The first parking area you have a somewhat flat hike in but it is 3/4 of a mile one way.

Anyway thats my adventure... hopefully more to come soon.

Wedding Photography

I have been doing some research into wedding photography. So here is what I have learned.....

Taken from this web site

About a month before:
1. Do a trial run with the bride and groom or do it alone... see what the lighting is, how traffic is and what is around the area.

2. If you are with the couple, ask questions, get them to feel like they are actually on their big day. Look for nice areas where you can take them for special shots and get their approval. Ask them to go through all the finer details and desires that they have for the day.

3. Get it in your head exactly how the day will pan out and memorise the names of the bridal party, the family, the couple and the route to and from each venue.


About a week before:
1. Assuming you have time to do this, it is quite important as you get a much better idea of what the light is doing at that time of year. If you visit the venue in the winter at 4pm to check the lighting for a June wedding, you will be in for a shock...obviously!

Take trial photos!! This is key so you know exactly what the lighting is going to be.

2. Preparation! Preparation! Preparation! Preparation!


The Night before:
1. Check your equipment...here is a small check list for you:

• Check all of your equipment and lay it all out to see.
• Clean every last piece of kit, even if it doesn't need it. If anything is scratched, broken or not working you will find out by cleaning and checking it.
• Charge all batteries. For your cameras, speedlights, back-ups, torch, car...everything...power is good and you will need more than enough!
• Make sure you have petrol in your car and that it is running smoothly. Even have in the back of your head, a plan B should your car fail.
• Format all your CF/SD cards ready for the day and make sure they all work.
• Get your clothes ironed and ready. I use a fishing jacket with tons of pockets to hold all the essentials (spare batteries, cards etc). In the morning I put everything in the jacket ready to go.
• Get some water and food ready for the car. You may not get the chance on the day and you need it for energy. I shoot in the midday sun in Spain and it's bl**dy tiring and no good for you after 10 hours work with no food or drink.
• Go through the day in your mind and make sure you have all the kit necessary to get the shots.
• Go to bed early.

Morning of:
1. Get there early, check to see how it is lit, check to see how everything is set up

2. If the bride and groom want before shots... make sure you are there and ready to do just that.

3. get your shots in of the tables and whatever else is necessary so it is done before hand.


Ceremony and Reception:
1. Here is a small run through of the traditional shots:

1. Bride getting ready
2. Groom getting ready/waiting at church
3. Bride arriving at church
4. The ceremony (Church, Chupa, glass smashing, readings, vows, kissing, mass, wine drinking, singing, register signing, walking down the Aisle etc)
5. Confetti/rice throwing shots (if traditional British wedding)
6. Group shots
7. Somewhere special or "time out" photographs with Bride and Groom
8. Arriving at reception
9. Toasts
10. Meal
11. Speeches
12. Cake cutting
13. First Dance
14. Party
15. Leaving venue (sometimes)

Leave your house early. You don't want to be late at any part of the day and traffic jams and accidents do happen.

Bridal Photos:

The bridal photography at the start of the day is probably the most intimate you will get at the wedding, a very private time for the bride so be polite and professional at all times. You will usually have a full, chaotic house with parents, brothers, sisters and the bridal party all flapping about...don't get in their way!

If they are happy with it, just shoot away in a reportage style. Try and capture exactly what is happening although if things get heated, stop shooting, get out of the way and wait for things to get back on track.

This is a time that most Grooms rarely see and the bride will normally forget about. She has so much more on her mind that she will usually appreciate seeing these images if done tastefully and thoughtfully.

You may be asked to leave the room at some point where the bride gets changed but before that, try and get shots of her having her hair and make up done. Get shots of the bridesmaids having a quick tipple or the mother helping out. Get shots of the dress and shoes before they go on. Get shots of the bouquets whist they are still fresh.

Once the bride is putting her dress on you are normally ok to get back in the room. One of the best shots if done right is the mother or chief bridesmaid tying or zipping up the back of the dress...again, it is something the bride doesn't see. Use mirrors if available and don't be afraid to take control and move people to where it makes your job easier...they are expecting it.

Bridal Photography - Suggested Equipment and set up

Any suggestions in these sections of this wedding photography tips article are again my own preferences and recommendations. I am not saying they are right or wrong but simply what works for me.

Each wedding photographer is different with respect to their bridal photography and will have or find their own techniques and equipment and these tips are purely meant as a starting point or guide for newcomers to wedding photography.

First of all...know your equipment inside and out. Know where all the buttons are and how to make rapid changes to any setting such as:

• ISO
• Aperture
• Shutter Speed
• Flash Compensation
• Exposure Compensation
• White Balance (although I generally shoot auto with RAW)
• And so on...

Also remember what settings you have changed and remember to change them back.

You may use ISO 250 for the bridal photography and bride getting ready shots but want to shoot 100 ISO for the groom waiting at the church shots. You may shoot ISO 800-1000 inside the church and then quickly change to ISO 100 again as they leave the church.

A second camera is good here as you don't want to walk out into bright sunlight and shoot at 1000 ISO do you? Ahem... (Blushing)!

This goes on all day so get used to knowing and constantly changing these settings or cameras.

When shooting indoors at any venue I try and use the best light possible. Lighting is everything and the bride will have spent months preparing for this and years dreaming of her big day. You will want to flatter her and make her look her best.

Note: Where I will try not to be biased toward any manufacturer or make/model, I use what I do for the results they give.

