According to wedding specialist Michael O’Neill, “When I first started photographing weddings (in the last millennium) the owner of the studio I worked for would have your head if you shot more than 120 exposures on even the most extravagant wedding. Today, I routinely shoot ten times that amount.” Many of
these shots show the details of the day. “Today’s brides and grooms expect to see all of their wedding day,” adds Michael. “Shoot details. Shoot closeups. Flowers, rings, dress details, jewelry, shoes, architecture, landscapes, table settings, menus, champagne glasses, cake decorations, etc. The detail shots are almost as important to today’s client as the portraits.” Details aren’t always things, of course, Michael notes. “Shoot candid shots all day long. Take shots of the bridesmaids helping the bride get dressed and the flower girl’s antics during the ceremony. And don’t limit yourself to action shots—get reaction shots. When the couple exchanges vows, whirl around and capture the look on their parents’ faces. Great storytelling includes both actions and reactions.”men as it unfolds around you—and this usually means watching more than one event at a time. Keep your camera constantly at the ready. You may want to leave it in one of the AE modes so there are no exposure adjustments to be made. Simply raise the camera, compose, and shoot.
these shots show the details of the day. “Today’s brides and grooms expect to see all of their wedding day,” adds Michael. “Shoot details. Shoot closeups. Flowers, rings, dress details, jewelry, shoes, architecture, landscapes, table settings, menus, champagne glasses, cake decorations, etc. The detail shots are almost as important to today’s client as the portraits.” Details aren’t always things, of course, Michael notes. “Shoot candid shots all day long. Take shots of the bridesmaids helping the bride get dressed and the flower girl’s antics during the ceremony. And don’t limit yourself to action shots—get reaction shots. When the couple exchanges vows, whirl around and capture the look on their parents’ faces. Great storytelling includes both actions and reactions.”men as it unfolds around you—and this usually means watching more than one event at a time. Keep your camera constantly at the ready. You may want to leave it in one of the AE modes so there are no exposure adjustments to be made. Simply raise the camera, compose, and shoot.
With quiet observation, many wonderful moments can be captured. Being able to do this effectively is a function of completely trusting yourself to translate input into instant reaction. Master wedding photojournalist Joe Buissink says, “Trust your intuition. Do not think. Just react or it will be too late.”
