How To Transform Your Wedding Photos Into Fun Family DIY Crafts
Photographs are visual representations of various vital memories in your life. That’s why many households frame and display them where guests can also view those moments. But there are other ways to turn them into arts and crafts that you and your family can create. For instance, you can transform your wedding photos into more eye-catching and dramatic ones. Here are craft ideas you can have fun making with your loved ones.
Some ideas to transform your wedding photos!
Diamond Painting
If you’re unfamiliar with diamond painting, it’s an excellent time to get introduced to a fun and easy crafting experience that even older kids and teens can enjoy. Diamond painting is much like painting by numbers, where colors have corresponding numbers. With diamond painting, patterns come with symbols matched with colored resin rhinestones. It’s similar to cross-stitching but with different materials.
You can turn any of your wedding photos into a personalised diamond painting set. Websites that offer this service allows you to upload your favorite wedding photo, choose the shape and size you want and place an order for the pattern along with the tools. Once you have everything, you can start diamond painting and allow your family members to try it. It’s a fun and engaging hobby that anyone in your family can do. You can also frame the finished product and hang it on display.
custom_diamond_canvas_kit_img_2
Glowing Photo Luminaries
If you like to light scented candles at home, you can create a luminary using some of your wedding photos. Luminaries are decorations made of paper that have candles inside. An example is a white paper bag containing a candle that makes a simple but elegant visual. It invokes a feeling of peace and serenity, which is likely why homes have it.
To create this project, you must print your favorite wedding photos from a barn-themed or winery wedding on vellum paper. You’ll need four different pictures to create a box-like luminary. Trim vellum photos to smaller sizes.
Source four picture frames and ensure they are the same size and design. Remove the frame backing because you won’t need them. Add the trimmed printed vellum paper onto the back of the frame, and then add the glass cover. Do all four frames. You can choose three frames instead of four to create a triangular-shaped luminary.
Use industrial glue or a glue gun and attach all the corners of the frames, ensuring that the sides with the glass will be facing inwards. The glass protects the vellum paper from the candle flame. You can also substitute a battery-powered flameless candle as a safer option.
The fridge door is one area you and your family see daily, making it the perfect place even for your wedding photos. You can create fridge magnets that your kids can do in as short as 30 minutes. You’ll need wedding photos, bottle caps, strong glue, and small circular magnets.
First, print your wedding photos. You’ll need to print them smaller since you’ll put them on bottle caps. Trace the bottle cap around the areas you want to fit into and cut them. Get some glue and attach the pictures inside the bottle caps. Then get the magnets and glue them at the back of the bottle caps.
You can use these magnets to hold receipts and notes while your wedding photos are in perfect view.
DIY Photo Tree
A photo tree is a unique way of using natural materials to display your wedding photos. You can source small dried branches. However, if you can’t find one, gather twigs and sticks, and make your own. Get a vase and place them inside. Doing this can also double as an outdoor activity for your kids as it creates a good excuse to get them walking around in nature.
You can glue loose ribbons at the back of the photos and tie them to the branches. Make sure to spread them around to make them more aesthetically pleasing. You can place this inside your living room with the rest of the family photos.
white wall with photos of the family in various photo frames
Modge Podge Photo Coasters
Transform your wedding photos into beverage coasters. You can ask your kids or other family members to apply the mod podge glue. It’s easy to do, and it doesn’t take long before you can use them immediately.
You’ll need 4 x 6 inches of printed photos, unfinished coasters with grips, Modge Podge glue in the finish you like (matte or glossy), scissors, and a sponge or paintbrush.
Trace the coasters around the area of the photos and cut them. Using a brush or sponge, apply the glue onto the coaster and stick the picture. Then apply the glue onto the surface of the photo and let it dry.
Printed wedding photos with the bride and groom, a vintage black camera and woman hands with photo. Cropped image
Wedding photos don’t have to be kept inside a photo album. You can print out copies and transform your wedding photos use them to make crafts with your family. You can turn them into a diamond painting kit, luminaries, fridge magnets, or a photo tree. There are many more DIY craft ideas that you can find online to make with the rest of the family. Proudly display your wedding photos in different forms that your whole family can see as a reminder of your union.
