Pixiq

Amber & George Wedding 029

Preparation is the key to anticipating great photographic opportunities in all aspects of photography. In wedding photography it’s one of the most important tools to ensuring that your clients receive the best work they hired you for. This is where being completely familiar with the format of the ceremony and events will ensure that you know when and where to be during crucial moments.

This kind of preparation and planning should take place long before the wedding day.

Scout all of the venues at the same time of day that the wedding will take place. This will allow you to take note of ambient lighting, ceiling height and surfaces, placement of windows, and other physical conditions that will affect the lighting of the event.

If at all possible, meet with as many of the vendors, most notably the wedding planner, to go over the wedding day plans and itinerary in detail. This is going to help you put together a game plan with specifics on where to be for the best angles for each notable moment.

Another aspect of preparation that is highly undervalued is the engagement portrait session. The portrait session does not have to take place at the location of the ceremony. The session serves a different purpose altogether. It will allow the photographer and the wedding couple to become comfortable with each other and will allow the couple to become accustomed to the photographer’s style and rhythm of shooting.

Gathering all of this information beforehand will afford you the confidence to be at the optimum position for each phase of the wedding day. This confidence gained during preparation is immeasurable.

Lastly, arrive early and stay late. You know, that way you don’t miss anything.

What else do you do in preparation for a wedding?

Photograph Amber & George Wedding 029 by Juan Cantu Photography who can also be found at myspace