Bridal Photography - Shoot RAW

I can't stress this enough...shoot weddings in RAW. If you don't know RAW already, LEARN...NOW. You will thank me one day. Any minor cock-ups with exposure or white balance can be easily and quickly rectified with RAW. Shoot in JPEG mode and you are asking for trouble.

Bridal Photography - Cameras and Lenses

Note here I said cameras...plural. Always, always have a back up camera...or even better, two back ups. If one dies on you that is it...game over unless you are prepared.

I use a Canon EOS 5D for most shots with a 24-70mm L lens attached for most of the day. I also have a Canon EOS 1D MkIII with 70-200mm lens attached for reportage/stealth/candid shots and a Canon EOS 20D as back up.

Apart from the two lenses above, I also use a 50mm 1.4 for seriously low light situations and pin-sharp portraits and a 16-35mm L for church interiors. The 50mm is best used with a crop factor camera like the 20D or 1D MkII for best quality as the edges remain sharper due to the extreme edges being cut away.

If you can afford it, prime lenses are best for quality but zooms are best for speedy, ever changing work.

Bridal Photography - ISO

I normally shoot between 100 and 500 for indoor shots. The Canon EOS 5D gives incredible results in low light and mid to high ISO's and the full frame gives me "room to breathe".

I try to make the most of available window light for moody, natural shots which will mean a higher ISO, smaller aperture or slower shutter speed. When this is not possible, bounced or diffused flash is second best.

This bit is worth repeating here...

"...Also remember what settings you have changed and remember to change them back.

You may use ISO 250 for the Bride getting ready shots but want to shoot 100 ISO for the groom waiting at the church shots. You may shoot ISO 800-1000 inside the church and then quickly change to ISO 100 again as they leave the church.

A second camera is good here as you don't want to walk out into bright sunlight and shoot at 1000 ISO do you? Ahem... (Blushing)!

This goes on all day so get used to knowing and constantly changing these settings or cameras..."

Bridal Photography - Flash

I despise flash, or at least direct flash...you may as well get "Uncle Bob" to shoot the wedding with his shiny new DSLR with built in flash. A much more flattering way of using flash indoors is to bounce or reflect it from a bright surface.

I use the Canon 580EX I and II which produces more than enough power for most interior wedding photography. However, when bounced, remember that you will lose some output due to the extra distance the light has to travel, and you will need to compensate. The easiest way to do this is to up your cameras FEC (flash exposure compensation) by 2 or 3 stops.

I also have a Sigma EF500 Super DG as back up.

To get some really beautiful diffused and flattering light, I now use this new system from Harbour Digital Design (opens new page and review) and the dome from Gary Fong.

A general flash and camera settings to start from indoors is something like:

Manual Exposure Metering. ISO 250, 80th/sec at F6.7 or 5.6. Flash set to E-TTL (or auto) and bounced from ceiling with +2 flash exposure compensation.

Give that a try and adjust any of the settings up or down accordingly but remember the effect of increasing/decreasing ISO or apertures/shutter speeds. It is good to practice at home first.

NOTE: One useful thing that is handy to know is this. If you are using a tripod and you take your eye away from the viewfinder to take the shot, you will get possibly underexposed shots.

The light "leaking" in through the viewfinder will affect your metering and the camera will adjust accordingly.

Either cover the viewfinder with your hand when firing or use the cameras built in cover. Some camera straps also have these covers so use them.

Once you have the shots you need, and if you have time, play a little. Try some close up shots through the veil or fun and funky shots. Always have in the back of your mind, ideas you can play around with in Photoshop later.

Always carry heaps of CF cards so you never run short. You can get these dead cheap now so no excuses. Don't settle for poor makes either. Use Sandisk, Lexar or any other "more expensive" cards. They have spent millions on research to prevent malfunctions due to excessive use, heat, cold, dropping or general knocking about.

Don't compromise cost for security when it comes to wedding or bridal photography!

Groom Photos:
All of the previous section also applies to the Groom photography and getting ready at home/in the hotel if you are able to shoot this (normally applies when both getting ready at the same venue).

Mostly, you will leave the brides house and head straight to the church or ceremony venue where the groom will be waiting, usually with his best man and ushers or groomsmen.

Take this opportunity to get some shots here as, again, these are moments that the bride will never see otherwise.

Do the standard formals standing beside, outside or near the venue but also look for candids of the men waiting, playing, fighting, crying or whatever else they are doing.

Also take some time to get plenty of photographs of the guests arriving and chatting/drinking etc. The brides love to see all of this as they would miss out otherwise.

Once you know the bride is on her way, the groom will make his way to the altar or ceremony "area". Go with him and fire a few off trying to get the congregation in the background. I also normally set up the tripod at the back with one camera on ready for the service and take a couple from the back of the venue whilst waiting.

Groom Photography - Suggested Equipment and set up

Not majorly important here as you are pretty much shooting in a standard style and most circumstances will require a basic set up. For set up shots outside the church I normally use the 24-70 zoom to allow for fluctuations in distances.

Try not to use wide angle too much as it can distort people and make them look strange. 50mm and up is a safe bet.

I also use the 70-200mm quite a bit for reportage/candid shots without disturbing the arriving guests. It is also worth grabbing hold of a few groups and getting them to pose for you. Most have time to kill whilst waiting for the bride to arrive...make the most of it.

On a number of times where the bride and groom have asked for entirely reportage wedding photography, I still sense a little disappointment if there are no group or set up shots. You have nothing to lose by shooting too much (unless you are sill using film in which case your costs will rise).