As a passionate wedding photographer with a bit of a background in Landscape photography, the idea of having, and primarily using a Medium Format camera has always been a bit of a pipe dream until finally laying hands on the new Fujifilm GFX100s. That being said though, as primarily a wedding photographer, Digital Medium Format cameras have typically not been the best tool to produce wedding photos – so hopefully this little hands-on insight makes it clear why I chose the GFX100s for wedding photography.
I’ve always been a bit of a gear head – I’ve always tried to raise the bar in what I offer to my bridal couples when comparing what I offer with my competitors. This is evident in my early offering using a drone at weddings, also my used of virtual reality technology to record your day, even underwater drones for those of you who get married underwater! I just like my toys, and in my view a digital medium format camera was my personal gold standard of technological toys – they just weren’t viable as a working camera, until now.
A wedding photographer who uses a medium format camera is quite rare for a number of different reasons, hopefully I’ll help you understand why that is, but also why I’m now one of the rare ones using the medium format Fujifilm GFX100s for wedding photography!
Fliying veil at Alru farm wedding
What is a Medium Format Camera?
The name ‘Medium Format’ comes from the days of film where there were a selection of different sized films for use in different cameras. Those of you old enough to remember using a Box Brownie in their family photography would remember the film size being much larger than what came next in consumer-grade photography in the standard 35mm film rolls.
Basically speaking, most consumer film cameras would use 35mm film, while professional photographer-grade cameras would be using larger medium format film, and a few might even use large format for some applications. There is a marvelous true-story film about a photographer battling this stereotype of pro-grade camera with Vogue magazine in We’ll Take Manhattan, made in 2012. A really interesting movie.
The larger the film used meant larger negatives of images, meaning more detail can be captured with cameras using medium format film – therefore in theory – making better overall images.
35mm v 120 Medium Format
When considering digital cameras, the sensor where the device mimics the use of film to capture an image has until very recently been much smaller than what was available with traditional film – which is a center of any debate over which is better – film or digital photography.
Cheaper digital single lens reflex cameras, or ‘DSLRs’ tend to have a smaller sensor when compared to ‘pro-grade’ DSLRs who are said to have a ‘full frame’ sensor – which is really just the equivalent of 35mm film. I’m making a few generalisations here, but this makes things easier to illustrate a point.
So taking from this little photography history lesson – the majority of today’s photographers are using a format that was generally reserved for consumer photography – ie 35mm, or full frame format, and the only reason why medium format film fell out of favour was the technological limitations of digital imaging at the time.
All this being said though, digital medium format sensors are still smaller than medium format film, so there is still a little way to go in that regard. And also I need to point out that the Fuji medium format sensor is one of the smaller available digital medium format sensors – which is one of the main reasons why the GFX100s is cheaper than other digital medium format solutions.
Digital sensor sizes
Digital Medium Format Cameras are traditionally not great for Wedding Photography
Since the dawn of digital photography, digital medium format cameras have been developed and have been around for a while now – however have usually only been used in very niche areas that benefit from the high fidelity that such a format can produce due to a number of draw backs the relatively new technology comes with.
Digital medium format cameras are slow
Up until now, medium format digital cameras have been notoriously slow when compared with their film-based counter parts, or in particular digital full frame cameras. This is due to a number of issues related to technology. The processing power required to process and capture an image using a medium format sensor is significantly more than a full frame sensor, also the method of capture using these larger sensors tends to slow things down to a point where these rather large cameras were relegated to photographic applications where one usually used a tripod for every shot.
One wouldn’t generally be taking a medium format digital camera to something that requires a quick camera – like sports, or events like weddings.
Lens selection is not ideal
Another issue that comes with medium format cameras is the general nature of available lenses available. Medium format Lenses and even camera bodies for that matter are usually much larger than usual full-frame camera lenses, making lugging them around all day on a wedding day not an inviting prospect. It’s a big reason why mirrorless cameras have become so popular over the past few years being that they are so much lighter!
