Hawaii Wedding Photographer Tips For Brides & Grooms
On Making Your Wedding Photographs Great

II. Bride & Groom Tips For Creating Great Hawaii Wedding Photographs     A. The Circumstantial Demands of Photojournalistic Wedding Photography   B. The Circumstantial Demands of Formal Portrait Wedding Photography   C. It's Crucial That You Prevent Interference & Delay During the Taking of Your Formal Wedding Portraits

First, it's important to have realistic expectations of what wedding photographers can and cannot do, photographically. Although professional photographers may have tools to overcome difficulties like very dark churches, glare on glass, etc., there are technical limitations nonetheless. Your being aware of the technical/photographic limitations of your event will help in the planning and organizing of your wedding. Ask your wedding photographer what the photographic limitations of your event may be. And second, realize that wedding photography is not a single photo session but a series of sessions; such photography is a process conducted throughout your wedding day, and may start even before the wedding day. Throughout this period, your wedding photographer will switch between two styles of photography -- Photojournalistic Photography and Formal Portrait Photography -- as the ebb and flow of the day's events and the wishes of the Bride and Groom require. Wedding photography is thus a much more involved and complicated process than merely taking a few snapshots. The photography required to adequately memorialize your wedding is not limited to its ceremony and reception, but may also include informal engagement pictures, your rehearsal dinner photos, photos of you preparing at home just before your ceremony, pictures of the preparations at the ceremony site prior to the ceremony, pre-ceremony formal portraits -- as well as ceremony pictures, formal group pictures after the ceremony, and photos of reception activities with informal groupings and "candids" of families and guests.

When employing Photojournalistic Photography, a wedding photographer's actions resemble those of a news photographer who concentrates on capturing the essence of the news event before him; he does not direct the action nor does he pose the subjects. While being photojournalistic, a wedding photographer must anticipate the flow of events and movements of the subjects, and find photo angles that will result in good images. A review of the photos of this type will tend to chronologically "tell the story" of a wedding day as it unfolded, from its beginning to the end of the period the wedding photographer was hired to record it. While in such a mode, the wedding photographer will seek to be as non-intrusive as possible while still managing to "pop-up" everywhere in his or her efforts to get good candid photographs. Capturing memorable photographs of this nature requires constant alertness and constant movement to get into position; it's hard work. Difficult as this may be for the wedding photographer, the resulting pictures are worth the effort.

There are a number of things that a wedding couple can do to help their wedding photographer make these photojournalistic pictures come out terrific: First, the couple should try to not to change their facial expressions when their wedding photographer points his camera in their direction. Hard as it is to believe, some people actually have a tendency to change their facial expression when they see a camera pointed at them -- as if they've been trained to smile only one way for a camera. They cease being naturally engaged in whatever wedding event they were involved in -- to stop and "pose" for the camera. The result is that they stop looking natural and appear less photogenic. When you feel happy, or joy, or love, or connectedness during the course of your wedding day's events -- your facial expression and body language will automatically reveal this. So if you want memorable wedding pictures during the photojournalistic phases of your wedding's picture-taking, keep those natural expressions and don't stop to do a posed smile. Second, in addition to not assuming a posed expression (e.g., a posed smile) when looking at the camera, there are times during this photojournalistic phase (particularly with regard to candid or impromptu photographs) that you should not look at the camera at all -- if you would ordinarily not be looking in the camera's direction anyway. In those cases, just continue "doing what you were doing" as if your photographer and the camera weren't there at all. Your candid wedding photographs will then have a natural, spontaneous quality. Third, certain actions between the bride and groom, particularly during the wedding ceremony, should be done so that the camera can fully capture the performance of the act -- specifically (1) the exchange of rings, and (2) the first kiss between them as man and wife. As to "(1)" -- when the couple exchanges rings, the groom should holding out his left hand, and then put the bride's hand on top of his open left hand. Then, in view of the camera, he should slip her ring partially on her finger, pause, and then complete the act. The groom should be careful not to cover the bride's ring with his hand or with his body otherwise obscure the view of her ring and her hand. The same care not to obscure the camera's view of the groom's ring should also be undertaken by the bride when she then slips his ring onto his finger. The ring should always be fully exposed to the camera's view as it is slipped onto each's partner's respective finger. And as to "(2)" -- when the couple first kisses, this should be an actual kiss (not a peck!) and it should last more than a second. In fact, as the couple draws close to do their first kiss as a married couple, it would be best if they paused a second just before their lips touch to perform the kiss - and then held their kiss for at least 2 or 3 seconds. This will give the photographer time to get a great picture, as well as resulting in a first kiss with a lot of style.