I don't use a tripod here as my main camera is usually set up inside the church ready for me to grab when the bride enters. I use the second camera for most outside/waiting shots.

Flash can be used if you are shooting in overcast situations or poor light. If the day is dull, remember to take enough battery power to last the whole day.

It may be worth considering an additional power pack such as the Quantum Turbo to replace the standard AAA batteries.

Ceremony Photos:

The wedding ceremony photography is for me the most important and most stressful part of the day. You must be able to record the entire proceedings without making too much noise or getting in the way.

You must get the exposure settings right, be in the right place at the right time and try not to miss anything.

I am going to assume this is a standard church wedding but most can be applied to beach weddings, garden weddings and just about any wedding.

Preparation once again is the key here which is why I suggest that you attend the trial with the couple before the big day. You need to know exactly what will happen and when and then be there to capture it when it does.

There is no re-shoot and under no circumstances should you halt the proceedings to change batteries or anything.

10 minutes before the ceremony starts, I always make sure I have fresh batteries in the speedlight and enough "juice" in the camera. I put a clean, large CF card in which has been used before so I know it isn't a "Duff" one that I have just bought.

I have usually already taken a few test shots to ensure I know the right settings, even if I have done it a thousand times before.

As the guests start to enter the church I take a few shots until I am happy with the combination of exposure and fill in flash. I try to get the exterior background scene through the door well exposed as well as the entering guests.

I make a mental note of these settings as I know I will have to follow the bride from the car right into a dark church remembering to switch on the flash at the right moment and then switch it off again and go "high ISO" for the ceremony shots.

Wedding Ceremony Photography - Using Flash

Some churches allow it and some don't. Always respect the official in charge and even if he/she allows it, use it sparingly. This is a wedding and you don't want to be drawing attention away from the couple and onto yourself.

You will normally see guests and their digicams or mobile phone cameras firing away regardless. There is nothing you can do about this but just be aware that some flashes may affect your shots so get plenty...especially when the couple walk back down the Aisle.

Wedding Ceremony Photography - The Brides Arrival

No matter what else is happening make sure you are ready when the car arrives with the bridesmaids and then with the bride and father etc.

What is the weather doing? Is it sunny? What side of the car will the bride be getting out of? Will you need fill-in flash? Where can you stand for the best shots? Do you have room?

Don't be afraid to ask the driver to park in a more suitable place if you have obstructions in front of you...they are used to it. Also, take some control here and if need be, ask the party to wait before getting out whilst you get in place but certainly don't take too long, everyone is nervous enough.

Take a few natural shots and then ask the bride to pose just before getting out of the car...cheesy or not you should always play safe and get the shots no matter what.

Keep your eyes open at all times for irregular details such as the bouquet, crumpled dresses, stray hairs etc. Many things can be changed post-processing but you are better off getting it right on the day.

Once you have the shots you need here, make your way to the church entrance. I usually get some shots from behind as the bride walks up the steps or into the church but I then ask them to stop as I myself get into the church before them.

This is where I change my camera settings to "inside" mode and switch on the flash. As the bride enters the church I fire away and you will normally not be alone. Be aware that guests will be all over the place standing, sitting, walking about trying to get the best angle for their own shots.

Don't spend too long getting the shot perfectly aligned and straight as you can adjust this in Photoshop later. Time is of the essence and you should be concentrating on getting the bride and father smiling at welcoming guests. This is the first time she will have seen them on her big day and vice versa.

Once she has passed me I get some shots as they head off towards her intended. If using flash I switch off again at this point and up the ISO to get some natural light images.

There is normally time here to get your bearings and check everything whilst the formalities begin. I personally do some "chimping" (scrolling through images on rear camera screen) just to put my mind at rest and assure myself that I have everything so far.

Wedding Ceremony Photography - Your Conduct

Always remember that you are, for all intents and purposes, still a "working" guest at this wedding. No matter how stressed out you get, never get into a fight or heated discussion with other guests if they get in your way.

Accept whatever is thrown at you and accept the fact that no matter how well you planned this day, things do change and even go wrong sometimes. Deal with it professionally and politely.

You will no doubt be offered alcohol throughout the day. It doesn't matter how well you have got to know the couple, you are still working. If you really do want to have a drink with them, wait until you have finished your work at the reception, put all your gear away and join the fun but let the bride and groom know that you have finished your job and have got all the shots they wanted.

Wedding Ceremony Photography - The Ceremony

Hopefully you will have already sussed out the venue and know exactly where you can and can't go. You should also know the length of the service and have planned your shots accordingly.

Many ceremonies I shoot are between 30 minutes and one hour. This is plenty of time to wander about and get shots from most angles. If allowed I nip upstairs to the organ or choir area for some nice interior/overhead shots. Sometimes with tripod, other times with high ISO and a steady hand. It all depends on your time frame.

Remember to get the important bits of the ceremony and not to "burn film" too much. It is easy to just keep firing away but if the shots are going to look similar what is the point?

I would hope that by this point, you would know what stages the (denomination of) wedding you are attending actually has.

All weddings are different and even many traditional couples add or remove certain sections to make it more personal to them.

Here are some essential parts of a few ceremonies to remember...