While talking about medium format lenses also, they tend to be quite a bit slower than full frame lenses. If you are a person without a photographic background you may not understand what the ‘speed’ of a lens means – basically it’s the amount of light that transits the lens and hits the image sensor. Medium format cameras often have to operate using a higher ISO sensitivity in low light situations to capture the same image as an equivalent full-frame camera – therefore having a reputation of producing too much noise in an image.
Large file sizes
Digital medium format cameras tend to produce images at a resolution not really needed for wedding photography. Many people consider 24mp images ample for wedding photography, while I personally prefer larger images but it’s all a matter of preference. The reason why having too much resolution is an issue with wedding photography is the requirement for editing thousands of images in post production. The higher the resolution of images produced, the longer it will take based on the power of the computer doing the editing.
Cost
Cost is also traditionally a huge factor in deciding not to go with a digital medium format camera with bodies often starting at $15k-$50k with lenses on top.
Bride and groom in the Inglewood Inn creek
What’s different with the GFX100s for Wedding Photography
So if all these negative aspects of digital medium format are such an issue, why would you choose the GFX100s for wedding photography, considering it is a digital medium format camera? Well basically the GFX100s has attempted to address all of these pitfalls traditionally associated with digital medium format cameras.
The GFX100s is rated at 5fps
First of all is the speed, my main work horse cameras throughout my wedding photography career has been the Nikon line up of full-frame DSLR cameras – the D700, D810 and D850. These cameras had 5, 5-7 and 7 frames per second continuous shooting speed respectively – making these cameras not super fast when compared to flagship DSLRS at 14fps or 30fps with mirrorless full-frame cameras, but I felt to be quite fast enough when in a situation like wedding photography.
The only reason why you would need a faster continuous shooting speed would be in high speed situations like sports.
Guess what the continuous shooting speed rating for the GFX100s is? 5fps. Now this is slower than my usual D850’s 7fps but still ample, particularly considering each image is a whopping 102 megapixel image! It’s just incredible it’s that fast! I had used digital medium format cameras in the past in the famed Pentax 645z which had a rating of 3fps and I found that overbearingly slow, but 5fps with the GFX100s for wedding photography is perfectly workable.
ISO handling is amazing
As for lenses, I tend to use the venerable combination of a 24-70mm f2.8 lens on my main full-frame camera, and the 70-200 f2.8 lens on my second body when shooting a wedding, so when looking at lenses for the GFX100s for wedding photography I tried to match that combination as much as possible, purchasing the 32-64 f4 lens meaning that this lens was not as fast as my usual go-to lenses.
Thankfully the GFX100s, and many modern mirrorless cameras for that matter, handle high ISO ratings amazingly well, allowing for little to no noise in low light situations. in fact since swapping to the GFX100s for wedding photography, I’ve used my hot-shoe flash much less often that what I might have with my Nikons.
This may be due to the ability of mirrorless cameras allowing a preview of the shot I’m about to take through the viewfinder I don’t know, but all I know is that my habits in this regard have definitely changed and I’m not afraid to bump the ISO up as much as needed.
Wedding photo in the alru farm greenshouse
Files are large, but not too large
This is probably the biggest issue for most when considering the GFX100s for wedding photography. As it packs a massive 102mp sensor, which is double that over the Sony Alpha1, and 3x the Nikon D850 which many professional wedding photographers swear by.
The fun thing is that when selecting a few options on the GFX100s, like reducing the bit depth to the lower 14bit (still huge) colour depth, and compressing the RAW files make the file sizes a quite reasonable 90-120mb and when compared to my Nikon D850 Raw sizes of 50-60mb that doesn’t seem too bad; particularly when you realise these settings don’t change much in image quality.
These file sizes are still larger of course which requires a beefier computer to handle them which may be a consideration for you – but for me the beefier computer in front of me the better!
