Learn Wedding Photography

I have a lot of visitors to my site that are amateur photographers interested in learning wedding photography and who want wedding photography tips. I have been surprised at how many wedding photographers have submitted questions in my Wedding Photography Question and Answer section. While I have much to learn, I have been very blessed by a few photographers that helped me out as I was learning - and my goal with this page (and more sections that are to come in the future) is to help aspiring wedding photographers. Parts of this page may be a few years old, but I am working at updating it!

One of the biggest questions I've wondered is this: why is there such a lack of basic information on how to photograph weddings? Why do all of the wedding photography books I have seem to offer so little on how to actually light and shoot a wedding? Realistic lighting! Not studio lighting. And why is some of the information that is out there SO BAD (how many people have heard about indoor on-camera flash photography with the camera and flash set to F8 or F11 to have sharp focus - can anyone say "black background" and "cave photography"?).

My goal is to help provide you practical information! The page is long - don't quit part way through it! I first give basic information, then I answer some general questions, and then some more specific questions.

Some of the questions I have been asked:

• What equipment should I use to photograph weddings? Or, do you have any 35mm wedding tips?
• What digital camera do you use to photograph weddings?
• What exposure should I use for a candlelight wedding? Or, what are wedding low light camera settings?
• How to photograph a candlelit procession?
• What are the largest prints that can be made from 35mm film?
• What lenses work the best for wedding photography?
• What film do you recommend for photographing weddings?
• What type of digital camera should I buy?
• How do I avoid harsh shadows when taking outdoor pictures?
• What is the best camera for wedding photography?
• Should I use a filter during wedding photography?
• What books are best for beginning Wedding Photography?
• Do you show your digital pictures at the wedding reception, for the guests to choose the photos they want?
• How many pictures are typically taken at a wedding?
• Exposure modes (auto vs. manual) and blurry photos.
• What image editing software do you use?
• How to take photos with blurred backgrounds.
• Do you allow other photographers to take pictures at your weddings?
• Links to other wedding photography FAQ's on the web.

However, it seems like the question that sums everything up, is, "My friend has asked me to photograph their wedding, do you have any advice for me?"

I think this is why so many professional wedding photographers are "tight" with giving out information. They don't want to inspire a bunch of amateurs to go out and take bad wedding photos - and then get blamed for it all. I am of the opinion that everyone has to start out at some point. I also believe that an inspired and skilled amateur that is willing to prepare and work hard is capable of taking better photos than a number of "professionals".

The first bit of advice I have for amateurs who have been asked to take wedding photos: hire a professional (highly skilled) wedding photographer. Whether you hire the photographer for the bride and groom, or, give them a monetary gift and recommend several photographers for them to choose from - details don't matter. Just do it. By hiring a good professional you will have:

• Better photos of their wedding
• A much more enjoyable wedding day for yourself
• Many more hours of free time
• Much less stress in your life
• Your friend will remain a friend
• And, to top it off, you can watch the professional (from a distance - without getting in the way) at the wedding and learn from them...

However, chances are, if you are looking for wedding photography tips, you've already decided to do it and aren't interested in me (a wedding photographer), giving advice that seems somewhat biased.

If that is the case, this page contains my honest advice on how to get the best results taking wedding pictures. You'll need to plan on spending hours upon hours preparing for your first wedding (taking test photos, learning your camera, studying web sites) and I would also suggest you buy a few books (I've written some reviews of some of the wedding photography books that are currently available - and given recommendations one which book I think would be most helpful for you - at the bottom of the page).

