For my first real blog I wanted to write about my experiences on shooting my first wedding. I was asked by an old high school friend if I would be interested in shooting her and her fiance's wedding. I was thrilled that someone actually trusted me and was excited for me to shoot their wedding because I had never done a wedding before. I've done portraits and some children here and there, but that's about it. But hey, we all have to start somewhere, don't we!?
My awesome boyfriend came along to help me. I was extremely nervous and really did not think I could handle the whole day on my own, especially if something went wrong! You're probably wondering now, "did something go wrong?" Unfortunately it did, and I had to learn the hard way!
Here is a list of some of the things I wish didn't happen:
-I ran out of memory before the reception
-My boyfriend's mom tried to help out by bringing us her camera
-Soon enough, that memory ran out
-My dad came to the rescue with a new memory card
-Guess what, that memory card didn't fit my camera
-Finally, my sister let me use her camera and the memory card my dad bought, fit her camera (So I had plenty of memory by this time)
Can you believe that all this madness happened within like 15-20 minutes. My stomach was in knots once I ran out of memory, then I had some relief when my boyfriend's mom brought her camera, but that didn't last long! I was a nervous wreck and didn't know what I was going to do. I thought I was going to miss all the most important shots of the reception. To hold me over, I deleted some really cruddy shots and snapped a few photos while I waited for my prayers for some more memory to be answered. Luckily, this happened when the guests, bride and groom were eating and none of the important things like the first dance or throwing the bouquet were going on quite yet. Overall, I managed to get hundreds of shots and didn't miss any of the best moments. The bride didn't even realize anything crazy was going on. I tried to stay calm and collective because I most def did not want the bride thinking something terrible was happening. Never again will I fudge things up with memory cards!!
I made a list for all you wedding photographer's out there on what to remember when shooting a wedding!
1. Bring 1-2 EXTRA memory cards
2. Bring an extra camera if you have it
3. Try to have an attachable flash for indoors
4. Bring a tripod
5. Make sure your battery is fully charged
6. Bring an extra charged battery
7. Create a list of the shots you're wanting to capture
8. Scout a location to shoot the wedding party at
9. Make sure you understand the expectations of the client
& they know exactly what you're package includes
10. Shoot the small details (decor, center pieces, rings, etc)
11. Don't be afraid to push your way through for the best shot,
but don't be rude and make so all eyes are on you and not the bride & groom
12. Practice with lighting. Many weddings are indoors
and it's hard to get just the right amount of light sometimes.
13. Shoot in RAW when possible
14. Try getting different and unique angles
15. Be prepared to shoot at any given moment
16. Lastly, but not least! Wearing a big smile will make everyone feel comfortable
with you shooting them, and will also make you approachable for people to ask
you to shoot certain things which makes your job a little easier :]
Here are some of my favorite photos from the big wedding day!
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