Not as expensive as you may expect
Ok, cost is a big one – so many people out there just hear the phrase ‘medium format’ and get scared off immediately, and for good reason! If you’re in the market for digital medium format cameras you cay find yourself looking at AUD$20-$60k for a lens and body setup which is the price of a car.
That said though, those of you in the market for a new camera may be looking at the mirrorless full frame options out there, which is fair enough – but look at the costs carefully, the cost of a Sony A9 II body is $7k with the popular 7s III is $6k. Then there are the Nikon’s 7z II for $5.5k or the Canon famous R6 for $4k. This is compared to the hefty $9k for the GFX100s.
So, sure if you’re only buying a body having a GFX100s for wedding photography is pricey, but go price the lenses! The medium format GFX range of lenses tend to be quite a bit less expensive than the equivalent full frame lenses available. When pricing up a Nikon 7z II setup I found that the total cost for me would be $12k, when a GFX100s setup was $13k. What’s an extra $1000 when you can have the incredible ability of medium format in your hand?
Why I chose the GFX100s for Wedding Photography
I was thrown into a bit of a situation earlier in the year with the untimely death of my main Nikon D850 camera body which I managed to drop into a waterfall while photographing a wedding in Hobart, Tasmania. Claiming the camera on my insurance meant that I had to replace my usual workhorse of my wedding photography with something new.
I had always been a Nikon fan, ever since purchasing my very first DSLR in the venerable D80 while living in Japan – so my first port of call was obviously either a new D850 or join the mirrorless trend with the newer Z7ii.
I had been resisting heading into the mirrorless world as shooting stills with a mirrorless camera always seemed ‘off’ to me having no physical ‘clunk’ of the mirror when taking photos. Whenever I was asked why I chose Nikon over Canon I would always cite the main reason as being the satisfying ‘clunk’ noise that Nikons made over their more electric sounding Canon counterparts.
I had attempted to use mirrorless cameras for still photography in the past heading to presentations and industry nights where professional photographers are given pieces of equipment to try out for themselves. Never enjoyed the process at all and I had attended nights run by both Nikon and Sony.
On the other hand I felt as though taking the obvious choice and opting to buy a new Nikon D850 was an opportunity to upgrade lost. By this I mean that I had a chance to try something new and something astonishing had caught my eye in the new Medium Format Fujifilm GFX100s for wedding photography.
I had become familiar with Fujifilm cameras as I use a couple of X-T3s as my primary video cameras for my wedding videography which I believed was the best application for mirrorless cameras, but the whole idea of having a Medium Format Camera really appealed to my inner tech-nerd so I looked into it further.
First Impressions using the GFX100s for Wedding Photography
As of writing this little blog, I’ve shot 6 weddings using the GFX100s for wedding photography as my main camera – with 4 of them being fully edited, so I think I’m in a good sitaution to outline my thoughts of using this beast of a camera. The great thing about the weddings I’ve shot with it was that each of the weddings I covered with it were very different in regards to climate, theme and time of day so I could really test it out in all situations.
Build Quality
My first thought when picking up the camera was how light it was. I had in the past used medium format cameras, so I was expecting something rather hefty – particularly in the lens department, but I was pleasantly surprised at how sturdy it felt, and lighter than my Nikon D850! 900g vs 1005g for those interested. The lens I chose – the 32-64 f4 lens – was also very light at 875g vs my Sigma ART 24-70mm f2.8 I would usually use on my Nikon at 1020g.
The feel in my hand is really nice with a huge hand grip, and the LCD screen on the top that stays on with a battery installed is just beautiful. Weather proofing and materials used means I really can’t fault it at all!
Mirrorless Functions
A big reason why people are heading in droves to mirrorless cameras, other than the weight benefits, are the technological advances available to such cameras. These include live view in the viewfinder of the camera settings, eye tracking auto focus and the shutter release speed tends to be faster. These are all things I was brand new to coming from my Nikons, so using these things for the first time in a professional sense was quite novel.
Image Fidelity and Quality
Just holy crap. I had always had in my mind that I would swap to being a prime lens user when I finally made the change to medium format, and that was the plan due to the tendency for prime lenses to be that much sharper than zoom lenses, but unfortunately the selection of wider angle prime lenses for the GFX system isn’t great, hence opting for the 32-64 f4 lens.