Wedding Photography Tips - How to Photograph a Wedding as an Amateur

• Make sure you, and your friend, understand what you are getting into. Not only that, but make sure expectations are VERY, very low. That way, if something goes wrong there will not be hurt feelings. If your photos do not turn out as good as they could have - you will still hopefully have a friend. If they are expecting snap shot quality images - they won't be disappointed in snap shot quality images.
• Write up a Letter of Agreement. You must be cognizant of the fact that your friend can sue you if something goes wrong. Once your friend is married, their loyalty will be (and should be) primarily to their spouse. You never know what will happen to a friendship. Take the time to write up a document, title it a "letter of agreement", and clearly spell out the requirements of both parties. Make it as complex or simple as you like, just be sure to include a paragraph that says your friend understands you are not a professional wedding photographer, that you cannot guarantee to provide any specific photo, and that you are not responsible for any loss of coverage for any reason. Even WITH that phrase in the letter that is signed by yourself and your friend you can STILL be sued. However, with that phrase you should be much safer!
• Realize that wedding photography is expensive. Not only will you easily spend 30 hours of time on the project, but several hundred dollars as well. Even if you stick with the basics: fresh batteries for ALL equipment, professional film (if you are still using a film camera) - you can easily spend close to $500. If you purchase books and spend other time practicing - the price goes up. Also, think about the reprints. Who will handle those? If you are shooting film, will the prints be numbered or will you have to do that? Reprints can take a lot of time.
  • This is where digital equipment will save you a lot!
• You MUST practice your lighting and exposures. You will have a hard time making excuses for bad exposure in the wedding pictures. It won't sound right to simply say "the church was dark", or, "my flash was acting up." Do whatever it takes to go to the venues and take sample photos before the wedding. Write down all your photo exposure information (especially if you are using 35mm equipment to photograph the wedding). If you are using digital the information is usually recorded in the camera. Review all the photos, then WRITE DOWN the settings that work best and take that paper with you to the wedding. Make sure you use those settings.
  • I remember a time when I was just getting started in wedding photography and was using 35mm equipment. I went to the church facility on a Wednesday night to take some test photos. After the film was back, I was shocked to see how dark the stage was. I went back and took another set of test photos and was blown away to realize that: my camera meter, light meter, and eye were ALL somehow off from what the actual images recorded. I am so glad I took the test photos in the first place - and that I went back and did more experimenting when the first batch were off. I had never before, or since then, seem the same situation (where my light meter, camera meter, and eye were all off) and still don't know what in the world happened that caused the photos to be dark (and no, it wasn't the processing - because normal images were mixed into that roll - and I had the same results when I went back for the next test shoot).
  • However, keep in mind that there are still little details that can make or break your exposures. Sunshine streaming through a window, or, a cloudy day can all make differences. Or, you could experience a slight technical issue with your equipment. A perfect example of that happened to me several years ago. I was photographing the procession from near the front of the church. As the grandparents came in I took their picture - but didn't think my flash "sounded" or looked like it had fired as much as it should have for the proper exposure. The interesting thing was that it HAD fired. I quickly began troubleshooting and found out the flash shoe had slid back the tiniest bit in its holder and was not fully synchronized with the camera - EVEN though it was still firing. The photo of the grandparents came out underexposed - BUT, because I noticed something was wrong and fixed it, the rest of the wedding procession (including the wedding party) turned out perfect.
• You MUST fully know your equipment and have backup equipment ready to use. One camera is not enough. One lens is not enough. One flash is not enough. Fifteen rolls of film are not enough. 3GB of memory cards are not enough... Surely you get the idea? Simply borrowing, and bringing along with you, a spare camera will not work. You must know how to use it. Make sure all your equipment works and that you have fresh batteries (and lots of spares) on hand. Ask yourself if you would be able to shoot the entire wedding with your backup camera setup - and whether the bride and groom would be pleased with the photos. If you are using film, bring twice as much as you think you will need.
