You are many people interested in wedding photography. Good because you want to start in this noble trade, either because you are the lucky couple seeking advice or because you have to make the report due to your friendship with the protagonists. That is why today I come with these thirteen tips. In order to make the post-wedding a success for those who walk behind the camera. And a special memory for those who pose in front of her.
- Date
- Time
- Suits and details
- Setting
- Location
- Plan B
- Get inspired
- Create a good weather
- Originality
- Dynamism
- Tells a story
- Shoot in RAW
- Edition
REASONS
Before launching to expose the advice, I will make a stop to tell you the reasons. Because you are likely to ask yourself: "But if the wedding report is already there and the pre-wedding report is almost certain, why a post-wedding session?" Many people ask this (sssshhh ... in fact, now that nobody hears me, I confess that I did it myself. When many years ago I started hearing this post-wedding thing, I didn't understand it well either, I saw it silly). That is why I think it is important to know what the reasons are for a post-wedding session.- There is more time. At the wedding the couple wants to be with their guests, enjoy that wonderful day that with so much effort and enthusiasm they have prepared. The last thing they want is to be posing in front of the camera while others enjoy the party.
- Less stress. The couple are relaxed, especially if they have just returned from the honeymoon. Everything is going very fast on wedding day. Although they try to relax, there are many details to watch for, nerves, emotions, etc. After the wedding (and holidays) the calm is reflected in their faces and you can achieve more natural and relaxed portraits.
- Tastes and personality. You may also get it on the wedding day, but these celebrations are usually very traditional. In some cases couples leave little space to their personal tastes. Post-wedding day is the time to reflect what you like best, put on a leather jacket, your sneakers, blood red lips or whatever you want without parents, priest, in-laws or uncles give them a syncope in the middle of the ceremony; P.
- Choose the place. On the day of the wedding you have to limit yourself to taking photos at the venue. Or, at best, and hopefully, somewhere very close. In a post-wedding session, you can choose any place, even a few hours by plane .
- Choose the time. The time determines the natural light with which you can work. On the day of the wedding you limit yourself to the available schedule, in the post-wedding you can choose what kind of light you want to work with.
- Creativity. The margin to free creativity is much greater, you can focus on achieving original and artistic photos, while at the wedding you have to be very careful not to miss a gesture, a special moment, an emotional greeting, the main parts of the ceremony , etc.
- Pets. Some couples like that their pet also has prominence. In a post-wedding session it is much more feasible to include it in the photos. In this video you can see how your dog (or bitch) is part of the session.
- Unlimited. Definitely, a post-wedding allows you to make photos impossible to imagine on the same wedding day. Such as a session in the water. Or a climb with a wedding dress. In case you doubt, I give you both examples;).
BEFORE THE SESSION
Before the session there is a previous job to do. Success depends largely on good planning. Let's see what to think about.1. DATE
After telling you the reasons I get into advice. We start with the date issue because it is a very important detail. Many couples relax so much after the wedding that they gain weight and not just eat . And if you get confused with the date it is likely that the boyfriend or girlfriend will not enter the suit. Or maybe the work, the return to the routine, the commitments postponed by the wedding organization engulf them and spend too many months. It is not ideal that a bride in a summer dress has to stand on the shore of the beach (if it is her chosen place) in the middle of winter, right? For example. In addition the wedding photos would clash a lot with those of the post-wedding. It is best to arrange the date in advance to be able to make it around the wedding trip. In this way you block both the photographic equipment and the couple.2. TIME AND LIGHT
It is a romantic photo shoot, so the best time to photograph is at sunset. In this way you can take better advantage of the natural light and the warmth transmitted by the golden hour. This moment is also ideal to play with the backlights and wait for the night to remain creative. For example, with external flashes, ligthpainting games or whatever you like to experience. And enter into the couple's tastes, of course.3. COSTUMES AND DETAILS
Here are two options, relive the moment with the wedding gowns or dress as you please. There is also a third option, which is to customize the bride and groom look . That is, mix the wedding suits with more casual accessories. For example, the boyfriend with a shirt of his favorite rock group and a Converse. More than a boyfriend or girlfriend are left with the desire to stand at the altar with a style more than his or lighthearted, this is your chance. In addition, you can play a lot in the session. It is also a good opportunity to dress period, with vintage clothes or what the bride and groom like best. Of course, it is important to leave everything decided in advance for better planning. Another important aspect to determine before the date, is if the couple cares that the suits are damaged, as this will mark the location and / or the type of photos.4. SETTING
And deciding the costumes in advance is because it is a detail that will set the mood. If you decide to bring props, everything goes in tune. It doesn't hurt much that you plan on taking a vintage bike if the bride is going to appear in a sequin dress or ultramodern look . To give another example . Everything that appears in the scene that is consistent and according to the tastes of the couple, especially common tastes.5. LOCATION
Where to do the session is something that the photographer or the couple can say, and reach an agreement on both sides. I am of the opinion of letting the couple decide the site if they have any special place. Although it is also good to be advised by experienced photographers who have impressively photogenic locations located . I leave you with some options so that photographic equipment and couple you agree:- Special place. A place that is very special for the couple: where they met, they promised, the place of their escapades, where they said they love you the first time. Beauty can be found anywhere and if it is full of meaning, as a good photographer you will know how to capture the best of the moment.
