How to Photograph an Outside Wedding
Photographing an outdoor wedding requires a certain skill to avoid shadows or over-exposed images. Outdoor weddings also allow for more choices in the way you photograph the event. Professional wedding photographer Ana Villalpando says, "I prefer shooting outdoor weddings because I generally have more of a variety of backgrounds and lighting options." Compensate for the sunlight by adjusting your camera settings and the angles you shoot.
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Instructions
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Prepare for the wedding by visiting the site beforehand, if possible. Attend the wedding rehearsal so you know the order of events and can make a checklist of shots you want to get. Write them down if necessary. Format all of your memory cards before leaving for the wedding.
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Take a few test shots before the wedding to determine the best settings. Villalpando recommends starting with your basic settings set at 60 or 125 shutter speed with a 5.6 F-stop with a 200 ISO, then adjust accordingly. If it's too bright, increase your shutter speed; the higher the shutter speed, the faster the shutter opens and closes, allowing less light. When it comes to adjusting the F-stop, the higher the F-stop number, the smaller the lens opening, which means less light and more depth of field.
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Shoot pictures with the sun at your back when possible, or ask your subjects to stand in shadier areas. Use your flash to light up dark areas or balance the sunlight so your subjects don't look washed out. Villalpando says, "Many amateur or beginner photographers think it's OK to not use flash when it's a bright sunny day. Use it. The only time to turn off your flash is if you want to take creative lighting, silhouettes or have deep shadows in your images." Some professional photographers use multiple external flashes to help control the lighting.
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Keep fresh batteries and extra memory cards on you at all times. Put used memory cards in a separate pocket. Photographer Christopher Maxwell puts empty cards and fresh batteries in his right pocket and full memory cards in his left pocket to keep track.
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Bring a backup camera, an extra flash and an extra lens. You never know when equipment might fail.
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Tips & Warnings
Practice with all of your equipment, including backup pieces, until you are familiar with the way your camera works.
Turn off the sound on your camera so the "beeps" won't interfere with the wedding, if applicable.
Don't delete any images while you're at the wedding. You never know how they might look or if part of the photo can be cropped and used later.
Get a variety of shots, including wedding guests, the ceremony, family group pictures and candid shots. Include small details such as the rings, flowers, table settings and other minor details that the wedding couple might enjoy reminiscing about later.
Shoot RAW images, rather than JPEGS to give you more editing options.
References
- Photo Credit wedding image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