Could not be more impressed with 102mp images if I tried, including in low light, high ISO setting. They might require a little bit of noise reduction, but there are some amazing bits of software for that these days.
To illustrate this I was lucky enough to cover a wedding at the same wedding venue with a ‘money shot’ everyone gets while there – in this case it was the Inglewood Inn’s Gollop’s Bridge, so here is an example of the same shot using my Nikon D810 and the GFX100s along with a 100% crop of each.
Nikon D810
Inglewood Inn Wedding Photo
100% crop
D850100
Fujifilm GFX100s
Gallop bridge Wedding photo
100% crop
GFX100s100
Hopefully this illustrates why I now love the GFX100s for wedding photography – particularly for money shots like this that are bound to be printed huge!
Ease of use
One of my fears of switching to the Fuji system for stills photography was my experience with the X-T3 cameras which I really don;t like using due to the retro dials at the top of the camera. When using a camera for wedding photography I like to switch settings quickly using my forefinger and thumb on dials like I had been used to with my Nikon systems.
Thankfully, using the GFX100s for wedding photography means it was a very simple transition to the Fuji way of using dials with the only slight difference being the way you select ISO settings which in some ways is better than the Nikon way of doing things – which was cool. I’ve also found myself using the Aperture priority setting much more with this camera, only reverting to my old way of doing things with full manual when I want to overexpose occasionally.
What I don’t like about the GFX100s for Wedding Photography
Lack of a physical shutter clunk
I really do miss the physical clunk of my Nikons, the poor excuse of the physical shutter sound on the GFX100s just doesn’t cut it, and don’t get me started on the tiny little sound it makes for the electronic shutter. makes me feel as though I’m not taking photos and causes some overshooting. This is simply something I need to get used to though.
Too slow for receptions
It’s a combination of my subconscious photographer’s mind relying on the shutter clunk to register that I’ve taken an image and the fact that it is a medium format camera when I find myself feeling as though I’m missing too many shots with the GFX100s for wedding receptions.
Also the fact that I have to use a slower wide angle lens when in lower light situations with medium format means I can’t use a faster shutter speed without bumping the ISO up a little too high.
I have been using my trusty Nikon D810 for reception photos as a result. Once a wide angle GFX mount lens is released I’ll probably be re evaluating this – but currently, having a 102mp sensor for candid, drunken photos is simply too much anyway. I might break it out for a pinup first dance shot, but that’s about it.
I Highly Recommend the GFX100s for Wedding Photography
I have certainly been enjoying my foray into using medium format with my new GFX100s for wedding photography. It really is hard to explain using a blog post to explain exactly why I’m enjoying using the GFX100s for wedding photography so much, but let me just say that I have been using this camera and thinking about my photography in the same way I had when first getting my hands on my first full frame professional camera.
I’m the type of person who gets inspired by using new technology in such as way that prompts quite a bit of creativity from me – it really feels as though I’m relearning how to take photos, but with all the experience I’ve had in the past as a foundation so it’s making taking so much fun!
Weddings I’ve used the GFX100s for Wedding Photography
Here’s some examples of work I’ve used the GFX100s for wedding photography as a main camera.
Every couple should make sure they have done all the research to ensure their big day’s success. Look up the do’s and don’ts and the must-have lists, so you don’t miss any essential details in your wedding photography, videography and your day in general! While searching online and asking friends can give them good advice, one crucial source they might miss out on is their wedding photographer themself.
Your wedding phtoographer is bound to be an endless source of wedding information – particularly if they are someone like me who not only loves the idea of being at weddings every weekend, but also the reason why we do what we do at weddings – from historical traditon to modern day convenience or prestige.
This article will enumerate five pieces of advice to every couple that professional wedding photographers want everyone to know about planning their wedding day.