• If you are shooting film, do NOT have it processed at a drugstore or discount store. Film can be damaged, destroyed, and lost. You need to take the film somewhere (preferably a professional lab) that has a good track record and will lessen the chance of loss. In fact, you should probably shoot with both cameras throughout the day, and process both sets of film at different photo labs to minimize chances of loss. Sounds kind of paranoid, doesn't it? These are all very reasonable precautions to take - and underscore the importance of what you are planning to do. If this sounds like too much work or hassle, please refer to my previous advice and hire a professional. I have had personal, family snapshots lost and damaged at consumer labs, discount stores, and even large discount warehouse stores. Even labs that cost more and have a better track record (semipro stores would be similar to a Wolf Camera) are not as safe as true, professional labs. The drawback to using a safe, professional lab is often the cost, it can easily cost $25-$30 to have a single roll of 35mm processed and printed. However, no one ever said wedding photography was cheap.
• Spend as much time as possible preparing for, and practicing, before the wedding. Buy books that deal with wedding photography. Take the book out and do practice photo sessions. Not including the time I spent learning photography up to the point of my first wedding, I easily spent 120 hours getting ready for that wedding.
• Consider having a "backup" photographer taking snap shots throughout the day. This is a touchy bit of advice and must be handled carefully. You don't need several photographers taking hundred's of pictures throughout the day and getting into each other's way. However, it would be nice to know that some images are being captured by someone else throughout the day on a separate camera. Some people might have a friend work as their "assistant" and might loan the friend their "backup" camera to use during the day. Or, you might ask a friend who has a camera to take photos on their camera throughout the day. On the other hand, if you know guests will have cameras and be taking pictures throughout the wedding, you might not need to ask any one in particular to shoot some backup for you.
• Be VERY careful how you track and manage the exposed film and/or digital memory cards. At one of my weddings I changed rolls of film during the procession. When shooting film at a wedding you must constantly watch the film counter and be aware of where you are at. Most rolls of professional 35mm film have 36 exposures. If the procession is about to start and you're on #33 - you are setting yourself up for a problem. As it is, I had been watching my counter and was shooting more than usual for the procession. Since I had attended the rehearsal I knew I had some time in-between the flower girls/ring bearer and the bride. So, during that time I changed film (good thing I had spare film in my pocket - something else that is very important on wedding day: always have spare film and/or memory cards in your pocket, there will be times that you need to change and are away from your camera bag). After changing film and carefully putting the exposed roll into my opposite pocket (for me, unexposed goes in the right pocket, exposed stuff in the left - which is primarily covered by my battery pack - so it's easy to put in but harder to get out), I moved to the back of the church and continued photography. During the ceremony my assistant and I transferred the film to the "exposed" bag and checked our roll numbers. We found a roll of exposed film missing. I knew it was the roll from up front but had no idea what happened to it. I had to keep photographing the wedding ceremony despite being VERY concerned about that roll of film. As soon as the ceremony was over I headed up to the spot I had been at for the procession and didn't see anything. As my heart sank a couple caught my attention and held out a roll of film, saying, "We saw this fall off the chair as you headed for the back and thought you might need it." I thanked them, and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
  • Digital is especially easy to lose because so many images can fit on one card. I've heard of wedding photographers losing ALL of the images from a wedding because their cards were stolen or lost in an airport security checkpoint.
  • After shooting a film wedding, the film doesn't leave my site or person until I'm safely home. Even then, I treat them like gold.
  • For digital weddings, I carefully track my exposed memory cards and, as soon as a card is shot, I download the images to a portable hard disk. That way, if my cards were lost or stolen I would still have the images on the portable hard disk.
• With digital - you don't have to change "film" every 36 exposures. But you DO have to be aware of the buffer. With my D1x, each compressed RAW photo would take 15 seconds to save, and it only had a 6 shot buffer. I could fire off 6 photos very quickly, but would then have almost a minute and a half before I could take another. I couldn't shut the camera off during that time because I would lose the images in the buffer. Cameras are doing better now (and I've had my buffer upgraded on the D1x), but you need to be aware of how many images you have left on your memory card and how full the buffer is. Most cameras, as you near the end of a memory card and fill up the buffer with a number of images, the camera will then lock (not allow you to take any new photos) until it has had a chance to save all the images in the buffer to the now-full memory card.

