Capturing the special day between two folk is no easy gig. The pressure is on to keep up with the hustle of the day while not forgetting to get those crucial shots of the ceremony, guests, and sentimental details like rings and flowers.
We’ve gone BTS of Sydney wedding photography to find out a few insights, tips and mishaps that come with the job…
The first key thing for a successful wedding photographer Sydney is to be prepared ahead of the day. This includes speaking to the couple, getting to know their personalities and their chemistry so that you can take authentic pictures. Speak to guests and get to know them on the day for the same reason.
Also find who and what the couple wants to be photographed. With this information you can plan your shots, and what to bring on the day. This includes camera lenses. Did you know about these three core lenses used in Sydney wedding photography?
- Wide-angle lens – for capturing guests and scenery.
- Portrait lens – for beautiful couple shots.
- Macro lens – for finer details like bouquets.
Sydney wedding photography will be different each time. It’s up to the cameraperson to choose to take additional lenses, such as the fish-eye lens for artistic distortion.
Another key part of successful Sydney wedding photography is the right lighting. If you are outdoors and want to get that ‘natural glow’, avoid direct sunlight. Rather, position guests behind the sun or under the shade of trees to ensure a soft even lighting.
If you are indoors or shooting at night however, you won’t get very far without a strobe. Two useful flash techniques are…
- The bounce flash – this trick involves angling your camera so to bounce the flash off walls and ceiling to achieve a soft glow on subjects. Direct light can appear harsh and unflattering.
- Kicker lights – separate pieces of lighting equipment can be set up around the room that you can position behind subjects in images. The flare from these will illuminate their hairline to make this stand out and avoid your subject getting consumed in white glow.
Another great skill to hone for Sydney wedding photography is that of gesturing quick poses. Some easy go-to’s you can do for portraits is getting the subject to sit with body facing slightly left or right and head turned towards the camera.
Be prepared for natural, spontaneous moments too. You can gesture family members who are together to form a line for a quick snap. If you see the couple walking beneath a tree gesture them for a quick shot to not miss out a great light opportunity.
What about editing Sydney wedding photography? One thing each cameraperson has in common is that things don’t go to plan on the day and less than perfect shooting conditions come up. This is where editing software and a list of techniques come in handy, like…
- Clarifying the photo – get rid of noise, blur and people who are washed out by light. Sharpen edges, and play around with exposure, highlights and shadows, and contrasting tools.
- Colours – saturation can remove haziness and enhance colour intensity. Does your client want a natural glow or vibrance? Do they want warmer hues to bring the ambience of the church or reception hall to life? You can achieve this by toggling the temperature.
These are just two great ways to enhance your Sydney wedding photography to produce a stunning album for your bride and groom. There plenty more software tools for you to experiment and get creative with.