ON Being flexible

Wedding clients hire me to document their wedding day. I know this sounds obvious, but it is something I always remind myself on the wedding day. I am a service provider and when it comes to creating photos on the wedding day, I pride myself on a couple of things:

Never turning up late
Turning up late on a client’s wedding day is simply not on. It is never going to happen on my watch (touch wood).
Never getting in the way or causing a distraction
By never getting in the way, I am referring to things like being too close to the bride and groom during the key parts of their day, like their ceremony.
I balance the requirement to take ceremony photos with discretion. The ceremony is about two people exchanging vows. It isn’t about their wedding photographer standing three feet away blazing away with a camera.
Taking control when I need to
To take the family formal photos I need to step in and take control of the situation. Before I do this, I check in with the bride and groom and make sure they are ready for me to do this. I then grab everyone’s attention, take the group shot of all the wedding guests, before launching into the family formal combinations.
During it all, I keep the mood light and fun. Not only is it the best way to get relaxed looking formal photos, it makes it a pleasant experience for everyone, including myself.
Rolling with the unexpected

Things can change on wedding days, despite the best of plans.

I always advise my clients before their wedding day, that I am just the photographer. If anything unusual pops up on their wedding day, I simply roll with it. This is a big reason why my packages are based on photographic coverage and not an hourly rate.

Just married and loving it. © Thomas Pickard | www.myweddingphotographer.co.nz

ON Having a Shoot List

I always have a shoot list when I photograph a wedding.

While weddings can have quieter periods, like when the bride is getting ready, the post ceremony mingle and the reception, there are parts of the wedding day where I am pretty busy capturing as much coverage as I can.

Having a shoot list means I don’t miss any key photos throughout the day and it helps keep me focused on what I need to be creating for my clients.

ON Pacing Myself

It took me a while to learn this, but when you photograph two long weddings on consecutive days, you learn pretty quickly that you need to pace yourself, otherwise you are going to burn out. And fast.

While pacing myself has become easier over the years, as I have garnered more experience photographing weddings, I have also learnt that looking after myself physically on the day is just as important. Here are two things I always do:

Keep my photo bag light
The lighter my photo bag, the easier it is for me to get around and avoid long term damage to my back.
Keep myself watered and fueled up
Ego depletion leads to decision fatigue, which is the last thing I need on a wedding day. To avoid this, I carry a variety of snacks and of course, a water bottle.
If the forecast is for a stinking hot day - think over 30 degrees Celsius - I deliberately over hydrate my body the day before the wedding, as I know on the day I will have a hard time drinking enough water to stay properly hydrated in such heat.

Enjoying the day

Lastly, I make an effort to enjoy the day. Sure I am working, but I know the more enjoyment I have creating photos of the day, the better the photos will be.

There is a lot to love about weddings, from being surrounded in people celebrating the union of two people, to the effort people put into making the wedding day so special, to being entrusted to capture a couple’s wedding photos.

Up Next: Anatomy of Wedding Photography Job | Part 4 | Post Wedding