You've read this far! Anyone that makes it this far on the page is truly motivated and definitely wants to learn how to take wedding photos. Don't stop reading now! Not only do I have a bunch more information on this page, but at the very bottom of this page I link to three other web sites that have wedding photography information targeted to amateurs.

I would also like to offer to e-mail you 8 pages of additional tips - and these pages include color photos to go along with them (sample at right)! Because of how many people have been helped by this page of information, I have wanted to create an inexpensive, comprehensive, eBook on wedding photography. To get started, I put together an 8-page PDF of tips.

If you are simply willing to receive an e-mail announcement from me when I release my eBook (I'm hoping to have it ready in 2008), as a "thank you" I would like to send you the 8 pages of additional wedding photography tips. All you have to do is enter your e-mail address below. I WILL NOT SPAM YOU!!

NOW - back to the important stuff! Wedding photography....

• What equipment should I use to photograph weddings?
  • For film, use professional 35mm equipment or better. Make sure you know how to use your equipment. There is no particular brand that is required. The important thing is that you know how to use your gear and can take good pictures with it.
  • When I started photographing weddings I had a Nikon N90s (with the extended grip/battery holder), a SB-26 flash, and a few lenses. I carried an old (but reliable), manual Nikon camera as a backup camera and would put a few rolls of film through that one as well. Over time, I added new lenses, another camera body, another flash unit, and additional wedding photography books (usually a book or two before each wedding).
  • In the modern area of digital cameras, I would recommend a DSLR (the image quality tends to be higher on DSLR's than on point and shoots) that is at least 5 megapixel's.
  • An external flash shoe is required for bounce flash.
• What digital camera do you use to photograph weddings?
  • I use the Nikon D1x. I went fully digital in March of 2002. The camera does a fantastic job, and I have only discovered a few challenges:
    • No compensation to recover blown highlights (Canon cameras can pull an extra 2 f-stops if the image is overexposed and it was shot in RAW format – Nikon cannot). In fact, this was somewhat misleading when I purchased the camera. I was under the impression that I would be able to recover some of the highlights by using the advanced RAW features in Nikon Capture.
    • Small buffer and slow writes (takes 10-15 seconds to save a compressed RAW image – only has a 6 shot RAW buffer). In order to switch between compressed RAW images (4 megabyte file and 15 seconds to save) and uncompressed RAW images (8 megabyte file size and 5 seconds to save) - there must not be any shots currently in the buffer. I switch back and forth at weddings between compressed and uncompressed and have to think ahead.
    • Since I wrote the review, Nikon came out with a buffer upgrade. I had the buffer upgraded ($250) and it now shoots 21 JPG's or 14 RAW images. My only concern with the increased buffer size is the random memory card error - which, if I didn't notice the buffer was jammed, would cause me to shoot the entire buffer of images and then realize it was jammed and have to lose all the images in the buffer. So far, that has not happened at a wedding and I have appreciated the 14 shot buffer (occasionally maxing it out or coming close to it).
    • Automatic white balance is somewhat spotty (I manually set the WB in all wedding photos after the wedding in Nikon Capture - that takes about 2 hours). If the white balance was more accurate to begin with, I probably wouldn't have to both with that extra step. Also, a lot of photographers don't do much post-wedding image correction until the couple chooses their actual images - if I were to do that it would also save me quite a bit of time.
  • I don't have current recommendations on "best buys" for cameras. I would recommend you visit the following web sites for detailed reviews. In particular, I like the "pro's and con's" that DPReview (when I'm buying a camera I'm as interested in knowing what it DOESN'T do well as what it DOES well - or CLAIMS to do well).
    • www.dpreview.com and www.steves-digicams.com
      
• What exposure should I use for a candlelight wedding?
  • Practice, practice, practice. Learn how to use your camera's meter and take a reading to find out the proper exposure. It will vary depending upon how many candles are lit and whether there is any additional ambient light nearby. I can't give you any exact settings that are guaranteed to work. Practice at your own house (or the church) ahead of time. Obviously, an 800 speed film (or equivalent ISO on a DSLR), a good tripod, and a nice lens (with an aperture of at least 2.8, but preferably 1.4) will help.
• Any tips on photographing a candlelit procession?
  • There almost isn't any way to conveniently get great photos in dim lighting during a candlelit procession. Some ideas for things to try:
    • Sometimes they will have the lights on during the procession and then dim them for the ceremony.
    • You could stand on one side of the aisle, put a 3'x5' sheet of white (glossy) posterboard on the opposite side of the aisle, set your flash to bounce sideways, and hit the posterboard. It'll look odd to have a sheet of posterboard over there, but the results should be beautiful.
    • You could always try a dim available-light shoot (make sure you practice in advance with the same lighting conditions). You might need to bump the ISO as high as possible (even if it's grainy), shoot wide open (perhaps buy a 50mm F1.4 lens - I think they are about $250) and do a natural light shot.
    • If the ceiling is fairly low (and white), you could bounce off of it.
    • You could buy another flash unit and set it up on the opposite side of the aisle and flash with that. You'd have to work to try and avoid harsh lighting and shadows between the two flash units, but that might also look rather nice.
      