- Surprise place When the bride and groom blindly trust the person who is going to do the session and do not have a preference, it may be a good idea to get carried away to the place that the photographer (with good judgment) decides.
- Travel. We must take into account the cost of tickets and time. But you can turn the session into a photographic journey if the budget allows. Postboda without borders!
- Ideas of locations: beach, vineyard, countryside, forest, desert area, abandoned house, cliff, city, charming town, avant-garde architecture buildings, palaces or classical monuments, by boat or on a sailboat, a natural park, a theater, an old cinema, etc.
6. PLAN B
Have a list of photographs you want to obtain, the different plans you want to get, the poses, etc. Letting the session flow to achieve spontaneity is ideal, but for this to work well, all the stars have to be aligned, experience and practice of the photographer, feeling, ease of the models to pose, that are not cut at the time of being in front of a camera, etc. When all this is accomplished, you can forget about listings and others, but it is enough that some of these aspects are not fulfilled as you expected or someone does not have their best day so that some type of blockage can arise. Having that list ready is basic. You can take it written, with sketches if you are good at drawing or even a board on Pinterest, for example. The way you carry it will depend on your personal preferences, but don't forget to have a plan B in your pocket.7. GET INSPIRED
You have many reports published on the web, including several videos of how the post-wedding session was done, like this one: Research, take ideas, which does not mean copying, but nourish and inspire you to find your own path.DURING THE SESSION
Since you have everything thought and controlled, it is time to create the memories at a click, but do not go yet, there are some recommendations. And also very important.8. CREATE A GOOD CLIMATE
For the bride and groom to show themselves and pose relaxed, it is important that a good climate be created. An idea can be to start from the farthest planes and gradually approach as they forget the camera. If you have photographed your wedding, you have a good way to go, if it is the first time that the photographs, have something thought to break the ice. Leave the camera in the backpack and chat a little with them before starting the session, it is important that you achieve a connection with the couple. In this way they will have no qualms when it comes to demonstrating their love before the camera.9. TRY TO BE ORIGINAL
We have talked about the reasons, you have more time to photograph, so you have no excuse to recreate and achieve original, different and creative photos. That each post-wedding session becomes a new source of creativity and even you are surprised with the results.10. DYNAMISM
If you have done the previous work well and you know what the couple likes, you can take some surprise element to energize the session or to get a photo that you want to take. They can be flares, smoke flares, soap bubbles, an umbrella, balloons, a mirror, etc.11. TELL A STORY
If you can tell a story with a single photograph, imagine with a series of images within the same session. It is about photographing a couple that already have a road traveled but that begin a new stage, where they are going, what unites them ... what do you want to tell about them and what do they want you to tell? I leave you with a video that serves as an example of how to tell a story with a post-wedding session.12. SHOOT IN RAW
Of course, of course, shoot in RAW. I know there are reasons not to shoot in this format , but do not enter here. Nor are we going to talk about its advantages, I will only tell you that if you want to make a serious post-wedding report and get the best of the session, you cannot consider another format. When editing your photos you will notice the difference.AFTER THE SESSION
13. EDITION
And speaking of editing, as Mario tells you in the following video, it is the last step to leave your perfect photos. It is not necessary that you throw hours behind the screen making montages or transforming a photo completely, but edit just enough to turn a good photo into an excellent one, that is natural but professional and that transmits exactly what you want. The first important aspect related to editing is the selection of photographs that you will deliver to the couple. Select the images very well. Presenting them a lot of photos can make them a little dizzy and not all of them will be good, so they can make the report worse. Take some time to choose the best ones and if you submit several similar ones that have a rationale, a sequence that has a special meaning, but very similar photos will only generate doubts in the bride and groom at the time of printing them or not. They have trusted you as a photography professional, do that work for them. If you have doubts you can always ask a colleague photographer for help to help you out, external eyes are always more objective. On the other hand, try to edit all the photos at the same time and with similar settings so that they are homogeneous.