• Readings by Family or Friends
• Bride walking around the Groom (Jewish)
• Handing over the Katubah (Jewish)
• Religious Bit/Hymns etc.
• Wedding Vows
• Exchanging of Rings
• Signing of the Register
• The Kiss
• Walk back down the Aisle

...and so on. Make a point to know the proceedings before arriving at the church.

Wedding Ceremony Photography - Post Ceremony

Most Christian weddings will have the register signing immediately after the service and most priests or vicars know the score and will allow some time for you to set up the shots once finished...use that time to ensure you get everybody signing. I usually get one as they actually sign the register and then one set up shot with them looking at the camera...i.e. one posed, one natural.

Once this is all done it is time to get back into action. The couple are about to walk back down the Aisle to music and rapturous applause and well-wishing from the wedding guests...and don't forget all those flashing cameras!

On many occasions the couple have looked to me for guidance and waited for me to give "the nod" before they start their walk...that is nice when it happens. I try and walk backwards and about 5 meters in front of the couple as they proceed out of the church.

Don't go too far away as the guests will see this as an opportunity to jump in front of you and ruin any shots you may still want to get.

A choice you have to make here is whether you want to get the bride and groom leaving the church from behind or do you want to shoot them leaving from outside the church?

I try and get both by taking a little control if possible...doesn't always work but is worth a shot.

Note: At this point, remember that your camera may still be set to a high ISO after all those dark church interior shots. I know "some" photographers (ahem!) who have forgotten to check in the past and have shot in bright sunlight at 1000 ISO!

As I may have mentioned before, it you shoot RAW you should be ok but shoot JPEG and mess up and you are in trouble!

Wedding Ceremony Photography - Suggested Equipment and Settings

For the actual ceremony itself and if you are indoors you will need a speedlight with enough battery power and a fast lens/lenses for natural light shots in dark places.

I use Canon's "L" glass all with a maximum aperture of F2.8. I also use the EF50mm 1.4 for really dark situations but remember that you have extremely shallow depth of field when using these lenses at maximum aperture.

Lenses

As I normally have plenty of time to play during the service, I try all different lenses for different shots. Generally I find the mid-range zoom like the 24-70 or the 24-105 to be the most versatile, especially with full frame cameras as the 24mm end is plenty wide enough for most church interiors.

The 50mm is used at 1.4 when I just have to get the shot in a dark place and am not able to use flash, plus the quality from this lens is superb.

I like the 70-200mm for candids and shots where I don't really want to get too close. Times such as if the couple go right to the front of the church behind the altar or I want to pick out interesting people and goings on in the congregation. I also use it for any activity that the couple do at the altar. I like to stay a good distance away but still catch the action.

Finally, I like to keep an extreme wide angle like the 15mm or 16-35mm on me for times when I can get the entire scene in from the back of the church or up above from the choir area.

Speedlights and flashguns

Unless your venue has a low, bright ceiling, the walking down the Aisle shots after the ceremony normally need direct flash. I use a diffuser or flash softbox for these shots as they soften the effect quite a bit.

The speedlight is also useful for dreary days or fill in flash when faced with bright sunlight. I tend to leave a small diffuser on the speedlight at all times.

Settings

With a bright sunny day outside the church, keep the ISO down to 100 if possible. When inside the church I use 800 or 1000 ISO knowing that if I get bad noise or grain, I can run them through Neat Image which is a noise reduction program that either works with Adobe editing suites or as a stand alone product.

Being in sunny Spain I usually get drastic meter reading changes throughout the day and if I shoot aperture priority, I am in danger of the shutter speed falling below the recommended average for hand held shots.

For example;

Say I am shooting outdoors with the sun behind my subject and getting a good reading which gives a shutter speed of 500th/sec for my aperture setting of F8.

I then turn to shoot somebody else who is in the shade under a large tree. The aperture stays at F8 because I am in AP mode (aperture priority) but to compensate for the drop in light, the camera switches the shutter speed right down to 30th/sec.

This, hand held and for moving subjects is far too low but unless you take time to check, it is easily missed and before you know it you have a bunch of shots with serious camera shake.

To rectify this, if you are in an ever changing environment, switch to Tv or Shutter priority and set the shutter speed to match the lenses basic minimum needs or higher. I.e., a simple scale means that a 50mm lens hand held needs a minimum shutter speed of 50th/sec, a 100mm lens needs 100th, a 200mm lens needs 200th and so on.

So if you set the shutter speed to 125th/sec when using a 24-70mm lens you should be ok. As the light changes, the aperture and depth of field will fluctuate but at least you can be sure that camera shake will not be a problem.

If the light gets so bad and the aperture light blinks and won't let you shoot, either slow the shutter speed slightly to allow more light in or up the ISO a tad to do the same.

This is a useful tip to use inside the church when shooting available light too. Choose your optimum shutter speed and let the aperture set itself.

Group Shots:

You may opt to do the wedding photography group photos at the reception venue but in many cases they can be shot immediately after the ceremony in the grounds of, or near to the church.

You should have pre-arranged how many you are going to take, who you will take them of and where is best to place people in relation to lighting, background and number of guests. Try to start with the entire congregation as most people have just two things on their mind at this point...food and drink.

If you get the entire party in the first shot it is much easier to then allow the majority of people to head off to the reception leaving you with the core family and bridal party. It saves people having to wait around when they could be propping up the bar.

So, most wedding photography group photos at a standard wedding include (just to give a general idea, each wedding is different):

• Everyone
• Entire Bridal Party
• Bridal party plus immediate family
• Couple with both sets of parents
• Couple with all immediate family on both sides
• Couple with male friends
• Couple with female friends
• Couple with best man
• Couple with maid of honour
• Couple with priest/vicar/rabbi?
• Just the couple
• Special guests
• And so on...