Family together on wedding day
Advice to Every Couple
1: Let Your Photographer Join You When Making a Shot List
The shot list a crucial document for every wedding. This list includes the wishlist of images that the couple wants captured. While any couple is free to write whatever they want, seeking the photographer’s opinion could result in a better list.
Try not to go overboard though with your list – the best wedding photographs are always taken using the unique combination of your photographer’s creativity and the circumstances on your day. A list is best for making sure the images you imagine in your minds eye are captured in addition to all the other images your phtogroapher will be taking.
Whats most important though is to make a group shot list so that we do not miss any group photos as your phtoographer will not know anyone in attendance and how any one relates to anyone else.
group photo at Alru Farm wedding
2: Add a “First Look” to Your Shot List
It’s traditonal that that the soon-to-be husband and wife should not see each other until the ceremony. However, if you’re the type opf people not overly beholden to the whole ‘traditonal’ thing, having a “first look” is a nice thing to consider. It is the moment when a couple can have their alone time before the ceremony.
Capturing the raw and intimate moment between asoon to be wedded couple is an excellent memory to keep, letting them enjoy each other’s company before the busy celebration also means they are at their best—less stressed. It also allows for your phtoographer to get a little closer as opposed to being out the front of your wedding congregation for the same emotion-filled shots.
Bridal first look
3: Draft a Timeline
Aside from the list of group shots, it is imperative to set up a general timeline of your day. Make sure that you and your photographer, along with all your other wedding vendors are aligned.
Backed with their experience, they could help you draft the most efficient and straightforward schedule. They can suggest adjustments to ensure that your wedding would not run behind schedule, even with all the breaks to take photos. Involving them in the planning process guarantees, they do not miss your special photography notes and requests.
It’s usually the case that when first meeting your wedding photogrrapher they will probably run you through a simple timeline themselves using what they consider, using their own experience to be a good, steady flow of a day.
Wedding dress reflected in mirror
4: Prepare All Props and Keep Them in One Place
Wedding props, such as wedding invitations, bouquets, and wedding rings, are essential elements of your day and you;’ve probably spent hours agonising over them leading up to your day. They should be part of your wedding photography too. Your photographers will be on the lookout for such personal touches on your day, however they are are not mind readers though, so my advice to every couple is that if there is something important that you must have a photo of, feel free to alert them to this fact.
Table settings
5: Only Hire Photographers You Trust
It is usual for couples to want to be hands-on even during the ceremony to make sure their requests are followed, but it defeats the purpose of them enjoying their day. That is why it is important to collaborate with reputed providers—the right caterer, wedding planner, DJ, and so on. If you believe in the talents and capabilities of your wedding crew, then you have nothing to worry about. You would just be surprised by what they can bring to the table.
Bride and Groom in Wellington park
Memories are important and can never be repeated or forgotten. That is why it is essential to have a well-documented wedding day. Wedding photographs have now become one of the most crucial elements in modern weddings. While there is a huge amount that goes into planning a wedding, these simple pieces of advice to every couple might make things a little easier on you. Would love to have a chat about your spoecific day as everyone is different!
Wedding beach photo shoots can always go both ways; It can be an excellent experience for everyone involved, especially since you’ll be working with the backdrop of the peaceful waves, and the calming breeze has always been therapeutic, after all. On the other hand, it can also be very stressful, especially if you have to deal with unpredictable weather and other sandy problems. It can be a dream project that can turn sour if everyone isn’t well-prepared.
For this reason, we have listed down a couple of essential tips to consider before the crew can even begin to hit the shores.
7 Important Tips to Achieve the Best Beach Photo Shoot
When done right, these tips will ensure a great set of photos by the end of the project and minimise the amount of stress that the crew may experience and achieve the best beach photo shoot possible:
Conceptualise the Angles before the Photoshoot
You have the location and the wedding theme right in front of you, but what about the angles of the couple? Thinking of something on the spot is just going to make your job harder. Before you can even travel towards the location, conceptualise how you will place the cameras and your crew of photographers.
Are you going to shoot at a higher angle, or perhaps shoot from the sides? Do you wish to aim the camera high while you’re crouching? These different angles can yield other effects, and they will all determine whether or not the photos will come outright.
