14 Best Free Drawing Software for Designers in 2024

1. Always Start from Assisting a Professional

Consider contacting an experienced wedding photographer prior to launching your own career. You might get lucky enough to shadow them during a couple of weddings, or simply ask them for some suggestions and tricks that will help you learn how to photograph a wedding.

2. Prepare Documents

A wedding photography contract needs to go over the range of included services, describe the obligations of both parties, the agreed-upon fees, and relevant payment information. Should everything end in a legal dispute, such a contract will help ensure you don’t get the short end of the stick.

3. Get to Know the Couple

The key to having the best wedding photo shoots is to get acquainted with the future newlyweds. If possible, offer them to take their engagement photos with a discount to get a feel for each other or meet for a cup of coffee to learn what they expect from you during the photoshoot.

You should at least send the couple a questionnaire that will help you uncover their personality and tastes. Inquire about their favorite food, TV shows, date ideas, and anything else that can be useful for establishing a connection with them and ensuring you have good chemistry during the big day. Don’t forget to ask about organizational matters that cover wedding photography basics:

• Is the couple interested in receiving a lot of posed formal wedding photos, or would they rather like a more candid photoshoot?
• What stages of the wedding day do they need you to photograph? Bridal preparation, Ceremony, Dinner, Speeches, Cake cutting, Party/Dancing?
• When does each stage start so that you can ensure you’re there when you’re needed?
• Are there any surprise events or entertainment scheduled that the wedding guests aren’t aware of?
• What is the overall number of guests?
• Are there any guests they don’t want to be photographed with?
• Should you plan to take a large group photo of the entire wedding party?

4. Get to Know Guests Better

A big wedding will have all sorts of people attending it, from close relatives to important colleagues or friendly neighbors. Check out the guest list and take note of the people who are closest to the couple, memorize their names and either visit their public social media pages or ask to look at their photos so that you know whom to be on the lookout for during the event.

5. Create a Mood Board

The web is full of terrific platforms like Pinterest, Behance, Flickr or 500px, which are perfect for getting inspired to experiment with various styles of wedding photography. Have the newlyweds explore these sites and share some of their favorite images with you.

You should also consider designing an “inspirational mood board” of your own and showing it to the couple so that they know what kind of photos you’d like to take. This is particularly important if this is your first time working at a wedding. You can create such a mood board using the aforementioned Pinterest, Canva, or InVision.

6. Scout the Location Beforehand

Your contract needs to include information regarding the location of the ceremony and reception. Learn about the photography policies and lighting conditions of the scheduled venues. An in-person visit is preferable, but if it’s impossible, then you should at least check out as many images of the locations on the web as possible.

Contacting the venue’s management to learn about their photography policies is a must. This is especially relevant for places of worship, as they frequently impose rules regarding when and from where you’re allowed to take photos.

7. Check the Lighting

I arrive at the location about 30-60 minutes before the start of the event and the first thing I do is check the lighting. There are 4 commonplace lighting sources that you can take advantage of:

Natural light. It adds a pleasant warm tone to the picture. Most wedding venues and reception locations provide an abundance of window light. Always keep the placement of the windows in mind when planning shots.