For a full list that you can print off, see here.

Wedding Photography Group Photos - Posing

Every photographer is different with regard to how they do the group shots. If you have your own style and the couple are happy with it, go with it. If you are unsure, go traditional, it is a good failsafe just to get everyone in the shots.

You may read on forums or magazines that the old ways are "old hat". This may be the case much of the time but even recently I get couples asking if I can "spot colour" some of their images. It is old hat if you are a photographer that sees and reads about it day in day out, but remember that to many people it is still "new"!

At the end of the day, find out what the couple want and go with that. If you have your own, original and experimental ideas, throw them in as a bonus.

When looking through your viewfinder, don't just look at their faces. Look to see what is distracting or out of place. Do you want women clutching handbags? Is anyone smoking? Are they standing correctly and in the right position? How do you want to place the immediate family and which side does the groom stand?

(An old hint I remember is that the groom traditionally stands to his brides right so he can "draw his sword" to defend her from advancing menaces).

Ask people to take off their sunglasses and do up their ties if wearing them. You will almost certainly have to be quite assertive at this point. Not only will the groups be wanting to "party", you will undoubtedly have some stragglers behind you either stealing your set up shots or just generally enjoying themselves and distracting your subjects.

I have turned around on a few occasions wondering what everyone was looking at to find at least 30 people with digital cameras all firing away.

I just let them take a few and politely ask if they stop whilst I take the "official" shots. At the end of the day you are being paid for this by their friends (the bride and groom) and they should respect that.

Before each shot, do a quick scan of all the faces to make sure they are looking and even do a countdown...three...two...one...just to give everyone an indication that you are working.

Also, take two or three shots of each set up to make sure you get one with everybody looking.

Note: When it comes to processing these images, don't feel like you have to process them all. If you took four shots of one group and one is spot on, don't waste time with the others if they are very similar.

Another Note: Another good idea is to always re-number your files for the client when you have finished processing. I have had a few brides that noticed a gap in the image file numbers and demanded to see "the rest". I politely explain that they are gaps made when I delete unsuitable images either during the day or once I go through and process everything.

Wedding Photography Group Photos - Location, location, location!

How are your clients going to want to remember this day? It is important to set up the groups with a background that means something to them. If the church is "pretty" enough, use it as a backdrop. If not, look in the immediate vicinity for something that is suitable but not too distracting.

If there really is nowhere nearby, suggest shooting the groups at the reception venue. Sometimes, more often than not, you have more options open to you here.

If all else fails, bring the groups as far away from distracting backgrounds as you can and use a shallow depth of field (large aperture) to blow out or blur the background out of the equation.

Wedding Photography Group Photos - Time/keeping

Inevitably you will get some "huffing and puffing" as people are generally impatient at weddings...it could even be the bride or groom. I just remind people that I have been hired to and paid for taking these shots so please just hold out for a while longer...we are nearly finished.

It is down to you to start as you mean to go on. Learn to work quickly and efficiently whilst making sure you get them all.

If you don't have an assistant, use the services of the ushers, groomsmen or best man...(that is what they are traditionally there for ; )

I give them the exact list that the couple have asked for and ask them to run through it grabbing the right people for me for each shot. It is impossible to learn who everyone is and usually, the groomsmen know most people at the wedding...so use them.

Once the wedding photography group photos are done, you may want to get a couple of shots of the bride and groom in the back of the wedding car? Then you need to "hoof" it on to the reception and try and get them arriving.

This is probably the best time, and should be pre-arranged with the couple beforehand, to get some special "time out" shots with them alone.

You should have sussed out a suitable place either on the way to or at the reception itself. The guests are milling about having refreshments and this time you take with the couple gives a nice gap and leads to a grander entrance to the reception.

Wedding Photography Group Photos - Suggested Equipment and Settings

When shooting groups you normally fill the frame with the subject right up to the edges so cropping is minimal. With 1.5x or 1.6x crop DSLR's you are fine as the crop factor uses just the "sweet spot" of a lens. However, with a full frame camera, beware.

The edges can be poorer quality with some fringing (even with quality zooms) so try and leave a bit of room for cropping later on. Also, invest in some quality primes such as a 35mm, 50mm or 85mm lenses. The quality is much better and you will notice a significant difference on the edges particularly when used with a "crop camera".

Where you place the subject can alter whether you use fill in flash or not. Will you have the sun in front of or behind the subject? Does your camera have pretty good dynamic range or will you need to "pop" in a bit of flash to even out the shadows?

Also remember that for "deep" group shots where you have the entire party of maybe 200 people in frame, you will have to keep the depth of field right up to ensure everyone is sharp. Do this by using a smaller aperture of f8 or smaller (but you knew that didn't you)?

A decent, large reflector from someone like Lastolite is a wonderful piece of kit to have. They fold up quite small with one easy movement and spring back to life when you need them. The one I use has a double sided reflector with white on one side and gold on the other. If you don't want to use fill in flash, just place your groups with the sun behind and bounce in some natural light from your reflector...lovely!

Invest in a decent tripod too. I sometimes leave the camera on mine during the group shots, which allows me to "to and fro" between the camera and the people so I can adjust dresses etc without having to re-frame the shot.

