Reflecting on my First Wedding

I photographed my first wedding a month ago. I had fun but also made some mistakes and learned a little more about photography. This post discusses some mistakes I made -- peppered with a few select photos to keep you entertained.

Quick Preface

Wedding photography is not something I planned on getting into. However, when my sister-in-law, Linda, was getting married and asked me to take wedding photos, I delightedly accepted.


Normally when I think of weddings, I think of big, expensive productions involving one to two hundred people, strict schedules and ample stress.

Fortunately for me, Linda and her husband-to-be, Jeff, were having a very small wedding -- immediate family only.  The ceremony was to take place in a secluded back yard, followed by the reception at a local steak house.  On top of that, Linda had stated that she really just wanted a few nice pictures to be able to share on Facebook.

What a perfect opportunity to play wedding photographer in a low-pressure scenario, I thought. Even so, I still made some creative and technical mistakes.

1. Talk, talk, talk to Your Subjects

I'd say my biggest mistake was the lack of direction I gave to Jeff and Linda. More than one CreativeLIVE workshop instructors have preached the need to continually communicate with one's subjects, lest their minds start to wander and lose confidence in you and in themselves. This is mostly a matter of me needing more practice.

2. Scout the Location in Advance

I had not seen the location in advance nor was I given much time with which to work. So I felt rushed and hadn't looked around for compositional elements that might have enhanced my work.  Luckily there were a few distinctly unique locations such as the dock, the old train station and under the willow trees.

3. Get More Detail Shots

Detail shots are nice because they force your attention to one very specific thing that can represent strong sentimental value. I kept telling myself beforehand that I mustn't forget to get some detail shots throughout the day. But I was also nervous about a potential lack of sources for detail shots since the ceremony and reception were going to be very minimalistic.

I managed to get a few... but, in the rush, it didn't even occur to me to get a photo of the bouquet. A little extra preparedness would have helped.

4. More Attention to Detail

I didn't realize until afterwards that Linda is wearing a black hair elastic on her wrist for all of the shots; I didn't notice that Linda's wedding ring is turned inward in a shot where her hand was on Jeff's shoulder; I failed to notice awkward hand positions in a few photos.

One thing I don't like about this shot is that I tried to bounce more light on Jeff but it never occurred to me to put Jeff in the light and Linda in the shadow to reduce the tonal range of the photo.

I recognize that I'm being hypercritical of myself and that most normal people won't notice these flaws. But I still think it's important to strive for a greater attention to detail.

5. Know Your Camera

Not knowing your equipment is inexcusable. There were a few shots where the depth of field was slightly too shallow -- Jeff would be in perfect focus and Linda would be just outside. I also accidentally bumped the scroll wheel on the back of my camera a few times. (I now understand why Canon provides a locked-wheel mode)

Luckily, the affected photos were mostly fixable in post.

Outcome

Overall, the day was a big success. I had taken about 480 images and delivered 48 final images. Everyone was pleased with the results. Congratulations to Linda and Jeff... and thanks for trusting in me!

Linda and Jeff, June 2nd, 2012