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Wedding Photography Articles for brides and grooms

Featured Article: Trash The Dress (TTD)

Brides and grooms want awesome imagery from their wedding, period. They want the unscripted moments captured, but they also want a photographer that can get very creative during a portrait session. That's why couples everywhere are donning their wedding finery and not only descending into caves, but plunging into breakers, walking through abandoned amusement parks, wandering through cornfields, wading into forest streams and chasing other wild pursuits in an increasingly popular ritual and edgy extension of wedding photojournalism called Trash the Dress (TTD). read more

Capturing Wedding Toasts

A celebratory toast to the bride and groom is deeply ingrained in wedding tradition, but do you know how the venerable custom came about? read more

Planning Destination Weddings

Destination weddings offer stunning scenery and exotic atmosphere, providing the conditions needed to enhance those fabulous memories. However, since these types of weddings are often at resort locations in foreign countries, they're subject to the unusual and the unexpected. read more

Telling A Story Through Humor

Every newly betrothed couple assumes that their event will go off without a hitch. But there's one big mitigating factor in this lofty assumption. Namely, your day's success is entirely dependent on other humans. And, unfortunately, that species is still a few sardines short of a bucket of chum. read more

Pre-Visualizing Before The Shoot

Do you ever catch yourself dreaming about the perfect shot? Of course, the elements never fall into place as perfectly in real life as we would like them to but it never hurts to dream. Some WPJA members pre-visualize a few of the shots they'd like to get when documenting a wedding, whether it is days or seconds before the actual pictures are snapped. read more

Who Are You Shooting For?

Couples hire wedding photojournalists for their narrative approach to photography, but they? are also expected to get the more formal portraits shots. Balancing those competing expectations is an ongoing challenge and a somewhat tricky proposition that not only permeates the wedding day, but also spills over to your Web site design and public portfolio. How do you present your images in a way that pleases portrait-centric clients while staying true to your esthetics and attracting new business? read more

Capturing Romance At The Wedding

When the wedding day is over, your memories will be enhanced through photographs of the two of you looking at one another or simply being together, thus narrating the story of your love. read more

Wedding Reception Dancing

Ever since early man learned to beat a stick on a rock, some guy has embarrassed his family by dancing to it. The primordial urge to shake your booty can be traced back thousands of years. read more

Photo Tips For Wedding Guests

Top ten professional tips and techniques that your wedding guests can use to kick their personal photos up a few notches, while ensuring that their efforts will not detract from the "official" photos produced by the hired photographer. read more

Patterns In Wedding Photojournalism

Scenes of patterns from the otherwise chaotic wedding day tend to highlight the order, organization, and planning of the day, and in their own way, they help portray a sense of calm. read more

Shooting Wide vs. Long

Shooting wide vs. long runs to the heart of how you approach wedding photojournalism-in the storytelling, composition, visceral message, emotion conveyed, and even in how your subjects relate to one another. read more

Trumping Image Manipulation

Today's digital post-processing tools can be a force for good in the right hands, but can create visual mayhem when used without the proper judgment, and in lieu of an essentially good image. read more

Being King And Queen For A Day

For one day, the two of you are the focus of attention. The concerns of the world slip away as your sweetheart and you take center stage for the moment you've long anticipated. read more

Group Reaction Shots

Reaction shots, which record the reactions of guests observing the wedding's activities as they occur, add an invaluable dimension to the visual record of the festivities. read more

Hurricane Dean: Evacuation Wedding

Instead of exchanging vows, the bride and groom, along with their 33 guests, waded through roiling surf, holding their luggage overhead, to get to a boat moored just off shore. read more

Capturing Quiet Moments

Weddings can be chaotic, noisy affairs where emotions are displayed publicly, so one of your biggest challenges can be capturing their quiet, intimate side. read more

Machine Gun Shooting

WPJA members cite the ease and economy of digital photography as a factor that support their creativity-one that includes a license to take large numbers of shots. read more

Keeping Your Hand in News Photojournalism

While news photojournalism provides a practice ground to hone trigger-quick reflexes, weddings let the photojournalist bring out creative tricks. read more

Partying Down At The Wedding

Weddings are a time to honor tradition, commitment and family. But as any wedding photojournalist knows, they're also a great time for people to come together and cut loose. read more

Long Wedding Ceremonies

A wedding is the happiest moment of most people's lives. It just doesn't have to last a lifetime. If your ceremony includes a souvenir program and an intermission, it might be time to make some edits. read more

