Looking at sample wedding photos can help inspire you to either capture great photos yourself, or even assist you in coming up with some must-have shots that you can ask your hired photographer to capture. Here is a look at several excellent wedding photos, along with a description of what makes them so great.
Include the Little Things
It’s easy to get wrapped up in photographing the happy newlyweds and guests but don’t forget to get shots of the little details too. Besides the more obvious subjects like wedding rings and flower arrangements, be creative and capture photos of things like dirty feet on the dance floor (after the stilettos have been kicked off) or crumbs from the already devoured wedding cake. Like the image above, you can create a photo collage in order to pull all the little details together to tell a wonderful story within a single print.
Different Perspective
This wedding photo shown below has added interest because the photographer has chosen to shoot from a unique angle. Photos can have an entirely different feel to them when they’re shot from a different angle. From laying on the ground and looking up at your subjects to standing on the top of a table to capture your photo from a bird’s-eye view, try to get photos from a variety of positions for some interesting shots.
Use of Leading Lines
In addition to the camera being slightly tilted when the photo below was captured (another great example of shooting from a different angle for added interest), it also incorporates diagonal lines – by way of the bride’s arms and the horizon – to help pull the eyes of the viewer through the photo. The use of leading lines is a compositional technique which helps to draw the eye to the point of interest and can help suggest various feelings within a photo, from dominance and power often portrayed in the use of vertical lines to a feeling of sensuality found in the use of curved lines.
Creative Locations
“Trash The Dress” photo sessions have become extremely popular with new brides. As the name implies, a photographer will shoot photos of the bride in her wedding dress doing things that will essentially destroy the gown – think water, mud, or even paint. What makes these images so great is the creative locations where the photos are taken. If the bride you’re photographing isn’t into the idea of destroying her expensive dress, you can still be creative in your choice of locations. For example, my very own wedding album includes photos of me and my husband in line at Tim Hortons and of me sipping from an Iced Capp (nothing says Canadian more than that!). I also have some fun wedding photos where I’m “hitchhiking” on a busy Esquimalt road with my dress hiked up to show a little leg. These photos are some of my favourites because of their unique locations.
Smart Lighting
As I mentioned in my post 10 Quick Tips for Capturing the Best Baby Photos Ever, using your camera’s flash can result in harsh unwanted shadows, so turn off your flash and make use of natural light whenever possible. The photos above not only use natural light, they use it creatively. For silhouette photos, make sure the light source is directly behind your subjects.
Have Fun, Be Candid
Don’t get too wrapped up in trying to get that “prefect” shot. Have fun and start pressing the shutter button when people aren’t expecting it. Some of the best wedding photos are those that show genuine smiles and laughter: something that cannot be rehearsed.
Creative Framing
This photo uses compositional framing to help draw the eye to the subject. For interesting photos, try using natural and manmade structures to frame the bride and groom, such as doorframes, windows, archways, and trees.
Interesting Props and Poses
The sample wedding photos shown below illustrate how using interesting props and imaginative poses can make for some awesome shots that are totally worth having printed and framed. If the bride and groom have a shared hobby, try including an object from that hobby in the photos and have them pose as though they are in the middle of their favourite activity.
Fun Wedding Photography Techniques
Whether you were the photographer or in the wedding party, what techniques were used to capture your favourite wedding photos? Leave a comment to let us know!