Fourth, if you can manage it, see if you can secure from the minister or the officiate of your wedding ceremony -- the permission to allow your photographer to move about and position himself anywhere during your actual ceremony (just so long as he does not position himself directly between you the couple and your minister) and to use flash during this time. A number of ministers or wedding ceremony officiates do not permit this for indoor church wedding ceremonies

(if they allow photographing at all), feeling that it detracts from the solemnity of the ceremony -- while ministers or officiates of outdoor ceremonies may be more inclined to allow this for the couple's official photographer.   Nonetheless an inquiry by the couple is always worthwhile since the minister of even an indoor church wedding ceremony might allow, perhaps, a little more flexibility for the couple's own wedding photographer if the couple makes the request.   Certainly obtaining even a degree of mobility and positioning during your ceremony will allow your photographer the opportunity to capture some worthwhile one-of-a-kind "in the moment" wedding ceremony pictures for you.

Fifth, if you are planning an outdoor wedding ceremony, remember that outdoor ceremonies are subject to the weather. If the weather on your wedding day takes a turn for the worse -- it is prudent to have an alternative indoor location planned. Ideally, this alternative indoor location should be at, or very near to, your original outdoor spot: Thus if you were originally planning a outdoor wedding in a church's courtyard garden, you might make arrangements to have available for use the church's chapel should the weather turn unfavorable. An alternative indoor location which is at, or near, your original outdoor site is best: This will make the move from the outdoor to the indoor location faster and easier (a definite advantage on an already-busy wedding day) -- and wedding guests won't have to hunt all over town for your alternate (indoor) address. And sixth, if you will be having a wedding rehearsal -- allow your photographer to attend it. This will allow him or her to scout out the most appealing shooting angles, note appealing visual backgrounds and elements, become aware of existing photographic challenges in the environment, and get a feel for the likely flow of events during your particular ceremony. Although wedding ceremonies do follow a somewhat general pattern, each is unique and yours will benefit if your photographer is permitted to attend its rehearsal to become aware of its possible photographic challenges. (And if you'll be having an outdoor wedding -- have its rehearsal set for the same time of day as the wedding day; the sun will be in the same place in the sky then and so the lighting patterns will be similar to those on your wedding day.) Permitting your photographer to attend your rehearsal might even help mitigate any potential photographic challenges prior to your special day, by allowing you to make some last minute plan changes if need be.

When employing Formal Portrait Photography, a wedding photographer must direct the photographic activity and will conduct it much like a photo shoot where he poses the subjects. The hard work here is in effectively (and often times creatively) taking advantage of existing visually-appealing backgrounds and surroundings; helping the bride, groom and other person being photographed to relax and pose in an artistic and natural way; making adjustments to clothing, hair, and stance; as well as altering the shoot angle when the camera's viewfinder reveals it's "just not quite right yet." He or she can then, finally, shooting the picture. He must try to control or significantly influence all the necessary photographic details in order to create a perfect shot of the subject, whether that subject is the couple, the bridal party, or the family. This kind of attention and hard work pays off however since everyone in the final photographs turn out looking better than they thought they could.

With regard to utilizing the time period between the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception, many brides fail to give their photographer enough time to take their formal wedding pictures: A common mistake here is to schedule the wedding ceremony from 2:00pm to 3:00pm (for example), and then schedule the reception to begin at 3:30pm -- giving the wedding photographer at best only a half-hour (assuming there aren't any interruptions during this period). Even if the ceremony and reception aren't in two different locations, 30 minutes is an insufficient period to create memorable formal portraits of the Bride and Groom -- not to mention appealing portraits of the bridal party and the family members as well. A much better schedule, were your ceremony to end at 3:00pm, is to schedule your reception to start at 5:00pm -- or even 6:00pm. And if your wedding ceremony is to begin at 3:00pm or later, then a photo session prior to that time, with a half-hour free time for you to make any last-minute preparations before your ceremony, is best. Even better would be to schedule your ceremony for the morning -- with your reception starting in the late afternoon -- so as to give you a lot of time for your formal portrait photographs before your reception. Whether you schedule your formal portrait photos to be taken on the day of your wedding or on a day prior to it, you can help your wedding photographer during the portrait-taking phases (particularly when group, family, and bridal party portraits are involved) if you organize your portrait-taking as follows: (1) Make a list of who you want photographed in these formal portraits, including the particular groupings, (2) remind these individuals when and where these photographs will be taken, and (3) assign a close friend to make sure those people are there on time and to identify these people for your wedding photographer during the formal portrait-taking sessions. These three things this will insure that your wedding album has a complete selection of the people you want formally photographed. It will also help make everything run more smoothly, as well as help speed this formal portrait taking along and so thereby "creating" time for more pictures. It will also help "turn loose" family members and friends earlier to make their way to the reception.