• What are the largest prints that can be made from 35mm film?
  • Prints can be made as large you want. However, they will start to be grainy. On the other hand, medium format prints also get grainy when enlarged. I have run 11x14 prints from a cropped 35mm negative and been satisfied with the results (although I now get far better from my digital camera).
• What lenses work the best for wedding photography?
  • It depends upon your style. A common lens is a 35-70. The biggest issue is often the maximum aperture available on the lens. Try to use lenses that have a max aperture of f2.8 or greater (yes, those lenses ARE more expensive - but they are worth it). A good selection of lenses that has worked well for me: 17-35 f2.8; 35-80 f2.8, and a 80-200 f2.8.
  • The most important part of the lens is the maximum aperture. Professional lenses are usually F2.8. That is a huge advantage when shooting indoor bounce-flash and available light. Consumer lenses are usually F4.5-5.6. If at all possible, get professional lenses.
• What film do you recommend for photographing weddings?
  • Almost any type should work fine - even consumer grade. However, it would be best to use Professional grade film - preferably Kodak Portra 160 NC or 400 NC, or Fuji NPS and NPH. These films have less contrast and will show more detail in the white wedding dress and black tuxedo than consumer film.
• What type of digital camera should I buy?
  • If you are serious about photography, try to buy a DSLR. That way you will be able to purchase separate, high quality, lenses. A resolution of at least 6 megapixel is important. That's about all the specific advice I can give. Keep searching the web and make sure to visit dpreview.com for detailed camera reviews.
  • The flash unit is as important, if not more important than the camera. I have a really old Canon Point & Shoot digital camera - but it has an external flash shoe. With it, I can take indoor bounce-flash photos that have incredible lighting; no one would guess they come from an old digital camera.
  • When buying a digital camera, make sure you get a quality external flash that allows you to rotate the flash head vertically and horizontally.
• How do I avoid harsh shadows when taking outdoor pictures?
  • As your photography improves you will quickly learn that the old adage, "shoot with the sun over your shoulder" is not a good rule to live by. The sun causes harsh shadows and lots of squinting. However, if you are serious about your photography you are going to have to deal with photos that are outdoors in the sun (at times). The best way to deal with that: practice (notice that bit of advice keeps coming up?). Use fill flash, reflectors, any nearby shade, and take a bunch of pictures. Write down your settings and see which ones look the best. Later, go out side and do it all again.
  • When I am outside I try to shoot on cloudy days or when the sun is setting (sunset is a wonderful time to take outdoor wedding portraits).
  • If you are out on a sunny day, most photographers will try to put the subjects into a shady area for photos. You'll have to keep an eye on the background to make sure it's not too bright for the shade you are using for your exposure.
  • Another option is to put the sun behind or perpendicular to your subjects and use fill flash to illuminate them. You might try using you camera in full auto mode while in the sun with -1 or -2 flash compensation. That is often what I'll use when I'm in the sun and experiencing constant light changes.
  • When I am outside in the full sun, I usually shoot with my flash (straight ahead, automatic, -1 to -3 compensation).
• What is the best camera for wedding photography?
  • This is one of those questions that doesn't have any one "right" answer. The best camera will vary among wedding photographers - though there will be a variety of cameras that are being used at any one time. First issue would likely be what type of film format you are using: medium format, 35mm, or digital. I wrote an article about those different types of cameras for EZineArticles.com.
  • There is always an advantage to owning a camera that a certain manufacturer considers to be "professional". The bodies are usually more rugged (they normally do not have pop-up flashes) and the feature sets are usually going to be more in line with what a professional will need. Granted, any SLR or DSLR will likely be functional - especially if you know how to use it. On the other hand, if you have X dollars available, you might be better off buying two non professional cameras (perhaps $1,000 DSLR's) so you'll have a quality backup camera as opposed to one truly professional camera.

Should I use a filter during wedding photography?

• I do not use any special effects filters for my wedding photography. I do have UV filters on each of my lenses, though their primary reason is to protect the front lens element on my lenses. In fact, whenever I buy a lens I ALWAYS buy a UV (clear) filter that is instantly put on the lens and never comes off. Filters are easy to replace - scratched lenses aren't.
• A lot of wedding photography special effects have been overdone in the past: the "soft" focus picture, the "star effect" filter, etc. I shy away from some of those effects - though some people are able to effectively use them.
• Photographers that use black and white film might want to consider the use of filters. Otherwise, a red flower might appear the exact same shade of gray as the green grass. Filters are used to darken the reds, or the greens, etc. Since I use a digital camera, I capture all data in color, and, later, I am able to selectively convert to black and white. At that time, I will tweak the saturation of reds, greens, and blues, to get a custom black and white file with far more flexibility than if I used film and filters. My "black and white wedding photography" page shows some examples.

