Wedding Photography, Art, Business, & Style, by Steve Sint

• Steve Sint e-mailed me and let me know his original book is out of print. He released an updated book in the Fall of 2005.
• I have to confess, I don't have his new book - but I know that his older book was my top recommendation for a "first wedding photography" book because of his very practical advice. I have to assume he has kept the practical posing examples in the book. Oddly enough, I don't care for the photo on the cover of the new book--it looks like the bride is hugging the statue!
• I'm including a link to the old book below the new book.
• Here is the information about the first edition of the book:
• This is my favorite wedding photography book. For many of my first weddings, before each one, I would pull this book out and spend time rereading and memorizing information.
• Steve starts off with basic business information - how to start a wedding studio or work for a wedding studio as a "hired gun". He talks about the pros and cons of each. Next, he gets into the issues of how to build a wedding repertoire (which is one of the most challenging aspects of wedding photography). He gives a good overview of the different photos that are necessary to learn to take well. He presents the information in an "extended shot-list" type setting. Giving sample images, text, and other information in-between each photo listing. From pre-cemeremony bridals, through the ceremony, and to the reception - it's all listed. He even discusses practical issues such as exposure (the importance of blurring the rice that is thrown at the couple).
• The next section is probably the best in the entire book: Framing and Posing. Steve worked with a group of models and gives MANY sample photos of how to arrange single, double, triple, and larger groups of people. He'll show good and bad examples, along with a lot of text explanations. I use many of his tips to this very day.
• Next,he talks about flash. Some good information (though a bit more in regards to COMPLETELY avoiding straight on "blasted" flash would have been good; but he does get into bouncing off the ceiling and using fill flash) is presented.
• His equipment section is becoming a bit dated since there are so many digital alternatives that are now available. However, he has some reasonable information about film based cameras and flash systems.
• His final section is on "relating and selling" - another fantastic section for wedding photographers. I include the negatives with my packages and, as a result, don't have to do much selling. However, if you're looking at learning the business, it's important that you know how to sell - and do it well.
• All in all, if you can only afford one wedding photography book, I encourage you to get this one. I'm including a list of all my other wedding photography books below and will be organizing them and giving better recommendations as time goes by, but, this is the absolute top recommendation. (Again, ANY money I make from people clicking the link and buying the book will be given to charity)

Wedding Photography, by Rick Ferro

• A good book with excellent photos. Rick focuses more on traditional photography. He provides illustrations of his lighting on practically EVERY photo throughout the book (which is very helpful information). He provides a shot list at the back of the book - and the entire book focuses on one section of wedding photography at a time (make-up, posing, ceremony, formals). He doesn't discuss the business aspects as much. His work is excellent, and the best way to use the book is to buy it and put it into practice. It hard to find such beautiful locations as he works in, but, get out and try to find a location with some arches. Setup a light (if that's all you have) or two and see how close you can get to his photos.
• This is my #2 recommendation for a good, general, wedding photography book.
• It appears that Rick has updated his book. I bought his original, which is now out of stock at amazon.com. Both seem to contain similar content - so I would suggest getting the newer.
  

Elegant Black & White Wedding Photography, by Sara Frances

• This book has LOADS of excellent information. It's a shame it's all focused on black and white! I would suggest this book as a number three priority purchase - right after getting a good, all-around wedding photography book or two.
• Sara goes into lots of good details. Book is broken up into the following sections:
  • Chapter 1 - Style, Pose, & Composition
  • Chapter 2- Format, Film & Equipment
  • Chapter 3 - Exposure and Lighting
  • Chapter 4 - Creative Postproduction
  • Chapter 5 - Client Relations
• Sara shoots medium format, 35mm, and digital - so the book has a good balance of information relating to those three camera formats. Like me, she can't stand strong "flash shadows" in the background and will retouch them out of photos when they do appear (she works hard to avoid them and often uses several strobes to light weddings).
• Some of details that she discusses include: photographer attire, vocal authority, working with an assistant, framing and vision paths, preventing equipment failures, special supplies to carry, the zone system, types of light, reflectors, synchro-sun techniques, combating the problems of strobes (namely: harsh, amateurish-looking straight-on illumination and the terrible looking shadows that also show up in the background); dragging the shutter, editing for impact, 19 postprodution steps.
  

