We all have those photos pinned to our wedding day Pintrest board. You know the one's where the lighting is stunning, the couple looks so genuinely happy and you tell yourself these are the exact the type of photos I will have at my wedding someday. While it is fun to plan for your future and take dream wedding photos with your significant other,producing these amazing photos takes a bit of planning.
You have to take the time to find the best photographer to fit your style, budget and ensure they are available to travel to your wedding venue. These things may sound like a given, but there is a lot more that goes into the preparation of capturing your wedding day exactly how you want it. wedding day are exactly what you were planning all along. Laurie Pearson an experienced portrait and wedding photographer of Nashville, specializes in capturing authentic moments in a professional way. She has given us some excellent tips on helping your wedding photographer get the perfect shots you can cherish for years to come.
Communication is Key: Something most clients need to consider Laurie says, is that if a couple can communicate the key shots that are most important to them on their wedding day, this allows for a photographer to better capture the unique moments that are the most important to them. If you can send your photographer a timeline of how your day will flow this will allow for better preparation with lenses, lighting and timing. Another tip is to tell your photographer about certain relationships you might feel are important to know ahead of time. For example if the bride and groom have divorced parents or an elderly disabled grandparent who needs to sit for photos this is good information to share because it makes finding the correct pose and position for everyone in your family feel comfortable and takes less time to set up. It's also helpful to comminicate with the photrapher if you feel uncomfortable showing public displays of affection in shots, or if you have certian insecurites the photogropher should be aware of and attempt to avoid.
Phone a Friend: Laurie explains that it is important to assign two or more people from each side of the two families joining together on your wedding day ( one for bride's family and one for groom's family) that can help identify and gather family members for photos. This allows the photographer to be more efficient in capturing important family memories. Laurie explains that assigning someone to help with this "allows for the family photo portion of the day to go by smoother and ensure that no one is left out." On the wedding day guests are often overwhelmed with excitement and therefore unfocused on when they might be needed for particular shots. Assigning a friend or family member will also cut down on the time it takes to locate certain guests which allows for more time to be spent on capturing photos of the rest of the wedding festivities. After all the photographer has most likely never met the majority of your wedding guests so therefore it would be impossible to make sure everyone you want in these photos is present and accounted for. Make sure you are helping your photographer, help you by being organized.
Keep it Light: Something Laurie adds, is that more couples should be aware of lighting when choosing certain locations for photos. She explains, "a dark, windowless room is going to be difficult for the photographer to create beautiful and flattering images." Thinking ahead to your timeline for the day she suggests including your photographer in the planning process so that they can ensure that you or your planner is given enough time to capture important moments. Even the time of day has a lot of impact on the quality of photos taken. Laurie says, "photographs at high noon are going to be harsher and more shadowy than later in the afternoon." If you do need to capture photos at high noon make sure you pick a location that offers some shade. "If I find shade I can make it work, but if the bride has their heart set on a particular location and the sun too harsh the photos will not live up to their full potential." That is why it is important to take a venue tour in the season that your wedding is scheduled for. This means that if you book your wedding venue in the summer but you are having a fall wedding it is important to consider what direction the sun will set, and the time of the sunset on your wedding day. These factors can also have a major effect lighting, so be aware of this when creating your timeline.
Be Natural: Another important tip is to allow yourself to be vulnerable enough around your photographer to allow them to capture raw, un-posed emotions. While having a professional offer up their advice on certain poses Laurie explains," I prefer to capture un-posed and emotional moments that tell a story and show a couples love over instead of forced posed photos." After all it's your wedding day! After the cake is eaten, the dancing stops and the wedding dress gets hung up in a closet, it's a wonderful feeling to know that your true love for one another was captured for you and your loved ones to reflect on for years to come. Expressing some of the quirkiness and individuality in props you might select, authentic joy or tears of happiness all allow for your wedding to stand amongst the card stock photos you see in catalogs portraying deep emotions you feel on the happiest day of your life.
Lead By Example: Another way to help make your photographers life easier is to show them examples of the types of photos you are wanting to capture. This is the easiest way to ensure everyone is on the same page. Examples can come from a Pinterest board, or photos of other weddings that you love. Laurie says " I definitely love when a bride lets me know what type of photos they love in particular in my portfolio or from other sources of inspiration". Choosing particular photos you enjoy, might also help you determine what type of tones and lighting or even the season your wedding photos are modeled after.
The final tip would be to make it your own Laurie says that, "at the end of the day I want clients to leave with photos they are in love with." This is unique to every couple but if you let your love be the best muse on your wedding day this will allow for the photos to tell a thousand words of your journey to the happiest day of your life.
If you're planning a wedding in the Nashville area and are currently looking for a photographer who is kind, creative and super talented check Laurie Pearson out at her website at http://lauriepearsonphotography.com/the-galleries/. Let her capture the most beautiful moments in your life!