[aesop_timeline_stop num=”How I Got into Wedding Photography” title=”How I Got into Wedding Photography”]
I chose wedding photography because there were no other style of photography that identifies me. I’ve always told people that if you choose your own photography niche (i.e. Wedding Photography) and have fun with it, success will come to you. I believe that all professional photographers started as photography fans. In my case, I had the desire to find new challenges like meeting new people, going to new places, growing professionally, etc. Photography has helped me in all that and has become part of my life. It’s not just about living with a camera in your hands for your whole life, it’s about how to frame the scene so that it captures the moment. And all those moments have helped me prepare for wedding photography.
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[aesop_timeline_stop num=”Finding the Inspiration” title=”Finding the Inspiration”]
Inspiration is not something that is premeditated. I go to weddings not knowing what I’ll do, what will happen at the place of ceremony, and what sort of emotions and gestures I will see – sadness, joy, laughter. You won’t know happens until it happens. Every wedding has its own spontaneous moments and nothing is more inspiring than that.
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[aesop_timeline_stop num=”Choosing a location” title=”Choosing a location”]
Choosing a location to shoot is one of the main tasks of wedding photography. People should not underestimate the amount of time it takes to find a good location so some location scouting should be done ahead of time. You can either choose a quiet location with few distractions or a busy urban environment – it all depends on the personality of the couple.
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[aesop_timeline_stop num=”My Most Important Wedding Photography Tip” title=”My Most Important Wedding Photography Tip”]
It’s very important to pay attention to the gesture – when they move their arms, tilt their head, or touch their face. When clients look at the final prints, they don’t remember the photo for what happened, but what is felt. For me, it’s important to see this feeling being reflected in the picture.
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[aesop_timeline_stop num=”Remember to Keep Improving” title=”Remember to Keep Improving”]
The best way to improve your photography skill, as I have always told people, is to surround yourself with good and professional colleagues. When you do this, you form a network of people who share the good and bad things they’ve learnt in their job. I don’t have a clear reference in the world of photography but I can teach an amateur to be the same as the best professionals. Sometimes I see photographers who reach a fixed number of customers for the year and think they can relax. I think we should never relax. You should always be learning new photography and post-processing techniques. Look at the works from other photographers and find out what you can learn from their works.
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[aesop_timeline_stop num=”Questions People Ask Me” title=”Questions People Ask Me”]
Something that’s very interesting during a wedding is what the people ask.
- “Why don’t you use flash?”
- “Why did you photograph in this position?”
- “How do you get that tone and lighting effect in your photos?”
I think the answer to all those questions is that I’m paying critical attention to light during the shoot. The rest comes with improvisation. When I ask another professional, he will tell me that it is difficult to explain. It is like choosing what’s better or worse. For me, I just try to get photos that impact people’s heart.
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[aesop_timeline_stop num=”A Typical Wedding Day” title=”A Typical Wedding Day”]
Each wedding is a different world and working hours in this is highly variable. I’ll explain how a “common” wedding in the country where I live and work.
Scroll through the timeline below to see the breakdown of a typical wedding day.
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Manuel Orero Galan
Manuel Orero Galan is a freelance photographer based in De Valencia, Spain. In the last three years, he has experienced an amazing change and became internationally recognized in the Wedding Photography industry. You can see more of Manuel’s work on his website.