The Art of Wedding Photography, by Bambi Cantrell

Whereas the book by Rick Ferro tends to be a bit more traditional, this book is ALL about wedding photojournalism. Bambi does a FANTASTIC job of covering all aspects of a wedding using the photojournalistic (unposed) style - yet she also includes some good information on quick, simple, yet dynamic posing. Practically everyone who claims to be a photojournalistic photographer (myself included) at some point HAS to learn to take posed photos, yet we want something quick that doesn't end up looking like a regular studio print.

This book is probably one of the most "fun" books. The book is filled with photos and is a bit light on text. She doesn't provided detailed lighting diagrams, but almost every photo has exposure information. If you wonder how she lights some of her ceremony shots, you can figure it out by reading a caption: "canon eos 1n, 85mm f1.2 lens @ f2.8, 1/125th of a second, Kodak t-max P3200 film rated at 1600". She does a lot of work with natural light and her photos are stunningly natural. Sure, some are a bit grainy (from the film) and a lot have fairly low depth of field - but it's a look I prefer to having bright "deer in the headlights" lighting that looks like it was taken in a cave.
 

Innovative Techniques for Wedding Photography, by David Neil Arndt

This is a fun book to own - but isn't a "must-buy" book filled with practical suggestions. David has a lot of good images throughout the book - which is divided into logical sections (new vs. traditional styles, new wedding styles, bridal portraiture styles, selecting film, components of the new styles, the details, etc.).

However, he doesn't go into a lot of practical suggestions or exposure information for the images.

Several images in the book show up multiple times. For example, his image on the front cover appears two places in the book (that's a total of three times, if you include the cover).

Again, a fun book that does have some ideas, but, if you are like me when I was just beginning and only have the funds for a book or two, stick with some of the others until later.

Storytelling Wedding Photography, by Barbara Box

Barbara's book is very similar in style to Bambi Cantrell's book (reviewed above). Barbara uses a lot of high speed, black and white images shot in natural light. If you are trying to develop an eye for photojournalism, this is a good book for you.

She shares a lot of philosophy on what she looks for and watches during the day. Little things like the groom helping the bride adjust her earnings, bustling of the wedding gown, any time the bridal bouquet is put down, etc. She has a little extra freedom to pursue those types of "special" and "unique" photojournalistic shots because she works with her husband, who is responsible for more of the traditional photos.

If you are working with an assistant and you want them to try and get some of the extra little photos, this would be a good book to go over with them.

For example, I have found that some of the best people interaction shots can be taken while the main "posed" formals are being taken - but are best taken from a different camera at a side angle. Those are the types of issues mentioned in the book.

Capture the Moment - A Brides' and Photographers' Guide to Contemporary Weddings, Stephen Swain

Current Price: $28.20

Click the book to order.
(Please let me know if the price has changed and I'll
update this page)

Capture the Moment

• Capture the Moment is a book written for brides and photographers. It would have been nice if it it had focused primarily on the photographers point of view. However, Stephen has a very good photojournalistic style - and the book has A TON of pictures in it. He has some really good images spread throughout the book. For example, one of the absolute hardest posed/formal photo to achieve is what I call the "relaxed casual group photo." This is where you have a photo of people that were obviously posed together, but they aren't standing and smiling at the camera - one of them is cutting up, or they are pointing at someone, or talking amongst themselves. Stephen has several of these examples in his book and gives information on how he achieved the photo.
• Stephen appears to be based in the UK - so some of the facilities and styles look a bit different, but, all in all it's a good book. Not an all inclusive "buy-this-book-first" introduction to wedding photography, but definitely above average for a wedding photography book.
• The book focuses on most aspects of the wedding: from equipment, to selling yourself, to booking a photographer - then the actual wedding itself, followed by a few pages of photos from a number of weddings.
• Stephen uses 35mm film cameras.

Professional Techniques for the Wedding Photographer, by George Schaub

It appears that this book has experienced a much needed update. The original version of the book (which I have) is VERY dated (most photos appear to be from the 70's and 80's). However, I bought the book because he does an excellent job of working through a detailed shot list with lost of examples and information. The book is geared towards the traditional photographer, but, even I, as a wedding photojournalistic, started off extensively using lists and making sure I got all the posed images.

The updated book is an improvement over the original, but retains a very heavy emphasis on formal photos while lacking much of the very practical information in Steve Sint's book.

If you click the link to view the book at Amazon - there are several people that have reviewed the book there.