Being asked to be the photographer for a wedding is a big responsibility.If you’ve been approached to do it as a friend, or maybe asked to do it as a professional, here are 5 great tips to do the job right.

This tips are coming from first hand experience as a San Diego wedding photographer.You could be a seasoned pro, or you could be an amateur, but by following these tips, you will do the job smoothly without second guessing yourself.You will be ready for whatever may happen.

Our first tip is pretty simple and that is to have the couple and their families make a list for you of shots they want to take.With a day that can be as hectic and chaotic as a wedding day, doing this will help when you are trying to organize all the group and family shots later on in the day.You will love how you can just go through your list and get all the shots you want without leaving anything out.

The second tip on our list is to not delete any shots.  In this day and age of digital cameras, most photographers use them.Even though they are great, it is also tempting since it is so easy, to delete a shot.Don’t even think of looking at the shots.Remember, what you think is a great shot, could be vastly different than what the couple thinks is a great shot.  And who knows, they might appreciate the so called un “professional” shots.

The third tip to make sure you do is taking candid shots.  A good wedding photographer will not just try and get the typical shots, like family group shots, wedding party shots, or your standard bride and groom.  But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It could include things that don’t go perfectly, like a flower girl not wanting to walk down the aisle or the ring bearer making a wrong turn.Every picture counts.

The fourth one to consider, and something that can easily be overlooked is to make sure you have several cameras with several lenses as backup.  Do you even want to imagine having a camera stop working halfway through the day.Be prepared for anything that can go wrong.By being ready with extra equipment, you will avoid the uncomfortable time of not being able to take any more pictures of the wedding day with a broken camera.

Lastly, make sure to practice for your lighting. There can be a huge difference between the lighting inside the wedding and outside, so make sure to practice for all the different possible conditions. Go see the locations and scout it out for the big day, by finding the best places to shoot as well as studying the lighting needs.

Doing these 5 tips will help you immensely.  It will prepare you for whatever might go wrong, it will prepare you for capturing what goes right, and it will prepare you to help contribute to this wonderful day by being the best photographer you can be.  Take it from my years of experience as a San Diego photographer.

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