Tips to Nail Your Candid Wedding Photos
-
Loading... - Francesco Ricci
- 27 Apr 2023
- 57 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
As patronizing as it sounds, wedding photography isn't simply a one size fits all style. Some photographers adopt an editorial style, some pose couples for most of the day, and others will be 100% reportage. That said, we can always be sure that some parts of the wedding must be candid, the events that we cannot control or manipulate.
These moments could be the ceremony, the speeches, or the dancing. It's impossible to pose or move people around at these times. I prefer to work candidly for the entire day at my weddings. I don't manipulate anything and want the wedding to happen like I wasn't there. The result is a set of wedding images that are 100% candid, besides just a few very relaxed portraits. Building a business on this documentary wedding photography style puts me in a position to hand out a few tips. I could write this article multiple times with new tips, but these are enough to get us started.
Don't Be Scared
It isn't easy, I know. You turn up to a room filled with people that you've never met before, with two cameras hanging by your side, and the idea is that you start taking photographs of them. Sometimes, it seems easier to begin posing people or asking them to move around because you will assert yourself as the photographer. You might be more comfortable with a long lens at the back of the room.
I will take an opposing view and say that, in my experience, the best thing to do is get stuck in! Start taking photographs that tell the story of what is happening in the room, and don't be afraid to point a camera at people.
Think of it this way; if you attend a wedding as a guest, you know there will be a photographer, and you'll expect your photograph to be taken. As soon as you spot the photographer taking candid pictures, you'll accept that this is how they work and probably make a conscious effort to pretend they're not there. Other people are no different. They will understand once they see you working.
And so try it. Just show up and take photos of people, you will only get past the fear by doing it more. Read More…