Everyone Is A Photojournalist

These days untold numbers of wedding photographers state in their bios that they have a background in photojournalism. Yet many do not really have any actual professional experience as photojournalists. read more

Dragging The Camera Shutter

Dragging the shutter is a basic photographic technique that is often put to highly creative use, producing images that contain a sense of motion and bring an added dose of festivity. read more

Receiving Thanks

WPJA professionals are spurred on by the heartfelt thanks they consistently receive from their clients after the big day, in the form of emails, phone calls and tears. read more

The Value Of A Solid Bio

A superior biography will give your clientele a compelling perspective on what has defined and molded your career, communicating your education, major accomplishments and unique skills that have made you the photographer you are. read more

Rainy Wedding Day Parade

Rainy conditions can present unexpected, extraordinary opportunities for your wedding photojournalist to capture lovely, funny and sometimes dramatic photographs. read more

It's Not Easy Being Beautiful

Getting ready can be a monumental task for the bride and her entourage, and an event in itself. The outflow of elation, anxiety, nostalgia and hope that accompany these activities create an ideal time for your wedding photojournalist to capture those timeless moments. read more

The Ideal Wedding Photojournalist

How you conduct your search for a wedding photojournalist can make a big difference in ensuring that you're more than pleased with your photographic experience on the big day, as well as with the moments and memories captured in pictures. read more

Wedding Images With Depth

Deep photos, like any good wedding cake, are made up of multiple layers of people, objects and emotions that make for compelling photographs and, for those involved, memories that will last. read more

Getting Creative With Wedding Portraits

As with the stricter side of wedding photojournalism, creative portraiture requires the practiced ability to anticipate and to be in the right place at the right time, a skill that becomes intuitive with more experience and the right chops. read more

Fleeting Wedding Details

At any given wedding, there are an infinite number of these moments that pass into time. Some hold in place for longer than others; some come and go in the blink of an eye. read more

Multiple Generations On Wedding Day

The emotional aspect of a wedding isn't just about the love between the bride and groom. Family plays an important part in many weddings, and older relatives bring a deeper meaning to the ceremony and festivities. read more

Reception Tents: A Creative Palette

There's nothing quite like a wedding reception in a tent, with its uniquely informal atmosphere, customized decor and proximity to the elements outdoors. read more

Kids Dressing Up For The Wedding

Many brides put significant consideration and energy into determining the outfit scheme for their wedding party. The children who are participating in the ceremony are usually no different. read more

Away From The Main Story: Wedding Sideline Shots

Sideline shots broaden and deepen the story of the day, and are in fact an essential part of the record. Grab some good sideline shots, and your clients will thank you. read more

Creative Engagement Portraits

A creative portrait session can also develop into a great way to learn about the couple's personality, which can give further insight about just what sort of wedding to expect. read more

Wedding Scene Setters: Telling A Story Through Use Of Space

Scene setters are an important component of any picture story, providing a sense of place to help convey the tone and mood of the wedding day. read more

Couples Seeing Each Other Before The Wedding Ceremony

One decision that you may agonize over is whether to see your partner before the ceremony, or to wait for your eyes to meet on the aisle. It can put you in a conundrum. read more

Weddings Can Be Chaos

A wedding is not just the culmination of a couple's commitment. It's also the final product of much planning and preparation. Yet despite the best-laid plans, some chaos is almost inevitable at some point along the way. read more

Letting Go: Photographing Intimate Moments With Parents

Throughout the wedding day, parents and their children walk a delicate line between past and future. Letting go is never easy, but it can make for dramatic photographs full of heart. read more

Using Music On Your Site

Many wedding photographers use music to some degree on their Web sites. Proponents say that music helps create and enhance the emotional experience, and also serves to brand the wedding photographer's approach to the craft. read more

Color, Meaning And Moments: Photographing Ethnic Weddings

Ethnic weddings, in addition to providing a change of pace from the more typical ceremonies that wedding photojournalists know well, also offer a rich visual palette and deep cultural rituals that can offer range to your portfolio. read more

Creating Timeless Images

Weddings provide timeless memories, and everyone would agree that the best wedding photojournalism should do the same. read more

Other Cameras At The Wedding

Thanks to the digital revolution, many cameras now are lighter, smaller, relatively inexpensive, and they're showing up everywhere, especially at weddings. read more

To Smash Or Not To Smash: The Cake

No other tradition during the wedding day relies as heavily on improvisation as the cake cutting. Not following the "rules" is frequently what makes the cake cutting unforgettable. read more

