Sharing 2 1 photography skills (part two)

The original author is not a professional wedding photographer, but many of the ideas and experiences in the article are very practical, very practical, and very suitable for people who have just come into contact with photography and have the opportunity to shoot weddings for their friends.

After work, I spent some time doing some simple translation. However, due to the cultural differences between China and the West, some contents in the article may not be fully applicable to wedding photography in China. I also added a little bit of my own experience in this part. If you are interested in wedding photography, I hope this translated article can provide some help, and of course you are welcome to share it.

"Please! Help me! I want to shoot my first wedding. Please tell me some skills about wedding photography! 」

This is a question that is often discussed. Although I am not a professional wedding photographer, I feel that I still have some shooting skills about wedding photography.

More operation and technical skills are left to professional wedding photographers, but there are some suggestions for many photographers who will be invited by friends or relatives to help take pictures of weddings.

Try to learn to use light scattering.

It is very important to use "jumping lights" or let the light scatter. Perhaps your experience has found that the light in many churches is very weak. On the premise that you can use the flash, try to jump the light, or you can use the flash to make the light softer.

But it is very important that if the material you use to reflect light has different colors, it will affect the color of your photo. In case the flash can't be used at the scene, you must choose a lens with a large aperture or adjust the sensitivity of the camera. If the lens has the function of preventing hand shock, it will also be a way to help you

* For me, the function of the flash at the wedding scene is an absolute auxiliary function. I like to keep the color and light atmosphere of the scene, which can also make the photos closest to the reality that the eyes feel; There are also many photographers who use flash to create the texture of different images, depending on how newcomers choose their favorite photographers.

Twelve, shoot with RAW file.

I know that many people think that they don't have much time to post-process the photos of RAW files, but for these photos taken at weddings, they are full of possibilities. Needless to say, wedding photos can show the photographer's mastery of light, but if the exposure at that time can't be accurately controlled or the white balance of the on-site light source, the RAW file is definitely helpful for later correction. Make good use of this file type.

*RAW file can keep all the settings that can be adjusted when shooting, and adjust all the parameters at that time on the computer, such as exposure, color temperature, sharpness and so on. After adjustment, JPEG format can be called out, which can reduce the number of image compression and retain a little more image quality.

Show your photos at the party.

"Photos can be seen immediately" is one of the most convenient functions in the era of digital photography. I saw an interesting phenomenon. More and more photographers will take their computers with them, upload the photos they took earlier (probably the wedding ceremony) to the computer, and show them in the form of slides at the banquet or party after the ceremony. I think this is a very good way to continue the wedding atmosphere.

* At Chinese wedding banquets in Malaysia, it is very popular to play photos taken earlier in the ceremony at night to highlight the slide show at the banquet, just like the fast-cut and fast-broadcast service of wedding videos, which is very popular now.

Pay attention to your background.

One of the challenges of wedding photography is the people walking around, and of course, the background of your photos is also there.

Before taking more formal photos, find a suitable background for your subject. For better conditions, you will even want a very clean and tidy area, even better if it is a place where direct sunlight can be avoided. In a word, I don't think you want some wandering aunt to be the background of your photo.

* Direct exposure to the sun will cause many problems. Pay attention to the strong contrast between light and shade, the loss of expression details and so on.

15. Don't hide your mistakes.

The attraction of digital photos is that you can view and delete bad photos immediately, but please remember that these photos that you think are bad at the moment are actually full of many possibilities and can be processed into artistic or personal works through cutting and post-production.

* The world of image post-processing is infinitely vast, and any unremarkable photo can often be post-processed and become a stunning work; Moreover, some photos may not be taken well for a while, but they can be seen later, usually with a calm mind, so some people suggest that the photos seen the day before have not been filtered and deleted.

Sixteen, shoot through various viewpoints and perspectives.

Doing so can make your photos look more creative. If you often feel that the characters or subjects in the photos all look similar, ordinary or too formal, you can try shooting from different angles (elevation angle, depression angle or super wide angle).

* People's visual experience is used to seeing the world from a "human perspective". If you can take photos from the normal perspective of non-human eyes and achieve a balanced composition visually and psychologically, the audience can usually feel a brand-new visual enjoyment; The different choice of focus determines which element you want to be the protagonist, and different elements will have different image meanings when they are the protagonists.

Seventeen, wedding photo.

In every wedding I have taken, I try to take everyone in one photo. My method is to find a place where you can look down on everyone. In other words, I may need a long ladder to climb to the balcony or roof. The moving part of the picture is that I can take a picture of all the people and their faces. The key is to let people quickly locate the place you designed and prepare for taking pictures without wasting a lot of unnecessary time in the position of overseas Chinese.

I found that the best way to get everyone to the set position quickly is to let the bride and groom stand at the point you set in advance, and then gather everyone in the direction of the bride and groom station through two assistants, just like herding sheep.

* Newcomers can design different expressions or postures for the big photo with relatives, friends and guests, which can not only break away from the rigid photo, but also often capture the most joyful atmosphere.

Eighteen, fill the light

When shooting outdoors, you can bring a flash to fill the light. I am used to lowering the exposure standard value that the camera thinks to avoid overexposure of photos, but when the backlight or the subject may produce shadows, I will make up the light by flashing lights.

XIX. Use of continuous shooting

In the process of wedding recording, it is very easy to take a lot of photos quickly, so turn on the continuous shooting mode of your camera! Sometimes people's relaxed limbs or expressions are the most natural and realistic pictures after you press the shutter.

Sometimes, the picture that appears after pressing the shutter is far more precious than the moment when pressing the shutter.

20. Expect the unforeseen.

The other is the advice someone once gave me: "Everything will go wrong, but these unexpected situations may be an unforgettable part of this wedding." 」

In all the weddings I have attended, it seems that there will be some small things that have to happen, such as the best man suddenly can't find his wedding ring, the heavy rain poured down at the end of the wedding, the groom forgot to zip his pants, flower girl sat angrily in the aisle, and the bride couldn't remember the oath she should say when taking the oath. When these things happen, you may feel a little scared, but in fact these are memories of new people in the future.

I still remember my first wedding. On the way to take photos in the park, the couple's car hit a tram. At that time, the bride kept crying and the groom almost collapsed. But when we calmed down, people began to notice that it was an interesting painting. I even took photos of them, which were later liked by many people.

Twenty-one, enjoy yourself.

The wedding itself is a process of celebration, and it must be fun and joyful. As a photographer, the more joy you feel, the more interesting the photos will be. Although my "smile fighting method" always makes me go home with sore cheeks and chin, perhaps the best way to relax everyone is your smile as a wedding photographer.

(Excerpted from: Wedding Dress, Wedding Photography, Taipei Wedding Photography Forum)

References: 1 Huang Jue-ya, Guo Pinxuan, Chen Yating's wedding photography; 2. The dream of a beautiful bride goes online easily; 3. Zheng Zhengqing 1999. A cluster study on the consumption lifestyle of wedding photography in Taiwan Province Province.