What a great job a wedding photographer has! Surrounded by smiling, happy, well-dressed people ready to celebrate a couple’s marriage, he or she gets to take stunning pictures on the bride’s and groom’s big day.



Or…

The Wedding Photographer’s Notebook By Steve Sint Steve Sint, long-time columnist for Popular Photography and Modern Photography magazines and photographer for over 3,500 wedddings, literally wrote the book on wedding photography, The Bride’s Guide to Wedding Photography. (Although it’s written for brides, it’s a must-read for serious wedding shooters.) In his Wedding Photographer’s Notebook series, written exclusively for Adorama, Sint draws on several decades’ experience to provide practical logistical and technical advice: Wedding logistics: avoiding the altar-side trap Want to banish the coal miner’s helmet light look? Use background flash! Duets: Don’t create one photo when two is what you need Variety is the spice of life…and wedding albums

What a stressful job a wedding photographer has! Surrounded by smiling, stressed-out, well-dressed people who have spent months meticulously planning for this to be the best day in the bride’s and groom’s life, he or she must deliver what’s expected even if the guests are not cooperative and the event is on the verge of descending into chaos. The photos better be perfect–or else.



Whichever scenario describes the typical wedding (it usually falls somewhere between the two extremes), the professional wedding photographer comes to the party prepared for anything. Planning, gear, technical proficiency, and even your attitude going into a wedding will directly affect the quality of your results.



We want to help you bring your wedding photography skills to the next level. So, here’s the Adorama Wedding Photography Guide, which is filled with expert advice from our seasoned pros. Whether you’re an established studio, an assistant looking to move up, a weekend warrior or a hobbyist thinking about breaking into this competitive, rewarding field, we think you’ll get valuable information here.



If you’re getting started, you will want to read Career Jumpstart: Getting started in wedding photojournalism
by Karen Haberberg, a New York-based pro. This article provides good basic business and shooting tips that every wedding photographer should read.







Steve Sint provides practical advice in Save that invitation, solid group portrait composition tips in
Composition basics: Framing, and logistical advice in Get packing–the right way.

If you’re just getting started in wedding photography–or thinking about turning a part-time business into a full-time career, you know that you need to carefully choose gear that helps you work quickly and efficiently. Our Buying Guide: Wedding Photography Essentials highlights eight useful gadgets designed to make shooting weddings go smoothly.



Finally, I’ve added Take a Risk, a story about how a creatively-oriented bride encouraged me to try a new technique that resulted in memorable shots of her nuptials.



We at Adorama hope the advice in this guide will help you improve your skills and preparation so you’re ready for anything and can deliver memorable memories to the bride and groom–because that’s the goal. Right?

–Mason Resnick

Editor

Adorama Academy

© Adorama Camera, Inc.