Most of us at some point in our lives will be involved, to some degree, in a wedding. Whether it be as one half of the happy couple, a best man, bridesmaid or merely as a guest, it's a pretty special affair what ever part you play.
Having recently been asked whether I would like to have the honour of shooting three weddings in fairly quick succession, I once again, had my part to play. When one is shooting landscapes, as I'm accustomed to, there is plenty of room for error. If you miss one shot, you just take another. If it's blurry, take another. If you miss the focus point... You get the idea.
This however, is not the case with wedding photography.
Many professional and amateur photographers alike, shy away from shooting weddings for one main reason... You have to nail every shot, of every important one-off moment as it happens. There are no re-runs, no, "Could we just try that agains".
If you don't capture those raw emotions and those loving looks as they happen, you're done for.
To say I was slightly apprehensive as I agreed to the first of the three weddings of the summer is a vast understatement. I was more than happy to add another string to my photographic bow, but the consequences of not getting it right first time didn't bear thinking about.
By the time I was heading towards the date of the first wedding I'd agreed to shoot, I had agreed to two others that were before it, bringing the date of the first one I was shooting worryingly close. I had insisted with all of the couples that at least 2 or 3 meetings were essential to get a feel of what was required of me and how I could best get everything they wanted, perfect.
After all of the preparation, the weddings went as well, if not better, than I could've hoped with three very happy couples and a healthier-looking portfolio. Wedding photography may not be for everyone, but I've well-and-truly been bitten by the bug and am looking forward to what the future brings.
Having recently been asked whether I would like to have the honour of shooting three weddings in fairly quick succession, I once again, had my part to play. When one is shooting landscapes, as I'm accustomed to, there is plenty of room for error. If you miss one shot, you just take another. If it's blurry, take another. If you miss the focus point... You get the idea.
This however, is not the case with wedding photography.
Many professional and amateur photographers alike, shy away from shooting weddings for one main reason... You have to nail every shot, of every important one-off moment as it happens. There are no re-runs, no, "Could we just try that agains".
If you don't capture those raw emotions and those loving looks as they happen, you're done for.
To say I was slightly apprehensive as I agreed to the first of the three weddings of the summer is a vast understatement. I was more than happy to add another string to my photographic bow, but the consequences of not getting it right first time didn't bear thinking about.
By the time I was heading towards the date of the first wedding I'd agreed to shoot, I had agreed to two others that were before it, bringing the date of the first one I was shooting worryingly close. I had insisted with all of the couples that at least 2 or 3 meetings were essential to get a feel of what was required of me and how I could best get everything they wanted, perfect.
After all of the preparation, the weddings went as well, if not better, than I could've hoped with three very happy couples and a healthier-looking portfolio. Wedding photography may not be for everyone, but I've well-and-truly been bitten by the bug and am looking forward to what the future brings.