Before You Start: 5 Tips for Beginning Wedding Photographers

Getting into any new profession is hard. Being a photographer is something that takes dedication and passion, both of which will make you love your job. Weddings are some of the most magical moments you have the privilege to capture, and you want to do right by the couples who have trusted you to do so.

If you’re new to wedding photography, there are plenty of things you don’t want to learn the hard way. Making your job as easy as possible will keep you motivated no matter what. Slowly but surely, you’ll get the hang of it, but there are a few things you can do starting out that will save you time and energy. If you’re a beginner and looking for wedding photography tips, just keep reading!

1. Book Far in Advanced

It’s always good to plan things beforehand. Taking wedding photos is no different. Trying to prepare for a wedding session a week before the couple’s reception is going to make your job a living nightmare. To make your life easy, book couples out months in advance. This will give you plenty of time to prepare for that particular wedding. This will also give you plenty of time to rebook if a couple has to cancel.

2. Talk to the Couple Beforehand

Having an idea of what the couple wants is going to make your job a piece of cake. If you don’t, half of your session on their wedding day is going to be figuring out all of the logistics. Instead of dealing with this, talk with the couple before their session. You can ask where they want to take pictures, what lighting they’d prefer, the poses, and more. Covering your bases will feel reassuring not only to you but the couple as well.

3. Check Your Equipment

Cameras and other photography equipment can sometimes fail us when we need them the most. Before you go to any session, double check that your camera is charged, your lenses are clean, your tripod is working, and anything else you’re taking. If you arrive at the session and your camera isn’t working, that poses a serious problem. So, to prevent this from happening, simply double check everything before you go.

4. Confirm the Time and Location

This might seem redundant, but as the wedding date approaches, it’s always good to double check the details with the couple. Planning and preparing for weddings is incredibly stressful, and if something has changed, the couple might have forgotten to tell you about it.

A few days before your scheduled session, contact the couple and double check the time and location you have is correct. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

5. Enjoy It

The key to any new professional venture is to try and enjoy it. If you’re miserable the entire time you’re photographing couples, then what’s the point? Sure, there will be difficult moments where you want to be any place other than your shoot’s location, but there will also be days that you’ll be thankful for choosing this path. Find ways to destress and feel motivated to get up and go take awesome pictures every day.

Conclusion

These are just a few tricks of the trade, but you have so much left to learn. Luckily, wedding photography is a wonderful and fun profession, meaning you’ll love every second of it. Always try to go that extra mile for every couple. Not only will they appreciate it, but it will also make you less stressed and proud of your work in the end!