A good piece of advise for any spot you’re heading to – not just for a beach photo shoot – is to scout the location befroehand – either in person or online. Google Earth is an incredible resource to scout around before heading to a spot, and it would also be helpful to check out what other photographers have done at the same location.
Penneshaw beach Wedding
Look Up the Weather Reports before Going to the Venue
One main adversary that a photography crew has is the weather. It may be sunny today, but no one knows whether or not it will remain that way until tomorrow. Luckily, various weather reports on TV and the internet will tell you whether or not it would be a good idea to proceed with the photo shoot today.
This is crucial, especially if you’re planning to take pictures by the beachside. You wouldn’t want the bride and groom to be soaked wet once the waves start splashing in. If you want to have a clear day of photo shoots, choose a month with the least amount of storms and pick out a day that you’ll think will not ruin the whole project.
Best way to check on the day for any poor weather is using the radar apps freely available on any smartphone.
All this being said though, depending on how adventurous your bride and groom is, you can get some incredible shots in the rain – on the beach with a storm in the background!
Lightning
Pick the Appropriate Shoes for the Occasion
So, you’re planning to shoot on the sand. If that’s the case, you may advise the bride to wear her flats instead of her heels. It is hard enough to try to pose in a tight wedding dress, but it’s much harder to walk on sand if your heels are digging deep enough to plant your feet.
Even if they’re insisting on wearing their heels, explain the whole situation to them. Let them know that they can wear their heels during the wedding day within the comforts of their wedding venue, but they have to wear their flats on the day of the beach photoshoot unless they are planning on getting stuck on the sand.
Your own shoes is probably something to think about too – I personally always wear dress shoes to a wedding which get destroyed in salty water, so if you have the chance, change to some run about sneakers – or even thongs.
Bride and groom on Maslins Beach
Choose the Appropriate Colors for the Photoshoot
If you want the bride and groom to stand out against the sun’s rays and complement their backdrop, you may choose the colours red, fuchsia, and yellow. These may be bright colours, but they will not camouflage the subject of your photos with the brightness of the day.
On a wedding day – naturally most of the time the bride will be wearing white, which really makes for a nice beach vibe, but can be tricky to expose correctly on a sunny day with so many bright, light colours about. Be sure to expose for the white dress first and foremost, despite everything being under exposed – shadows can be brought back with modern camera – but blown out white wedding dresses cannot!
brides on the beach together
Choose Activities Instead of Mere Poses
The best thing about beach photo shoots is that they give the photographers a chance to put their creativity into play. The couple may stroll along the shores, swim in shallow waters, and even build sandcastles, so long as they will not end up doing cliche poses that almost all brides and grooms do on their wedding photos.
If your client wants something unique, suggest this concept to them and feel free to let them know its overall appeal. After all, you are not just taking pictures of people in formal dresses doing typical romantic poses; almost anyone can do that. You are capturing their moments, a segment of their life that separates them from their average days.
Semaphore Beach Sunset
Pick Out a Day Where People Aren’t Flocking to the Beach
It’s hard to achieve the perfect shot when the wind and the sun aren’t cooperating with you, but it’s much harder to regulate other people casually strolling in the background. Yes, some modern software will enable you to edit them out in the post-photography stage, but if there are too many of them, it may be time-consuming and useless since too many edits may ruin the whole image.
Pick out a day when tourists and locals aren’t flocking to the beach for a swim. Don’t schedule your shoots on the weekend; instead, pick out a day in the middle of the week, where people are mostly in their offices. Your client will appreciate your choice, especially since most couples would like to keep their wedding preparations under wraps. This is important, especially if your client is a well-known personality.
Middleton Beach Walkabout
Wear Comfortable Clothes for the Photoshoot
The bride and groom may need to be well-dressed for the shoot, but that principle doesn’t apply to the photography crew. The latter is required to dress so that their movements will not be limited while doing their job. Photographers usually have to stand, crouch, lean, sir, and even lay flat at times just to achieve the perfect shot.
