Let me start off by saying this is not going to be the normal 'how to take better wedding pictures' article. There are plenty of those on the internet already, and to be perfectly honest taking good wedding pictures is not the hard part, being a good wedding photographer is. There are hundreds of things I have learned over the years while shooting weddings, but I am going to distill them down into the four most important things it takes to be a good wedding photographer.
Tip #1 - Know Your Client.
Most people do not react naturally around a camera, and it's your job as a photographer to cut through the muck and take honest pictures of who that person is. The easiest way to cut through the muck is to know your client. When you know them well enough that they trust you as a photographer you will notice your client relax, or when the best happens, forget you entirely.
There are quite a few ways to get to know your client, but the easiest - in my opinion - is to give them a free engagement photo session. This will give you and your client time to get to know each other and help your client to relax at the idea of pictures being taken. Trust is very important. I cannot understate how important your client's relaxation is, and how much easier it will be to do this if your client trusts you.
Tip #2 - Get Out of the Way (Most of the Time).
Weddings are a spectator event above all else. As a photographer you will have the urge to put yourself in locations that will provide the absolute best angle. This in itself is not bad, but when you get in the way of the spectators or even worse bring attention to yourself, it is bad. Your client does not want the guests to leave talking about how they could only see the photographer. At the end of the day it is far better to sacrifice the perfect photo for a really good one. If you think I am wrong ask your client before the wedding, would they prefer you to be out of the way and give them good photos or you to be in the way and give them perfect photos. I've only had one client tell me to get in the way, and I did.
Tip #3 - Over Deliver On Your Promises.
If you tell your client the pictures will be ready in fourteen days make sure they're ready in eleven. I don't care if you have to stay up late editing the pictures; finish them ahead of schedule, and your client will love you for it. If your client orders a batch of prints, through in a few freebies, they cost you almost nothing, and will leave a lasting impression. There are very few people who will say that every step they took with their photographer was seamless and there are even fewer people who will recommend a wedding photographer. If you can be that one photographer who gets recommendations you will have more clients than you know what to do with.
Top #4 - Follow Up.
It is easy to forget about a client once everything has been delivered and the job is done. This is the perfect time to do something that the client is not expecting: following up. A quick phone call or email just asking if they are still happy with the pictures and if there is anything else you can do can go a very long way. It will show commitment, and signals to the client that they were more than just a paycheck to you, they were a client that you want to have a lasting relationship with.
The Final Word
These things will absolutely not help you take better pictures, but they will help you be a better photographer. The soft skills of being a photographer tend to be overlooked, but are no less important to you financial success. The best part is these things are easy to do and the cost to benefit ratio is absolutely worth the minimal effort required.
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