What skills and qualities do photographers need?

Wedding photography is an extremely important part of the wedding, and every precious shot cannot be missed. This requires the cameraman to have excellent on-site grasping ability. If economic conditions permit, it is best to have two cameramen (that is, dual-camera shooting) to shoot at the same time, long and close shots, multiple sides, and multiple angles, as faithfully as possible Document the grand occasion of your wedding day.

For today's newcomers, they are no longer satisfied with the previous simple documentary shooting method. Instead, we pursue richer content, full of romantic form and content, in order to bring more sweet memories.

Excellent works come from sophisticated filming equipment and meticulous post-production, as well as from the careful work and creative thinking of the photographer. A good wedding videographer must first have excellent skills. This is The most basic thing is to have artistic rest. Only the perfect combination of these two aspects can make the best film.

Many newcomers are like this. When looking for a camera, they don’t care and are greedy for cheap. When they see the film, they regret it and wonder why they didn’t spend more money in the first place. Nowadays, there are some people who are cheating money in the wedding photography market, and the things they shoot are unreadable; these people are speculating in the wedding market with the idea of ??cheating once and for all. Another point is that many newcomers now only watch the opening and ending credits. As long as the opening and ending credits are good, they don’t care much about the content. Some couples think that there are many special effects in the film because the cameraman carefully edited them. In fact, I think that stunts should be used as little as possible. Wedding films reflect the wedding of the couple. If a film is full of Stunts, think about it, do you want your own image or stunts? I've seen some movies with a lot of special effects, flowers flying around, and stars twinkling. At first glance, they look very pleasing to the eye, but if you look closely, you'll find that there is very little content that reflects your wedding. Especially in the past two years, there were more films like this, but now they are better. I personally think that the truly meaningful part is still in the films, and only the content is what newcomers want most. I think wedding movies should be closer to the format of TV art films and MTV.

I am here to talk about some of my experiences in wedding photography and share it with the couples. I hope the couples can learn from it when choosing a videographer.

1. The choice of videographer

When new people choose a videographer, it is difficult to understand their level unless they watch the films he shoots. How to choose a videographer when the level is good?

First of all, you must know the camera he is using. Although the quality of the camera cannot reflect the level of the cameraman, the picture quality of the film produced by a good camera is much better. Without knowing the level of the camera, Try to choose a videographer who uses a professional or quasi-professional camera. Of course, the price will be higher, but not much higher. Generally, it is 200 to 400 yuan higher than an ordinary camera. What I am talking about is that under normal circumstances, the main It depends on the level of the camera operator. The quality of the cameraman is high, and of course the price is also high. When I was photographing weddings, I also saw some couples choose videographers. The financial conditions of the couple were very good. The camera car was a sports car, the first car was a stretched Lincoln, and the rear cars were all Mercedes-Benz. However, the camera of the videographer was a Panasonic. M9000 (simulator, a popular machine in the past few years), maybe the newcomers don't understand it, and it's not because they want to save 200 yuan. I think they will regret it later when they compare it with other people’s films. I also agree that the level of photography does not depend on the quality of the machine. However, it seems unreasonable if an excellent photographer cannot even afford a good machine. A person who loves photography will get his own equipment ready first (the first characteristic of an enthusiast). There are also good cameras that will highlight their advantages when the light is not good, especially in the case of candlelight weddings and night weddings, which will truly describe the situation at the wedding scene.

Here is a list of commonly used cameras for wedding photography as a reference for couples. We are now in the digital age, and cameras can be very large, like a TV station, or very small, like a DV at home, but it does not mean that big ones are good and small ones are not good as you see. In terms of wedding photography, non-responsive cameras are often better (except for professional cameras used by TV stations. There are very few such machines for wedding photography, because wedding photography is very mobile, and small professional cameras can play a better role). In wedding photography, the scientific name of the digital camera used by most people is DV.

Ordinary digital cameras, the most representative one is Panasonic's MD9000 (note the multiple D's, which are different from the previous analog cameras). They are shoulder-resistant, relatively large, and have average image quality. Many small household DVs are similar and are single CCD products.

A more professional one, the photosensitive elements are all 3CCD, the image quality is good, the picture is clear, the color reproduction is good, and the layers are rich. Typical ones include Sony's PD150P and its upgraded product PD190P, Panasonic's 180 and 180A, and Canon's XL1, XL1S, and XL2. In addition, Sony's latest HDR-FX1E digital high-definition camera is also owned by a cameraman in Dalian. It can record a true 16:9 picture. When viewed on a plasma TV or LCD TV, it will fill the entire picture without distortion, just like a blockbuster movie. .

If the newlyweds have such a TV in their new house, it is recommended to find a videographer who uses this machine. The most common feature of these cameras is that they are small (of course much larger than home DV), but they are well-made and very detailed. There are also some professional cameras, which are large professional cameras. They are rarely seen at weddings, so I won’t introduce them here. If newcomers want to know more, they can consult me ??individually.

The second point is to look at the videographer’s film. Through the film, you can know the level of the cameraman and what kind of weddings he has photographed. This way you can know whether he has rich experience and how well the film was produced. A good cameraman will correct the mistakes in the early shooting through post-production. To make up for it, take a bad material and make it look good later through editing. An excellent videographer should also be an excellent post-editing expert, because only a videographer who can do post-editing will know how to grasp every shot when shooting, and will also be aware of it during post-production. My experience is "Shooting with an editor's mind" will make the film more interesting and memorable! The highest level of editing is zero editing, like American blockbusters. To be able to do this, first of all, the plot must be so attractive that you ignore the editing when watching; secondly, the principle of filming is that everything is for the benefit of the newcomers. It is not what you want them to watch, but what the newcomers want to watch. What, the sweet moments of newlyweds are expressed through your lens. Therefore, when new people choose a videographer, they should try to choose a videographer who can do post-editing on their own.

2. The videographer is an important role in witnessing the wedding of the couple

On the wedding day, the videographer’s job is not only about taking pictures, he is also a director, watching every step of the couple’s wedding. Everything that needs to be done requires the arrangements and reminders of the videographer. With a good videographer, the couple does not need to spend too much thought on the wedding process, and can just feel this happy moment with their heart.

In addition to directing the wedding day well and shooting with the couple as the center, the videographer must also be careful and good at discovery, so that the couple's family and friends can feel and share the happy atmosphere of the couple. Also record it, for example, when everyone looks at the beautiful bride, there is envy and blessing in their eyes. To record the busyness and reluctance of parents when sending their daughter off to get married, I photographed a wedding held by a pair of young people who had settled in the United States when they returned to China. The groom’s family is all in the United States, and the bride’s parents are in Dalian. The bride may not be there for a few years after she leaves. When I was shooting at the bride’s home, the photographer and I arranged a plot where the parents and their daughter would say a few words. When the parents sat on their daughter’s bed, we could see the reluctance to leave. After that sentence, we were all in tears. The photographer and I were done reading and were busy changing the subject. Keep shooting. In addition, the photographer needs to pay attention to the rules and etiquette of the couple's home. The couple may come from different regions and use some local customs. If they communicate well in advance, they will avoid misunderstandings and not be unable to record.

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