A final tip with regard to formal wedding portrait photographs is this one: It is best that no one at your wedding be allowed to photograph over your wedding photographer's shoulder while he or she is taking these formal wedding portraits or to otherwise intrude or interrupt this professional process. Nothing will sabotage the professional results of your formal portraits more than a bunch of well-meaning friends and family members "clicking away" with their cameras while your photographer is taking your photographs. Given the photographic circumstances involved in a wedding, there are important technical and posing reasons for this: First, additional flashes going off at the same time that your pictures are being taken will add light to your pictures and will thus cause overexposure of your own photographer's photographs. Second, these extraneous flashes may also trigger your wedding photographer's own automatic flash units to fire prematurely, resulting in either no flash power when he or she does finally click the shutter, or insufficient flash power because his or her flash units have not yet recharged after being prematurely fired by the flashes of your guests. Thus, your own portraits will have less light so will be underexposed. Third, note that when more than one camera is pointed at the Bride, Groom, bridal party, or family group - some or all of them may not know whom to look at the moment the picture is taken: It is not uncommon for those in the photograph to end up looking at something else when the picture is snapped. (All of which can lead to some very unusual group pictures and expressions!) Fourth, when photographing a group of people (and here in the photographic sense a group can be made up of just two people) there is an inherent difficulty in getting the people in the picture to achieve and then maintain their visual composition. What we mean is that someone in the group to be photographed almost always blinks (so in the picture they have their eyes closed), or tires of their pleasing expression (so they stop smiling or start smiling too hard), or shifts their stance (e.g., tilt their head or body at an unfaltering angle), or unintentionally does or fails to do something which then throws the entire group's visual cohesion off. It's noticeable when you're are at the camera-position looking at the group -- but if you're among those being photographed, you can never know this because you (and everyone else) is looking forward towards the camera's direction and can't see that you or some in the group aren't ready. This is normal and to be expected. The chances of this non-cohesion increase considerably however when, e.g., (1) there are more people in the group, or (2) there are other things attracting their attention (e.g., other picturetakers trying to get them to look at them instead of your photographer's camera, or just the fact that a lot is going on around them just outside the camera frame), or (3) the time they stand there becomes prolonged (the more the group has to wait for whatever reason, the more all the foregoing can work on them, including fatigue and short-attention-span boredom). Not permitting others to photograph over your wedding photographer's shoulder therefore lessens distractions and delay -- thereby increasing the chance to obtain good group photographs in less time. And fifth, remember that if your photographer must stop and wait for other people to take their shots -- this will delay him or her in carrying out his or her job for you. Your wedding day's own timetable is knocked off track and your own schedule is delayed. And with time shorten, other formal portraits may have to be skipped, or at least the time available for them lessened. Lack of time also negatively affects those who are being photographed -- they'll feel rushed -- and this can show in their facial expressions and body language when they are photographed. It is therefore in your own best interest as the Bride and Groom ask your guests and all others not to shoot over your wedding photographer's shoulder during the set-up and shooting of your formal portrait sessions. At times other than this they may take whatever photos they wish so long as their doing so does not delay, or otherwise interfere with, your own wedding photographer's performance of his or her job for you.

Next . . . III. What to Look For When Choosing Your Wedding Photographer -- Page 3 Click Here   A. Do You Like the Photographer's Wedding Photographs? (Page 3)   B. Are the Sample Photographs from Same Wedding "Professionally and Talentedly Consistent"? (Page 3)   C. Are you Comfortable with Your Wedding Photographer's Personality? (Page 3)   D.What Your Money is Really Paying For & Why You Should Begin Looking Early (Page 3)

General Information About A Wedding In Hawaii

A Wedding Day's Photo Gallery & Musical Slideshow

For Brides & Grooms: Tips for Making Your Wedding Photographs Great (Back to the Start of "Tips")

Hawaiiseen.com Wedding Photography Price Packages

back to top Home / Gallery Central / Hawaii Portrait Photography Portraits On Location Central /  Hawaii Phototographer Portraits & Costs / Hawaii Modeling Photography / Privacy Policy / Contact Us