Everyone likes taking pictures at weddings.
Of course more often than not there is professional photographer in attendance but they can’t be everywhere, all of the time.
Because I am into photography, and because I do this wedding blog job thingy I often get asked things like “What’s a good camera to take wedding pictures with” or “How can I make my photo’s look like such and such…”
My answer?… well, I quote the saying “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” I don’t know who said it originally (maybe one of you can enlighten me?) but who ever said it was a right old clever clogs no mistake.
Digital camera’s get better all the time, and smartphones are pretty handy picture boxes too… And in this day it’s the smartphone that’s most like to be “the one that’s with you” for the vast majority of the time – so use it. This afternoon I thought I would share just a few tips that might take your pictures to the next level, no matter what camera you are using.
The Golden Ratio
The Golden ratio, or the rule of thirds as it is also known, is a clever guideline for photographs. It suggests that images are pleasing to us when the subject matter falls within an imaginery grid that divides the composition into thirds. It sounds a little off the wall but you might be suprised at how many great images follow the golden ratio.
A lot of digital camera’s including the iPhone have a setting where you can turn on the Golden Ratio grid on the LCD preview screen so you can check and see if your composition is following the rules.
The three images below strictly follow the Golden Rules… And they look great.
Cropping
Cropping can really change the dynamic of a picture. It’s a really funky trendy thing to do at the moment and you’ll see it a lot in wedding photography… It can make images look fun, dramatic and quirky. Don’t be afraid to hone in one one detail and crop everything else out of the frame.
Close Up
Getting right up and in the face of your target, whether its a bride, groom… or a dog! can really bring out the character of your subject. The super blurry backgrounds that pro photographers manage to get on their portrait shots aren’t quite achievable without investing in some serious kit but you can have a go at this effect yourself. The trick is to get as close as possible to your subject (try not to scare them away) and make sure the bacground or the bits you want to blur out are as far behind the subject as possible.
If your camera has a macro setting on it for close-ups then switch it on – it will help with the effect.
The Huddle
I guess at weddings you will often wnat to take shots of groups of people and you may be a bit fed up of the same old boring shots. Well, that is an issue that plagues the pros too. Recently Jordan from Source Images wrote a peice for us about this very subject. It’s called Group Shots… And How To Make Them Awesome.
Finally, and this one is a really good tip – make sure you aren’t tied to your camera all day long… Things just aren’t as enjoyable if you view them through a three inch LCD screen.
Anyone else got any good Friday afternoon photo tips to share?
Adam.
STILL adoring those Source Images group shots! Pretty darn spesh!
x
Me too Pamela! But too good = too expensive
I love taking photo’s, but I sometimes think the digital camera screen was the death of taking photo’s, and the excitement you used to get of picking up your photos from the chemist to see what delights were hidden on the film!
Switch off your screen, and look through the view finder. Old School photography just how it used to be, just means you can go back and delete the ones you dont like!!
i thought that the photos through a three inch screen were really cool
Ah I always wondered what that little grid thing on my iPhone was! Will give it a go xxx
wow…lovely wedding pictures!!
Nice pictures there.. I hate to differ with you but I think digital photography gives the fine art photographers choice to color, recolor or color correct images and play with so many editing options which have made the end result for the users all the more exciting. now, when couples hire the professional photographers it is more for the work that they do after clicking the photos.
Great idea for a post and very nice images as well
I think it is great that so many people are taking pictures a weddings now. As a wedding photographer is certainly doesn’t worry me (or i’d go around hiding the disposable camera’s on the tables)
There is always a place for the professional tog as they are covering the wedding from start to end. But the more guests that are taking pictures the more you get afterwards. That can only be a good thing and reading blogs like this will only help them get great picture.