What kind of flash do you use, and do you have any lighting tips? (this is a critically important section - for some more tips related to lighting, sign up to be notified about my upcoming ebook - I'll immediately e-mail you a PDF with some extra lighting tips and examples of bounce lighting!)

• For the portraits, I used two Nikon SB80-dx's in manual mode (along with the camera being in manual exposure mode). I tried automatic some over the years but would never get consistent lighting (the men, in their tuxedos, always had more flash than the women, in their light colored dresses, did). My second light is usually on a light stand. At the rehearsal night I'll usually setup my lights and do the testing so I know exactly what to do on wedding day (plus, with digital, I can review the images on the screen as I setup).
• Now, I have purchased White Lightning flash units and have been very pleased with them. I use umbrella's and a sync cord to the camera. No longer do I have to worry about the low power output from my SB80's.
• For regular indoor (non-ceremony) lighting I use a basic and very gentle lighting approach. If there is one thing I do not like, it's the full blast, F11 flash with the black background and the harsh shadows that so many photographers used to use (and many still do!). I always try to bounce my flash off walls (or, if walls aren't available, ceilings). Otherwise, I'll point the flash head up with a diffuser on it and slow down the shutter speed. Because of the f2.8 lenses I use (often shooting at f2.8) and the D1x camera (which does an incredible job at ISO 400 and 800), I am usually shooting natural light with some fill-flash (though, again, it's never direct fill flash unless I'm outside). In fact, most indoor weddings I'm shooting ISO 400, f2.8, 1/60th with flash bounced off a wall (my Nikon SB80DXdx).
  • Bouncing off the side walls is probably the key to my unique indoor flash lighting style. I try to only use a little bit of flash and mix it into the scene, and when it comes from the side (instead of straight on) the result is usually beautiful. Anytime I'm taking photojournalistic photos in a building that has light-colored walls I get excited! Even gyms! It's amazing how natural the gentle bounced light ends up looking. I've even stood in such a way as to be able to bounce flash off a white pillar about 5~10 feet away (in an otherwise dark paneled church) to photograph a wedding procession.
• Make sure you do lots of practice with the lighting - it's a crucial part of the wedding photography.

Wedding Photography Books

• I recommend you buy at least one new wedding photography book for each wedding. I have setup a wedding photography book review page where link to some of the books I've bought over the years and provide feedback/reviews on which ones I feel are most beneficial.

Do you show your digital pictures at the wedding reception, for the guests to choose the photos they want?

• I am not the type of photographer that shows or projects my photos at the reception for the guests to order prints. My view is that the reception is to celebrate the wedding, and it is not an opportunity for me to “peddle my wares” and try to make additional sales. On top of that, during the reception I am completely focused on taking additional photos and it’s VERY rare for me to sit down at all (whether it is to eat or rest). If I wanted to begin selling prints to guests I would likely launch an e-commerce application on the web site.

How many pictures are typically taken at a wedding?

Good question… I’ve found that the amount of photos I take varies quite a bit per wedding. The factors seem to be:

• How long I am at the wedding (I can easily take 100~150 shots per hour; I’ve been at some 10+ hour weddings and my shot count is usually quite high for those; on shorter weddings I’m usually pushing myself harder to make sure I get a good amount of quality images).
• It’s hard to phrase this one: but, how “scenic” the wedding is, or, how much action is going on. At a wedding involving a couple from large families, with lots of friends and guests, held at a scenic location, with lots of cute kids running around, and a large wedding party, combined with a long wedding service and lots of formal photos ---- I tend to end up with a lot more shots.
• Whether or not I have an assistant, and my assistant's skill level (my clients don’t get a choice of assistants – but, generally, the ones I’ve been using lately are family and they are skilled). I’ll generally sync all the clocks in the cameras before a wedding. My assistant will usually shoot the backup camera (which saves JPG’s). My camera shoots raw NEF’s. After the wedding, I’ll dump all the photos from both cameras into one folder, sort by time, and rename them with a four-digit number (0001, 0002, 0003, etc.). Then, I sort by file type and pull all the JPG’s out. The raw NEF’s are processed separately. After processing all the NEF’s I’ll have an idea of how the wedding is looking, and whether there are any gaps. I then pull up the assistant’s JPG’s and go through looking for the best shots. The more skilled my assistant, the more images I’ll use. The lower my shot count is, the more I’ll use (assuming there are good ones to choose from). If most of the shots are duplicate’s of my shots, I’ll use less. The larger the wedding, the better the chance the assistant was somewhere different than I was and was getting different images – the more I’ll use. Sometimes I’ll include 20 shots from my assistant, other times 100 or more.
• The more duplicates and rejects I have – the less photos the couple will see. Although I’ve found myself pulling out less and less images over time. I definitely try to include as many as possible for the couple. At this point, I usually only pull ones that the exposure is way off (and not salvageable), or ones where the person in the photo would be embarrassed (eyes were blinking, head was at a funny angle, mouth was opening to say something, etc.). I’m quicker to pull such shots out when I have another one that is a similar shot but higher quality (for example, I usually notice when my exposure/flash is bad and will try to quickly reshoot).
• Keep in mind that all of the above represents “me” – not others. Other photographers' shot counts will vary significantly. I know of some that are still shooting medium format (EXPENSIVE to process!) film and only take 300 or 400 shots at a wedding (I couldn’t imagine taking so few). And yet I know of others that shoot more than 2,000 (digital) shots at each wedding (which sounds like a lot to me). Others say that only 100 or so images end up in the wedding album – so why bother shooting lots of images. My thought is: I shoot every single good shot I can, and my goal is to give my clients the best possible 500, 750, or even 1,000 images to choose from when they build their album; but I don’t ever shoot mediocre or bad shots just to try and bump up the shot count – I’m always looking for good compositions/scenes/lighting/moments. My contract gives a low number: stating that I usually deliver 400-500, or more. But I don’t guarantee a specific number.

My current, delivered, shot count for weddings seem to be between 800 and 1,300. My RAW shot count (especially depending upon how many shots my assistant takes on the backup camera) often runs between 1,000 and 1,700.

Question: "My friend is a pro photographer and she only shoots in "P" (auto/program) mode; I like to shoot in "M" (manual) mode, but her pictures come out very nice and my pictures come out very blurry. Do I need to use a tripod?"

Answer:

I’m a little surprised your pro friend only shoots in “P” (program) mode… I’m also surprised you shoot only in “M” (manual) mode. Perhaps you do that because you’ve heard you get better results that way? (which is not necessarily true) Also, blurry results may not be only a result of manual mode. If I set my camera in manual mode with a shutter speed of 1/5000th of a second, it will not be blurry (but it will likely be dark). If I set my camera in Program mode and it selects a shutter speed of 1 second, and I handhold the shot, it WILL be blurry.

Exposure Modes:
I will often shoot manual mode when I know the exposure will be consistent (perhaps during formals, or the wedding ceremony). But I will very rarely ever use “full program” mode. Often, when I want the camera to help with exposure settings it is because I’m in a situation where I don’t have time to be constantly setting the exposure. That includes a lot of my photojournalistic coverage. However, in almost all of those settings, I still want some control. Interestingly enough, the control I usually want is over the shutter speed. As a result of that, I will usually set my camera in “shutter-priority” mode. So, the vast majority of my photojournalistic shots that are indoors with bounced flash, will be with shutter-priority exposure.

Indoors (with bounce-flash), I usually set my ISO to 400 (but will bump it up a bit if the interior is dark), and set the shutter speed to 1/120th. Again, if the facility is dark I’ll slow it down, perhaps all the way to 1/60th  - but I have to be careful for blur when shooting at 1/60th. Another factor is what type of zoom lens I’m using. The greater the zoom, the faster shutter speed I need. Most of my shots are on my 35-70 zoom (which has a 1.5 focal multiplier on my D1x); but I do sometimes go with a wide-angle 17-35 (in which case hand-holding 1/60th isn’t so bad); but when I use my 80-200 I really have to bump the shutter speed up. In these indoor situations, I really don’t care about the f-stop. I would rather let the camera shoot at F2.8 and not have a lot of focus (and have a more natural looking photo with a nicely light background), then shoot at F11 and make it look like we’re in a cave.

If I am out in the mixed sun-and-shade, I might use full-program mode. Or, I might still stick with shutter priority to make sure my shutter speed is as fast as possible.

