Are you looking to develop your wedding photography skills? Let’s go over some of the photography skills you need to learn and develop. My advice is to pick one thing at a time to focus on, perfect that and then move on.
As a wedding photographer for over a decade, it’s been interesting to look back at some of my previous work. Some of my techniques and results have failed. However, some of those early photos have stood the test of time.
Let’s talk about why.
Pose and often work with couples
The first thing that can instantly make you a better wedding photographer is networking with your couples. From getting to know them to figuring out how to bring out each individual’s unique beauty, your couples will make you a better person.
Initially, it may simply be a lack of experience. If you only take pictures of a few people, you won’t be very good. The more people you’ve got in front of your camera, the more confident you’ll be.
When it comes to posing, like most of my suggestions, I would recommend keeping it simple. Simplicity is often the most natural and therefore the most beautiful. You will want to connect with your couples and help them connect with each other. That connection will be more important than any complicated poses you can force them to do. However, you can always check out our favorite wedding poses below.
Moment: Making memories
My main point above is about connectivity. And this brings us to the moments. If I look back at my oldest photos that are somehow still great, they may lack photographic technique but they still make sense. Why? Maybe it’s the story he tells.
Talking about wedding photography is telling the story of this very important ceremony. Getting married is often a big deal for a couple and their family. Perhaps this is the first time the whole family has been together for a while and it is also the unity of the two families in the hope of a united future.
Learning to see and capture moments will make you a better wedding photographer no matter what fancy equipment or technical skills you use. Getting started is simple; Learn to see. Sit at a coffee shop or park and watch how people interact, noticing when emotions start to flow and smiles start to shine. Better yet, look for these moments at a very emotional event, such as a wedding.
If you’re ready to dig deeper into capturing moments, check out this video.
Light: Know it, use it, love it
Ok, ok, emotions, connections and moments are all fine and fine but how do I actually take a picture? You need to learn about light. And darkness.
Learn to see light in all its intricate beauty. Light can be described in many ways such as angle, direction, color, warmth, intensity, hardness, softness, natural and artificial. When someone says, “the light is beautiful now!” Do you know what they mean? Do you ever say that and do you know what you mean and why?
The wedding photography skill that has the fastest impact on your work is likely to be connecting with people and being able to capture the moment. However, the skill that will have the greatest impact is light.
First, find a way to understand light. Then you can start seeing it, using it and playing with it. And finally, you can even create your own light.
Some original tips to discover:
- Exposure for highlights
- Have a plan for “bad” lighting
- Try to control the light and look for “good” light
The following videos dive deeper into this subject of light, specifically regarding wedding photography.
Light and Shadow in Photography
Outdoor Night Wedding Photography Tips
Lighting tips for outdoor wedding photography
Composer: Fine Tune Your Shots
We can’t forget how important composing skills are. This is the final leg that will bring your work together and give it the greater power of ooh-la-la. Or whatever reaction you expect from the viewer. Here are some layout tips to get you started.
The first simple answer to improving your layout is not only choosing what to include, but also choosing what not to include. Eliminate distractions. Do you really need that trash in your framework, what is it adding?
Next, I really like to think about subclassing. What is the foreground, subject and background. How can you use layering so that a 2D image can draw you into the 3D moment. When you start thinking about layering, you’ll find yourself delving into the concept of depth of field. How does your camera and the lens you are using see the scene in front of you?
From there, you either start following the rules or learn the rules well enough to know when to break them. You will learn how to look for paths, shapes, the rule of thirds, symmetry, and patterns. Using these elements will help you compose and create a stronger image.
One of the overlooked tricks is to leave negative space. Again, it’s the idea of choosing what not to include. Imagine a child holding a kite. Then imagine the same picture with the open sky full of potential of the child. Use composition to take your photos from snapshots to stories.
There are a few other minor rules to consider such as avoiding cutting off the subject’s limbs or letting plants or other foreign objects grow out of their head. From the big picture to the detail, composition takes your work to the next level. Some of these tips are in the following video:
Inference
Lighting, composition and capturing the moment are the top wedding photography skills you need to develop to take your work to the next level. These are all quite complicated topics, which are your strengths and which are your weaknesses? Which skill would you choose to practice and improve on?
Some other valuable skills to consider improving might be editing, location tracking, troubleshooting equipment problems, and helping your customers with progress.
