LL Studios' Tips for a Good Wedding Photoshoot


It's our belief that the wedding photoshoot should not only produce fine images, it should also produce fine memories. Approaching the photoshoot as a memory making time rather than a necessary disruption in the day is the first step in getting the best pictures. As with any other adventure, having good plans while being open to new and spontaneous ideas is key. Here are some things that will help:

• Set aside about 2 ½ hours for the photoshoot – a little more if you're going to drive to several sites. Much less and you'll feel rushed, too much more and the excitement may drain away as you tire.

• Trust your photographers. A good photographer will see things in the site you've chosen that you won't have thought of – that's their job! Make sure that they've heard your ideas but also make sure you hear theirs. It's far more relaxing to let them take the responsibility for seeing the very best in you and your site(s) while you take the responsibility for being madly in love.

• Don't be afraid to be “mushy.” It's your wedding day and kissing is somehow....appropriate! Your love needs to shine through in the pictures.

• Expect to have fun. Don't be afraid to tease and be teased, spontaneously run over the hill, swoon in your lover's arms, sag out on a parkbench, slip your shoes off to walk down the beach. And don't be surprised if your photographer asks you to do it over again so he can get a better angle.

• Pick sites that allow for variety. Pegging all your hopes on one waterfall will end in disappointment. Find places that have shady spots, open areas, a bridge, a wall, some flowers, a path – anything that the photographer might be able to take advantage of to create shapes and depth. Check out Nathan & Paige's book on our website to see what can be done in a junkyard with old mattress springs and a big pile of bricks – it's not the beauty of the backgrounds that counts but the potential for shapes and interest.

• Go urban or go green or go..... Downtown is as good a place for photos as the park or a corn field – it all depends on your taste and character. The important thing is that each site you choose has a single flavour. A park with a parking lot in the background won't work easily. Check your sites with an eye to what's in the background that might distract. A good photographer (especially one proficient in Photoshop!) can do wonders in any situation but you might as well give her the freedom to work from any angle rather than having to avoid distracting elements.

• Remember that you hired the photographers because they're good at what they do. When others take over the direction of posing or follow along with advice through the entire photoshoot, both you and your photographers will end up restricted and frustrated. Once the family shots are done, politely leave everyone behind except you and your wedding party.

• Schedule your priorities:

? Family pictures are important and shouldn't be neglected. We usually shoot family pictures at the beginning of the shoot, but it's very easy for that time to stretch out beyond its priority. (“Could we take one with each of the uncles and aunts individually? And with my little brother? And....”) It might not be you that asks for the extra pictures but it's hard to be grumpy and say no on the happiest day of your life. If you have a suitable amount of time scheduled for these photos, it's easier to make sure we get the really important groupings done without eating into your personal photo time. Usually, ½ an hour is about right.

? The youngest members of your party are likely to get tired and/or bored. Take the shots with flowergirls and ringbearers early on while the little people are still excited.

? Expect roughly equal times for 1) shots of the entire wedding party, 2) shots of the two of you and 3) shots of the bride and groom individually. These certainly don't have to be sequential so be ready to shift gears often. Photographers often see a slant of light, a bride's casual but wonderfully graceful pose, an exchanged look, a play between the background and the groom ... all sorts of things ... that they have to interrupt a group shot for. Take the time to look at lots of photos ahead of time so that you and your photographers have a good sense of what you love. Talk it through with them a couple of weeks before the wedding so that you're on the same page on your wedding day. The more comfortable you are with each other, the better the photoshoot will be.

The ideas here are good ones no matter who you pick for photographers, but we know that you've already picked the best and we're looking forward to working with you.

Nigel & Collette