And, all the time, I’m mixing in manual shots for when I want control over shutter speed and f-stop.

Blurry Photos:
So yes, your blurry photos might be a result of your manual mode – but that is only if you are setting your shutter speed too slow. A good general rule of thumb for hand-held shots is that your shutter speed should never be slower than your focal length. If you are shooting at 50mm, try to be at least 1/50th of a second or faster. If you have a zoom lens that is a 200mm zoom, you’ll want to be at 1/200th of a second (or faster).

But yes, a tripod will help fix blurry photos. It’s just that it is impractical to carry a tripod around all the time. I try to use a tripod whenever I possibly can. At weddings, that would mean the formal photos as well as the ceremony photos. In fact, getting natural-light photos during the ceremony often requires a slow shutter speed (sometimes 1/8th of a second!) – doing those shots handheld would be impossible!

Question: "What image editing software do you use? "

Answer:

• I use Adobe Photoshop for editing images. It is amazing the difference between a raw, unedited photo, and one that has been properly processed. Setting the White Balance (although I usually set that in Nikon Capture using the eye dropper), rotating to remove any angle (assuming the angle wasn't put in intentionally), cropping for the best possible composition, setting a white and dark point, and then brightening the overall light (very often I am bumping the lighting up a bit), and adding some color so the image "pops" a bit better (without adding any color to the skin tones). Most of the above actions can be done automatically via "Photoshop Actions" (similar to macro's). Sometimes I think that 50% or more of the "final photo" impact is due to Photoshop. If Photoshop is not an option at this point you may consider Paint Shop Pro. It is much less expensive and I have heard it does a lot of what Photoshop does.

As I mentioned, I use Nikon Capture for processing RAW images. Since my D1x doesn't do a perfect job of setting the white balance during the wedding, I'll go back through and open all the photos and set the white balance manually. Sometimes, the ceremony and formal photos will be OK because I am able to set the WB (accurately) in camera for those. For the rest of the day, I usually shoot in auto-WB mode so I don't have to worry about the White Balance.

Question: "I love blurred background images.  If you have any tips to this technique it would be greatly appreciated."

Answer:

• This is another one of those effects that a lot of amateurs want to learn about (and it is simple to achieve) - but for some reason there doesn't seem to be a lot of helpful information on how to do it!
• The key is to use a wide-open aperture and/or a large zoom lens.
• The standard approach is to use a lens with a really low aperture (f2.8, or even f1.8 or f1.4). I have an 80-200 f2.8 lens which I love for that effect. By setting the lens at f2.8 and using the zoom portion of the lens, the background will be beautifully blurred out. Wide angle lenses don’t have the same effect (using an F2.8 lens on a 17mm wide-angle would not result in much background blur). Sometimes I will specifically be set up with my big lens quite a ways from someone (30 or 40 feet) so that I can shoot wide open and blur the background. You need to also make sure the background isn’t close to the people as the distance is what results in the blur.
• Another option is to try and do the blur in Photoshop. Generally, this doesn't work for background distance blurs (because selecting the background can be very hard). This approach works better for simply blurring the edges to a photo. It can be hard to know how much blur to use so that it doesn’t look too fake. Sometimes I’ll start with a selection right around the people (it has to be a "soft", not a "hard" selection) and blur the outside edges, then I’ll move the selection a ways from them and do another blur, and then again – so that the blur actually gets more obvious as it gets away from the people.
• I’ve also heard of “Lensbabies” – which are supposed to add options for selective focus, but I have never bought or used them: http://www.lensbabies.com/

Question: Do you allow other photographers to take pictures at the wedding?

Answer: Yes, I do. And I created a separate page to explain to couples my philosophy in allowing other photographers to take pictures.

Also, here is a page which shows a few angles I always try to get at weddings.

Links to other wedding photography FAQ's:

• Ron Hashiro
• Nick Stubbs
• Digital Photography School tips
  • (although one of the tips has to do with setting up a photo slide show at the reception. Usually, I'm too busy at receptions to even get a bite to eat, not to mention taking time to set up a photo slideshow of raw, unedited photos... As such, I would recommend that you, as a beginner, focus just on taking pictures - not displaying them to the guests.)

Don't forget! I have an 8-page PDF of additional tips (with sample photos) that can be downloaded by those that sign up to be notified when my eBook is released (I WILL NOT SPAM YOU!).