Note: I think I mentioned this before but if using a tripod with camera on auto (Av or Tv) remember that light entering the viewfinder can affect your meter reading so either look through it or cover the eyepiece with your hand when shooting.

Bride and Groom:

Bride and Groom Portrait Photography - Once the crowds have dispersed, you should have normally at this point, pre-arranged some time alone with the Bride and Groom. This can vary from between 20 minutes to one hour. Any longer and you are starting to encroach on their time.

This really is quality time and you should have pre-arranged this long before the day itself, you really need to book yourself in for these photos and push the couple to go with you regardless of how distracted they become.

Normally this isn't a problem as the couple look forward to a "breather" too.

Bride and Groom Portrait Photography - Location

Take them to a nice, well lit and pre-determined area and take the shots that you discussed or had in your mind before the wedding. Take your time and get this right as these photos will usually be the focal point of their wedding album, slideshow and large prints.

Long before the wedding day you should have looked for;

• A nice field or woodland in Spring or Autumn
• A beautiful staircase at the reception venue
• The gardens of either the church or reception or maybe a public place in between
• A beach or park with birds, trees, lakes or a pond or water feature
• Blurgh! If they aren't into all that sloppy, romantic stuff, check out some cool places to get some funky retro and fun shots.
• Make them fun and natural looking, sometimes a couple will take over and just be themselves...simply fire away whilst they play!
• Maybe use a motorbike or old classic car if they used one on the day. Find some props that completely go against the grain like old farm equipment and put the couple completely out of context somehow.

Whatever you do this time goes quickly so I will stress again, plan ahead.

Bride and Groom Portrait Photography - Characters

If you followed my advice earlier and made the effort to visit the couple regularly before the wedding, you should have got to know their characters pretty well, as a couple and individually.

Try and incorporate this into your shots.

• What are they into?
• What interests do they have?
• What do they do for a living?
• Do they have any hobbies they enjoy together?

Take your time and learn what to shoot and how far to push any boundaries without getting over personal. Wedding photography could be described as 90% people and 10% technique so never be afraid to simply ask outright what the couple are like and how they see themselves.

Whatever mannerisms, expressions, moods and behaviour comes across will be recorded forever more as their memories of that day...try and get it right.

Bride and Groom Portrait Photography - Suggested Equipment and Settings

The equipment and settings that you use for the bride and groom portrait photos will depend entirely where you go.

Outside - Daytime/Sunny

If you are lucky enough to be shooting on a bright sunny day outdoors with some nice surroundings, you really should make the most of the natural light.

If you visited this venue before at the same time, you should know what the light is doing and where best to place the couple for your shots:

Sun behind camera directly on couple - You may need to use a reflector or fill in flash top lose the shadows a bit. Beware that this generally causes the couple to squint and isn't the most flattering pose.

Sun behind the couple but shining into your lens - This can be quite effective as you have the effect of a beautiful day but the couple aren't bothered by the sunshine. Please note here that when shooting into the sun, your camera will meter for the brightness of the sun behind and your couple may be underexposed.

If you meter for the couple only, you will then have a blown out background...some people love this effect (including me) and some don't. Experiment and try different angles. An alternative would be to expose for the background and use fill in flash or a reflector to expose the couple correctly and "level out" the shot.

Shaded areas - Look for a nice shaded area such as a canopy of trees or a bandstand in the park for example. Diffused sunlight is very flattering when used correctly, and a good reflector can also throw in some nice golden light from the sun's rays.

Again, beware of your cameras metering setting. If you are in evaluative mode, the camera may well meter for the brighter areas in the background where the sun is prominent so watch this, meter from the couple using spot metering if you have it.

Outside - Daytime/Sunny - Equipment

You could need or use anything here depending on your setting but a reflector, speedlight and even a hand held light meter would all be advantageous. Always carry a grey card for metering. It is particularly useful if you have constant light outside as you can take a general reading for all shots and using flash or the reflector to add light here and there.

If possible, try and use lenses with 50mm focal length and above, 85mm is perfect for portraits as it won't distort peoples appearance like a wide angle lens would. Of course, you may be going for some really different shots where a super wide angle lens would be very useful.

As time goes on, use some of your earnings to build up your props and equipment, these are some of the extras I use or at least take to every daytime/sunny wedding;

• Polarising filter - Great for beach photography or water shots as this filter will kill the reflections. It will also add some real "punch" to your colour saturation.
• Lastolite Reflector - Easy to carry and use and adds beautiful, flattering light to your subject.
• Speedlight and Softbox - Great for fill-in flash on bright sunny days. The additional Softbox helps to diffuse the light even more.
• Large diffusers - If you are shooting a very expensive wedding and have an assistant, these large diffusers are fantastic for controlling the strength of the sunlight.
• 50mm, 100mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses - I like to cover all bases in case any situation crops up or if I see a shot that I want to try.
• Underwater Housing - Well, I do live in Spain and shoot a lot of beach/pool weddings and I am still waiting for the day when the Bride and Groom agree to get wet.

Outside - Daytime/Sunny - Settings

On a bright, sunny day you may find that your cameras meter readings vary quite drastically as you move from direct sunlight to shade.

I may have mentioned before that I have been caught out in the past whilst using aperture priority as the camera adjusted the shutter speed dangerously low as I moved into the shade.

You can fix this by practising using Tv or shutter priority. You set the shutter speed to say 125th or 200th/sec and stay safe in the knowledge that camera shake won't be an issue. If the light does decrease so much that even f2.8 won't suffice for your set shutter speed, you can always increase the ISO to compensate and get you back on track.

