| Everyone wants to have beautiful images of their | | | | finish, while dull and dreary days look best with such |
| special day. Five things to remember when taking | | | | a finish. Similarly, while a very personal choice, matte |
| these shots include: style, location, finish, composition | | | | finishes suit some situations while gloss others. The |
| and lighting. | | | | incorporation of digital photography into the wedding |
| Style. | | | | market has enabled photograph manipulation to |
| Wedding photography should be a mixture of candid | | | | become easier. The finished product is no longer |
| and formal shots. While some pictures are limited in | | | | limited to just these decisions but can be touched up, |
| their creativity such as the kiss, the vows, the ring | | | | objects coloured, added or removed, text added, or |
| exchange and the family portraits, others have a | | | | objects distorted with dazzling results. Again the |
| wide scope for originality. These include the before | | | | photographer is only limited by his or her knowledge |
| and after shots of the bridal party, the venue, the | | | | of photo imaging software. |
| intimate details of the dress, flowers, hair, shoes, | | | | Composition |
| place settings and location shots. Natural and relaxed | | | | One should always follow the rules of composition, |
| shots are achieved when individuals do not look | | | | such as the rule of thirds, symmetry and leading lines, |
| directly through the lens but focus on each other or | | | | when shooting weddings. Unwanted objects and |
| objects beyond the scope of the camera. Overall the | | | | clutter in the background must not overshadow the |
| mixture should capture the emotion of the day as | | | | focus of the shot. Other factors to consider with |
| decided by the bride and groom. | | | | respect to composition to enhance quality include: |
| Location. | | | | angling the camera slightly when taking a shot, |
| Although restricted by the time of the year, time of | | | | blurring backgrounds, silhouetting objects and |
| the day and weather conditions, spectacular wedding | | | | reflecting and framing objects. |
| images can be created through the use of clever | | | | Lighting |
| locations. While in the past people were restricted to | | | | While using a studio is a lot more convenient as |
| studio arrangements, now it is common to use | | | | lighting does not pose a problem, correct use of |
| beaches, parks, abandoned railway lines, trees, | | | | outdoor lighting can also provide quality pictures. The |
| sandstone and heritage buildings as backdrops. The | | | | warm winter glow provides less harsh lighting |
| photographer is only limited by his or her own | | | | conditions than that in the middle of summer. Sunrise, |
| creativity and knowledge of the area being | | | | sunset and overcast days similarly provide quality |
| photographed. The contrast of colours and textures | | | | lighting for photographs. The use of flash to correct |
| between skin and clothing material can be quite | | | | shadows and reflectors to add warmth are some |
| dramatic enhancing photographic appearance. | | | | options to assist in this area. |
| Finish | | | | Evidently beautiful wedding photography can be |
| Quite often the choice of photograph finish can | | | | achieved through careful manipulation of style, |
| create a stunning image. Bright sunny days with | | | | location, finish, composition and lighting. |
| beautiful blue skies would be lost in a black and white | | | | |