Bridal photography requires a unique closeness of the couple.
Since a couple’s wedding day can be the most important and memorable event of their lives, capturing that day in photographs presents a unique challenge for wedding photographers. Compared to nature photography or other professional photography endeavors, the margin of error with bridal photography is much less. Wedding photographers only take one photo to capture the memories of the bride and groom’s big day, despite environmental obstacles such as bad weather; or situational obstacles like faulty camera equipment.
The margin of error is less with bridal photography.
Modern wedding photography has a special focus on capturing all aspects of the couple’s wedding day, including before, during and after the ceremony. A bridal photo shoot can begin as soon as the bride begins preparing for the wedding and introduces the bride to various stages of hair, makeup, and dress. A unique challenge for bridal photography at this early stage is being able to capture the bride in an intimate and flattering way that doesn’t interfere with preparations for the wedding day. The bride may require a lot of physical space at this point, and the photographer should avoid extreme close-ups. Also at this time, the bridesmaids and family members can help the bride with her preparations, and photos of the bridesmaids caring for the bride’s dress or jewelry are popular photo opportunities.
Off-the-beaten-path settings can help you achieve artistic wedding photos.
Once the couple arrives at the church or other ceremony location, the photographer is challenged to take pictures during the ceremony in a way that does not interfere with the service. Wedding photographers are usually allowed to stand close to the couple as they recite their vows to take a few quick photos. Professional bridal photography requires a unique closeness of the couple; therefore, guests who also want to take pictures can try to get the same closeness. To avoid a “photo mess”, guests may be asked at the beginning of the ceremony to refrain from taking photographs until the service is over.
A bridal photographer must capture the bride in a flattering and intimate way, without interfering with the events of the wedding day.
After the ceremony, the wedding photographer has an excellent opportunity to take pictures of the bride and groom with their loved ones as they leave the venue. Photos that show the bride and groom thanking and hugging their guests are a popular and iconic op. At this point, the couple and their companions are free to take posed versus candid portraits, and the photographer can work more closely with them to determine what types of poses they prefer.
Bridal photographers may need to capture spontaneous moments that cannot be recreated or posed.
Due to advances in digital cameras that have made photography more efficient and less expensive, more and more people are turning to bridal photography as a freelance or full-time profession. Keeping prices competitive is another challenge unique to bridal photography, as is long-term preparation to avoid scheduling conflicts. In the Internet age, the most popular promotional item for a bridal photographer is a website that features the best wedding portraits from various ceremonies, used with the permission of the couple.