Wearing clothes that may restrict them from doing those positions may be detrimental to their work overall. Encourage your crew to wear light clothes as well, since you are at the beach and wearing layer after layer of fabric may get them dehydrated due to the heat.
Walking along Middleton beach together
Achieving the best beach photo shoot isn’t easy. There is a lot of planning and preparations to be done for the whole project to go smoothly. As a photographer, it’s your job to ensure your clients’ safety, convenience, and privacy.
If the bride and the groom are comfortable with what they are doing and sincerely happy throughout the whole shoot, they will be able to express more raw emotions that you can capture on the fly. Just be sure to follow the tips above, and you’re on your way to having the best photoshoot ever.
If you’re planning to have your wedding day soon, chances are you are looking for a studio that can provide the best wedding photography in Adelaide. In that case, we at the Sven Studios are at your service. We craft only the most precious memories of your wedding day in a fun and relaxing way. Contact us now so we can discuss more your wedding themes and plans!
Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, which is why it’s important to capture every moment of your special day in the best possible way. Hiring skilled wedding photographers allows you to preserve those memorable moments and share them with future generations.
Your photographers may have the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to turn your vision into reality and tell your love story through high-quality images. However, you and your significant other may be unknowingly making mistakes that can ruin the quality of your wedding photos. Try these tips for getting the best wedding photos on your big day!
5 Effective Tips for Getting the Best Wedding Photos
Hide cables, microphones, and speakers
A sound system is essential for your celebrant on your big day, especially during the exchange of wedding vows. Ask the team you hired to set it up discreetly and keep unsightly cables, cords, and speakers out of sight to ensure they are not in your shots.
Additionally, keeping the sound system out of the way can get tricky at times. This is especially true if they are directly behind you during the ceremony. You can cover them up, so they don’t stand out in your wedding photos. The same tip is useful for things like garbage bins, signs, etc that cannot be moved.
First kiss at Seagrass Long Point Wedding Ceremony
Don’t be a director
Professional photographers have years of experience in the industry. You may tell them how you envision your photos, but don’t instruct them how to take them. They know what they are doing, so trust them and let them do what they do best. Just relax, be yourselves, and go with the flow. This way, you can have an enjoyable shooting experience and increase your chances of getting the perfect wedding shots that mirror your love story.
Currant Shed Wedding photo in trees
Ask your guests to refrain from using their own equipment to shoot
Did you know that your friends and family members can easily ruin your wedding photos? This dilemma usually happens when their selfie sticks, cameras, phones, and other gadgets hinder your professional photographers from capturing your best photos.
As a preventive measure, ask your guests to refrain from using their own equipment to shoot during the ceremony. It may disappoint them, but assure them that they can have their photos taken by the professional photographers you hired. This is what’s recently come to be known as an ‘unplugged’ wedding ceremony.
Mobile phone attraction
Empty your pockets
Your wedding day is when you supposedly look and feel your best. Don’t let your photos get ruined by a pocket bulge by placing your keys, phone, wallet, and other valuables in a safe area or entrusting them to your trusted friend or family member. This tip is also applicable to your guests, so make sure to ask those with pocket bulges to empty their pockets.
bride and groom amongst the tall pine trees
Opt for easy-to-eat meals
Tasty dishes make any celebration more special, but food stains can easily ruin your photos and mood during the wedding. When selecting the meals and refreshments for your big day, go for options that are easy to eat, especially if you are having an outdoor wedding instead of a formal sit-down meal. This way, you can prevent stained outfits and help everyone look pleasant and confident in photos.
Meal
Moments may be fleeting, but you can capture all the sights and sounds during one of the most unforgettable days of your life by immortalising them through photos. Once you have booked your photographers and feel like you are all set for your wedding, make sure to follow the tips for getting the best wedding photos listed above to enjoy having wedding photos you will cherish for years to come.
Enjoy having wedding photos you can treasure forever by hiring SvenStudios. Our experienced wedding photographers help you record your love story and capture your most precious moments through photography. Contact us to book a package today!