Maybe try a couple of slow shutter speed shots for effect by "panning" with the couple as they run along a beach or something. There is nothing wrong with experimenting as the cost of digital is minimal.

Play with different aperture settings to vary the depth of field. Use f2.8 or f1.4 if you have it, to blow out the background entirely, leaving the summer colours and shades a simple blur to enhance the wedding photography portraits of the Bride and Groom.

Inside - Daytime/Overcast or Dark

Having shot weddings in England for many years, I know only too well that much of the time you have dull, overcast and sometimes rainy days.

The thing to do here is expect it! When we started out, I remember hoping and praying for a "wet wedding" as soon as possible to get it out of the way.

We learnt what to do and how to handle the situation before each and every wedding.

This is why it is so very important to visit all venues before the wedding. As well as everything else I have mentioned, you need to suss out where to shoot the groups and couples portraits in the event of poor weather.

Note: You may even be shooting an entire wedding ceremony from getting ready to the evening reception indoors.

Look for nice places within the reception venue itself. Is there an area of particular interest such as a library, drawing room or spa/treatment area?

Make sure that you have the right equipment, especially lighting, so that you don't miss any shots. What lighting do you want to use?

Inside - Daytime/Overcast or Dark - Lighting

• Natural/Ambient Lighting from the Indoor Lights - You will almost certainly need to increase your ISO and use a tripod here as the light will be quite low
• Speedlight or Flash - If you simply must use flash, try and bounce it where you can, or use an additional diffuser attachment to soften the light. Direct, naked flash is a no-no for wedding photography (for me anyway) unless absolutely necessary, and then try to diffuse it a little.
• Studio Lights - When shooting in the UK, on more than one occasion we would set up a small studio set up somewhere around or close to the reception venue. This is where we could shoot portraits of guests during the longer periods of time during, in-between and after the meal.

This turned out to be quite lucrative. In these "speedy" digital times, and if you have the right equipment, it is quite possible to have these proofs or prints ready before everyone leaves meaning more coins in your coffers.

We used one or more studio lights, with a Softbox, for formals/group shots and some special shots of the Bride and Groom.

Inside - Daytime/Overcast or Dark - Equipment

Your budget for equipment will be stretched at this point which is why it takes more than just a Digital SLR and decent zoom lens to become a respectable and professional wedding photographer.

This day happens just once and you want to be prepared for anything. You can do most of this on a low-ish budget with some skills in Photoshop to start with but you are better to be safe than sorry. I always carry;

• Studio Lights - Kept in the car for any emergencies or times when I may just need that extra bit of power.
• Speedlights x3 - I take three in case I need extra power or if one of them fails.
• Spare Batteries - If you are using flash quite frequently on a poor weather day, you will definitely need more power. Consider a portable power pack or just stock up with "too many" AA's.
• Diffusers - Again, if I am using flash throughout the day, I want to lessen the effect of direct flash with a good, reliable flash diffuser.
• Fast Lenses - Poor weather usually means poor light and if you cannot use flash, you will need high ISO's coupled with fast lenses of f2.8 or higher. If you have a low budget, the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 is one of the best low light lenses I have used. If you have a healthy budget, the new EF 85mm f1.2 II is the perfect low light, portrait lens available from Canon.
• Tripod - Absolutely essential. No matter how steady a hand you have, you will need a tripod at some point during your days as a wedding photographer. There are too many reasons for owning one to go into here but the main ones being security and steadiness during low light situations.
• Remote Release - When using a tripod at weddings, I always try to use a remote release. Not only does it help with keeping the shot steady shake-free, it also allows you to interact with your subject more as opposed to speaking to them from behind the camera.
It is also handy to be able to set up a group shot for example, leave the camera set up to adjust dresses, remove handbags etc, and go back to your camera without having to reframe the shot.
• SLR with good quality at High ISO's - Without wanting to start yet another Nikon/Canon war, I have to say that the Canon EOS 5D is a trooper in low light and high ISO's (I worked for Nikon once and used all their kit). The quality even at ISO3200 is almost unbeatable at the time of writing and is also a very affordable piece of equipment to start out with.

Inside - Daytime/Overcast or Dark - Settings

Unless you are using powerful studio lights in a controlled environment, you will need to be aware of what camera settings you have at all times. Even when using flash indoors, you will still probably need a higher ISO for example.

Depending on what style you are trying to achieve, just remember the basic rules of depth of field, exposure and composition.

If you want to blow out the background completely due to it being quite ugly, use the widest aperture possible. If you want to include as much as possible do the opposite and use a small aperture of say F11.

To get a shot that is somewhere in between, giving a hint of what is behind but not to the point where it is distracting, use F4 or F5.6. Again, remember that the longer the focal length of your lens, the more powerful the effect of depth of field.

Outdoors/Dark/Overcast

If you are faced with these conditions, it can be quite a gloomy outlook but with the correct settings and use of light, you should do ok. Remember that the couple are quite aware of the conditions and are not expecting miracles, although they do expect the clearest and best images they can expect in these circumstances.

You will almost certainly need extra light and you can find this from all manner of sources depending on your resourcefulness and its availability.

I have seen photographers use:

• Standard Speedlights
• Portable Studio Lights
• Car Headlamps outside
• Maglites which have been used in the most amazing way and something which I fully intend to learn more about...painting with light. Great for shots taken in relative darkness.

