Thu Jul 12, 2007 2:55 AM EDT

This might've been a handy guide for couples who got married on 07-07-07.

Darren Rowse of the Digital Photography School alerted me to his recent list of 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers. I'll go ahead and include myself in this category, since I've co-photographed a couple of weddings myself. I can't tell you how nice it would've been to have read this list a year ago when my nephew and brother got married. It was my first time shooting a wedding, which I mainly did for fun—good thing they both hired a professional for the main event.

I'm here to tell you the whole process is very challenging. I think I've gotten a lot better at photographing groups of people since then, but many challenges remain such as dealing with poor lighting, getting strangers to pose for the camera, and having all the right gear. Somehow, I still manage to fill up my memory card before I take all my planned shots.

Darren's list has a lot of common sense advice like using continuous shooting mode, packing an extra camera, or never deleting your mistakes (unless they're blurry), but there's also a handful of helpful reminders that seem so trivial we practically forget to exercise them, like creating a short list of shots you plan to take or packing extra memory cards. You can read the entire tip sheet on his blog, but I'll leave you with my favorite tips, which I believe will help you shoot your first wedding like a pro.

1. Preparation is essential: Hopefully you print out Darren's list or bookmark it so you can read it before your next wedding or family reunion. I'd say read tip # 4, but I think all 21 tips deal with preparation of some sort. Everything from choosing the right camera settings to picking out the right location for your formal shots require basic preparation. Whatever you do, do take some time to plan out your shoot, even if it's a practice run for you.

2. Talk to the couple: This goes along with tip #1, creating a short list. Do talk to the couple to find out what type of shots they want. After all, it's their wedding. Even if you're a second or third photographer, find out what they'd like to see in their wedding album just in case the hired photographer forgets to do it. I also like the idea of displaying your photos at the reception (tip #13), just make sure you talk to the couple before setting up a huge monitor at their wedding.

3. Don't be afraid to ask for help: Your job will be plenty hectic without the rigors of rounding up subjects for each shot. Tip # 2 suggests recruiting a family member from each side of the family who will gather each group for your shot. I'd say make a list of all the group shots (couple with bride's parents, couple with groom's grandparents), then hand it to each family "director" before the wedding. If a professional photographer is already doing this, I suggest backing away from this one, as you will only distract members from the real wedding photo.

4. Backgrounds are important: In formal pictures anyway. One thing I've learned is that the right background makes the picture even better. Tip # 14 suggests scoping out the area ahead of time, choosing a background that will have plenty of natural light (just not direct sunlight), is uncluttered, and semi-private so you don't accidentally take candid shots of wandering guests in the background.

5. Practice those candid shots: My idea of taking a candid shot used to be holding up my camera in the air, then snapping a photo of my surroundings. That was before I realized how boring those type of shots really are. Tip # 15 and 16 suggest getting creative. Even if you snap a shot you're not happy with, examine its contents before deleting it. You might be able to crop out something interesting. Don't forget to try different angles, and don't be afraid to zoom-in in order to get up-close-and-personal shots of your subjects. Just keep it tasteful.

Any other suggestions? Share them below, and happy snapping!

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Labels: education, photography