Male Bonding: Shooting Guys On The Wedding Day

Many photographers have found that the groom, the best man, the groomsmen and numerous other dudes contributing to the big day often serve as provocateurs and especially interesting subjects for wedding photojournalism. read more

Working The Camera Angles

One of the most defining tools in shaping unique perspective at a wedding is angles. Working the angles lets you express the way you see the story unfolding. read more

Working With Second Shooters

Having a second shooter at a wedding introduces issues related to qualifications, shooting responsibilities, usage rights and more. Here's a look at second shooter experiences and best practices, aided by input from a few of the WPJA's accomplished members. read more

Deeply Layered Images Using Glass

Layers aren't just for wedding cakes. As most wedding photojournalists will tell you, each layer of a photo adds yet another dimension to the shot, further enhancing the visual story. read more

Wedding Photojournalism Myths

With the number of wedding photojournalists perpetually on the rise, confusion over what they will-and won't-do seems to be increasing at a parallel rate. read more

Taking The Photographer For A Ride

One of the often overlooked, and maybe under-appreciated settings for photos during your wedding day occurs while the bride, groom and other members of the wedding party are in a car, limo, party bus or other form of transportation. read more

Including Pets In The Wedding

Animals create excellent photographic opportunities. Pets can add a measure of spontaneity, whimsy and fun to the photographs. read more

Getting Lucky With Directional Lighting

Quick thinking and a constant awareness of light-helped along by anticipation, some serendipity and a little luck-can result in direct, dramatic illumination that helps capture the full beauty and drama of the wedding day's once-in-a-lifetime moments. read more

Crafting A Good Wedding Contract

As a wedding photojournalist, the client contract is central to your business. However, a good contract is critical to your business. How good is yours? read more

Wedding Party Roles

While wedding party stereotypes still exist, most people realize there's more to being a bridesmaid than looking beautiful, more to being a groomsman than adding life and excitement to the reception party. read more

Photographing The Rehearsal Dinner

Next to the pomp and fanfare of the wedding day, the rehearsal dinner has historically gone undocumented by the wedding photographer. read more

Destination Weddings: The Photographer's Perspective

This is the first installment of a quarterly WedPix feature in which we will profile some of the world's top destination wedding locales, as evaluated by the WPJA's most accomplished members. read more

Wedding Photojournalism Purism

So what is pure wedding photojournalism, and how does it impact the pursuit of good shots, as well as "giving the clients what they want"? read more

Wedding Photographer Tax Tips

As one of three certainties in life, taxes cannot come as a surprise to any wedding photographer, although you can certainly be forgiven if you push the thought of them into the back of your brain. As a creative professional, you'd likely want to devote most of your energy toward honing your craft. read more

Kids At The Wedding

A wedding is a special event for all involved, and children are no exception. In the thick of wedding planning, many brides and grooms often forget the little ones. read more

Planning A Summer Wedding

Picture this: It's mid-summer, with temps in the low-80s, a cloudless sky, and oh-so-light gusts keeping everyone just cool enough. read more

Wedding Table Shots

Before you ask your wedding photojournalist to visit each and every table during the reception, consider this... read more

Negotiating For The Photograph

Solid negotiating skills weigh greatly in elevating and furthering a wedding photojournalist's work, making those unique moments more accessible. read more

What's In Your Gig Bag?

What combination of equipment is the most useful for the successful wedding photojournalist, balancing results against weight, bulk and convenience? read more

Getting Your Affairs In Order

What if through illness, accident, family crisis or other situation you are unexpectedly unable to address your commitments? read more

Church Photography Restrictions

Wedding photojournalists regularly have the most trouble shooting their best work in churches, where the very wedding ceremonies take place. read more

Wedding Day Portraits With Just The Bride, Groom And The Photographer

With all the attention heaped upon the bride and groom, a portrait session away from the crowds can help capture private moments between them. It gets the couple away from the pressure that comes with their wedding. read more

The Top Things You Can Do To Help Your Wedding Photojournalist

A little advanced communication and planning with your photographer can go a long way, smoothing the way for everyone involved - from the wedding party and guests, to the creative pros assisting with the festivities. read more

Wedding Photographer Etiquette: When, And When Not, To Shoot

Spontaneous moments are what every wedding photojournalist works to capture, but not all uninhibited moments are humorous or touching. Some can be downright embarrassing. read more

Shooting Non-Wedding Assignments

For many wedding photojournalists, documenting weddings is not a full-time job. In fact, they often turn their cameras elsewhere as part of other gigs, which can range from landscape and nature photography, to shooting images for newspapers, ad agencies and magazines. read more