Wedding Photography – and Popular Behind the Scenes Observations from a Melbourne Wedding Photographer

Wedding photographers have lots to do in a very short time on the wedding day! Wedding photography involves split-second decisions- during an event which can be as fickle as Melbourne weather. In an instant, the photographer must assess the best angle from which to photograph the subject, react to and work with the light, and work with the ever-changing dynamic of the wedding day. The wedding has its own pace and rhythm behind the scenes also- in some cases this can make for great photography, in other cases it can annoyingly interfere with what could otherwise have been great photography.

For ambitious Melbourne wedding photographers, we offer some advice on what would be one of the most awkward aspects of the human form to photograph- hands. The main consideration here is that in wedding photography- and especially bridal portraits, the hands are often closer to the lens than the subject’s face- so the sense of scale takes over, and if not positioned properly, the hands can look unnaturally large in a bridal portrait. You can’t hide the bride’s hands behind the bouquet for every shot- so when the hands are visible, avoid poses where the camera lens can see the back of the hand in a view square to the camera. Position the hands elegantly and gracefully- with a slight curve is often best.

Wedding photography can be unforgiving in it’s rendering of the human form. Even with a wedding dress that comes all the way to the ground, placement of the legs and feet are crucial. The entire body dynamic takes its lead from how the bride is standing. If the balance and footwork are wrong, the resulting photography will have something strange about it- often the stance will be to blame.

As we interview potential wedding photography students, we find it amazing how many people still make common errors like letting something grow straight out of someone’s head- not a good look in a photo from a wedding photographer. A very important point to keep in mind here, is that the viewing aperture of your camera’s lens is most often different to the shooting aperture- so with this in mind, remember that the depth of field which is rendered in the final image, will not be the same as what was seen through the viewfinder.

Wedding photography is something that needs to be right the first time. If you need some guidance or further insight, then be sure to study the wedding photography tips we publish. For a great compendium of equipment- a list of cameras and camera accessories you should carry as a minimum in order to get you through the wedding photography assignment you have booked, take a close look at our wedding photography checklist, which has a list of the essential equipment you will need in order to get the job done, and keep your wedding photography clients happy.