Again, fast lenses, high ISO's and preferably a tripod are the order of the day under these circumstances.

Remember, your Bride and Groom portrait photography images will most likely be the ones they cherish the most. They are also the shots that the guests and family shouldn't see being taken so make the most of it, get some great shots and hopefully some big orders!

Reception:

Wedding Photography Reception Photos - Once the ceremony is over and all the formals are done, I tend to relax a little and go into "stealth" mode.

This is a time when everyone is relaxing, having a drink or two and generally standing around and chatting before being invited inside the restaurant to eat.

This is also a good time to get some real reportage and candid wedding photographs so I put on the 70-200mm lens and try and shoot from a distance as not to disturb anyone.

If I see a particular group of people that looks interesting in a nice setting, I may ask them to pose for a couple. You will inevitably get asked to take a picture or two from the guests...I always oblige willingly even if they ask me to use their camera.

Note: It is impossible for the Bride and Groom to be everywhere all the time so seeing photographs of their friends and family enjoying themselves will be well received.

If I have the time, I always try and get into the reception area before anyone else (if I haven't done so already), to get shots of the cake, tables, flowers, menus, wedding favours and general area before the guests come in.

Depending on the religion of the couple you are shooting, there will be varied ways for the couple to enter the reception.

Wedding Photography Reception Photos - Traditional Christian/English Wedding

With most weddings I have attended, the couple are welcomed into the reception by a formal announcement and standing ovation of sorts. I try and shoot the couples reactions as they walk to the top table as well as picking out some guests as they applause and cheer.

Once inside and seated the guests will, once again depending on the ceremony, either start the meal or have the speeches before or during each course.

Wedding Photography Reception Photos - Jewish

I seem to have shot quite a few Jewish weddings in the past couple of years and I have to say this is the best part of the entire day for me. In fact it is the most enchanting and fun part of any wedding I have attended.

There is generally no formal introduction but the band or musicians are primed and ready to go the minute the newly weds enter the room.

They walk straight onto the dance floor and start doing "the Hora" (A Jewish wedding dance where the bride and groom are hoisted up into the air on chairs and everyone dances in a circle to the song "Hava Nagila")...very lively and you can't help but join in.

Why do this? (Taken from About.com)

"The guests are obligated to make the bride and groom joyful during their wedding (source: Talmud Brachot 6b).

In the Talmudic era they enlivened the wedding ceremonies in various ways. One of them was the dancing with the bride on the shoulder - (source: Talmud Ketubbot 17a)."

This is the best time to get some highly emotional shots as the people really let their hair down...including the Rabbi on some occasions.

As I mentioned before, all wedding receptions are different and knowing the format beforehand always helps with wedding photography.

The general items of interest with regards to wedding reception photography photos are;

• The meal itself
• Speeches
• Cake and Candids
• 1st Dance
• Party

First Dance:
Wedding Photography and the First Dance - For me, the first dance is the most intimate part of the wedding day. The couple have normally had a drink or two and it all starts to sink in, suddenly they start to realise that they are actually married.

Their favourite song is being played and they can become quite emotional and "detached" from their surroundings...a great time for wedding photography.

I use a good mid range zoom lens such as the 24-70mm, anything longer and I need to stand well back which allows guests to get in the way!

I try not to get too close but at the same time, try and get some detail shots. Using a high resolution DSLR means you also have enough of a file size to be able to crop in tight for some nice details.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FIRST DANCE

If using flash I always bounce from the ceiling if possible as not to disturb once again.

If the lighting around the couple is good, I try some arty looking shots. The following shots were taken using a very slow shutter speed with fill in flash.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FIRST DANCE

The long shutter speed allows the ambient light to burn onto the sensor and the fill in flash captures the couple nicely. Try a shutter speed of around 1/20th/sec to 1 or 2 seconds, and aperture of say F8 with your speedlight set to auto or E-TTL etc.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FIRST DANCE

You could even try purposely moving the camera about during exposure to get some arty looking backgrounds.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FIRST DANCE

Note: Bear in mind here that usually before the song ends, the dance floor fills with family and friends, and the Bride is normally whisked off as the best man or father jumps in for an "excuse me".

Get the shots you need quickly.

When the couple's song has ended, the evening starts to liven up and more lively music gets played (unless the function is quite reserved).

Once again, a great time for candids such as Uncle Harry chasing the pretty bridesmaids around the dance floor!

I take quite a few shots here as getting photographs worthy of an album or slideshow are hard to get. People and smoke are normally constantly getting in your way, composition and timing is increasingly difficult and the dance floor gets packed quickly.

Take time out to wander away from the action. Where are the elders? Usually sitting well away from the noise and are mostly welcoming when asked for a photograph. Take some action photos from a distance of everyone partying and keep your eyes on the couple as they let their hair down with friends.

There comes a point where you know that you are finally done for the day! Red eyes, blurred speech, stains, sweat and general tomfoolery take over (I must stop drinking at weddings...Boom! Boom!)

Seriously, you normally know when the formalities are done and people just want to party. At this point I let the couple know that I am leaving and unless they ask you for a quick couple of shots, I say my goodbyes and leave. This is normally between 11pm and midnight but always be prepared to stay later.

On many occasions I have been asked to stay and have a few drinks, and in my younger, single days I have, although watching how much I drink. It is up to you whether you accept the invitation or not but as a general rule, I leave. Getting drunk and doing or saying anything untoward will kill your reputation.