19th Issue

20 Do’s and
20 Don’ts
for Amateur Photographers
There are times at weddings when the
photographer in his eagerness to catch the
right moment for his ideal picture, hurries
around the venue or jumps right in front of
the wedding party or at times becomes
center of attention at important moments
such as cutting the cake.
And at times a family friend or member
steps forward volunteering as the photographer
for the wedding, while he may not
have a clue of the right lighting and
angles.
So here are a few things to keep in mind
whether you an amateur wedding photographer
or you are having a friend cover
your wedding:
DO NOT..
Dress in denims/casual clothing/
brightly coloured clothing/sandals.
You should wear a suit/tuxedo
Jump in between family members or in
front of the couple during important
moments, thereby disturbing them, in
order to take your shot
Pick at snacks while taking photographs
Obstruct the poruwa or the alter with
photography equipment
Forget the placement of feet and
hands of the bride and groom, when
taking posed photos
Take photos under the glaring sun, the
bride’s make-up may run and the
couple may sweat
Move wedding décor around to make
space for yourself in order to take a
shot
Disturb other guests at the hotel (if
wedding venue is a hotel) by requesting
them to move out of the way,
laying electric cords across hallways
or requesting them to stay silent
Be rude to your clients, wedding
guests, hotel managers, other guests
and other photographers / videographers
28Loose patience with children at the
wedding
DO ..
Request your subjects to pose in
un-natural poses
Consume alcohol before or during the
wedding
Joke too much while taking photographs.
Your jokes may not be that
funny!
Listen to requests by guests for their
pictures to be taken
Panic if something goes wrong with the
equipment. Stay calm and think of
what next to do
Put the camera down as you need to
be prepared to shoot that unplanned
moment
Hand over your job to another
photographer and leave the venue
Promise the couple to be wedded,
anything that you cannot deliver
Edit the original or over edit your
photos
Give anyone other than the clients,
their own photographs. Even if the
client is a celebrity
Get permission from venue owners for
taking photographs at locations
outside the hall/reception area
Check the location of the venue and
consider the time you need to travel
for the occasion
Visit the location prior to the wedding,
if you are unfamiliar with it
Check out interesting locations for
backdrops
Get a ‘wedding schedule’ prior to the
wedding
Save old content in memory cards (if
not saved before), the night before
the event
Reassure the couple that they and the
pictures are looking great, while
taking photographs
Take extra batteries, flash equipment,
camera for the event
Wear deodorant as you may need to
run around
Check the dominant light source first,
at each location at the venue. Then
base your extra lighting and angling
on that
Use ‘fast’ lenses in low light, if you are
not allowed to use a flash at the venue
Speak to the bride and groom about
the type of photographs required by
them
Get phone numbers of best-man or
master of ceremonies – for any
inquiries during the wedding
Stick to your style of photography…
remember that it is for your style that
you were chosen as the wedding
photographer, in the first place
Take pictures of guests relaxing and
having fun
Take an umbrella (it may rain)
Use a good camera bag. Normal
backpacks may not keep the equipment
safe
Use super-wide lenses, sensibly
Take backups of digital photographs
Keep the same style of postproduction
in all photos when creating
an album