Six Ways to Get Amazing Wedding Photos with A Thing Like That
Today we’re very excited to have some EXPERT WISDOM on the blog! As an alternative wedding photographer who wants to make sure you’re super comfortable on the day, the lovely Rebecca from A Thing Like That has compiled her top 6 tips on getting amazing wedding photography. Not only is she a super talented tog who takes light-infused photos like no other, but she’s also clearly a most benevolent soul. Take it away, Rebecca…
I know lots of you are currently in the early stages of wedding planning, so I thought I’d write down a few simple but oh-so important tips for you on how to get the most awesome photos ever. (Don’t worry, this is not an article about how great I am!) It’s all about you and ensuring your wedding is the best it can be.
1. Embrace your inner Albert Einstein.
One thing you should do right at the start, before you’ve even chosen a photographer, is think about light. Light is the most powerful tool that any photographer possesses, so it’s a pretty darn important thing to think about if you want great photos. Yes, a good photographer will be able to handle any lighting condition you throw at them, but the amount of light will affect the overall mood of your images. If you don’t like dark and moody images, try to avoid wedding venues or bride/groom prep locations that don’t have many windows – or worse, have lights on in the middle of the day.
The time of year will also affect the amount of light in your photos. If you are getting married in autumn or winter, think about how many hours of actual daylight you will have available and plan your photos around this. A good way of making the most of the light is to have an early ceremony. Or, if you are willing to throw out tradition (and I LOVE rule breakers), why not meet up before the ceremony for some photos of just the two of you?
The absolute best time to take a photo is during golden hour (that time just before the sun sets and everything looks like it’s a scene from a really cool movie). Not everyone is lucky enough to get a golden hour during their wedding day as the weather conditions have to be just right and, well, let’s face it, if your wedding is in the UK you can pretty much throw any weather expectations you might have out of the window. But if you do happen to get married on a beautiful day, be prepared to drop your dessert spoon and sprint off into the sunset with me. Good photos last a lifetime, a bowl of apple crumble, in the right hands, lasts less than five minutes.
2. Find photos that you love.
There are a lot of words used to describe wedding photography today: fine art, documentary, fashion, contemporary, traditional, reportage, cinematic… If these terms scare you, don’t worry. I have never met anyone who has said, “Good day, I’m looking for a reportage wedding photographer…”. You probably won’t know what you are looking for until you find it. The best way to know if you really love a photographer’s work is to ask them to see a full wedding gallery from start to finish, don’t just look at their Instagram feed. One of the couples I met from last year’s Most Curious show told me that they chose me for my combination of cool, elegant and romantic shots mixed with images that captured a fun, fast-paced party type energy - because that’s what they wanted for their own wedding.
3. Don’t forget to check you’re compatible.
I’ve been thinking lately that finding the right wedding photographer is a bit like going on a Tinder date, but without the sweaty palms. You might have been drawn to someone based purely on their looks (or in this case, photos), but you probably wouldn’t want a relationship with someone who had a crappy personality. Your photographer will most likely be with you from the morning, while you are getting ready, through to the night of your wedding day. A good photographer will feel more like a friend and will always have time to chat if you need advice during the wedding planning stage. So find someone who makes you feel comfortable and happy. Most Curious has done a lot of the hard work for you by curating a show full of amazing suppliers and given you the chance to meet them face to face. So get to know them and see whether you can envisage spending time with them. Don’t be afraid to come prepared with a list of questions on a piece of paper, either. The same rule does not apply for dating, unless you like to freak people out for fun, which is cool by me.
4. Get practicing.
The best way to practice is to book a photo shoot. Before a recent pre-wedding shoot one of my grooms said to me that he HATED having his photo taken (he might not have actually shouted the word HATE at me, but he was pretty adamant that he didn't like photos). Cut to his wedding day when during our photo session he was so happy to be photographed he jumped on the back of a stranger’s bicycle with his legs akimbo while his bride buried her head in her hands. I like to think his confidence came from our bonding during his pre-wedding shoot around London, as I didn’t give him any tequila before the shoot. So the moral of this story is: have a pre-wedding shoot, and by the time your wedding day comes along any awkwardness you might feel about jumping on a bicycle that does not belong to you will have vanished.
5. Get your excel geek on.
Is it just me or have you noticed that getting ready for an important meeting in the morning ALWAYS takes longer than you think it will? This annoying phenomenon does not go away on your wedding day, it only gets worse, which is why it’s a great idea to plan more than enough time for photos. It’s better to aim to get your dress on early during bridal prep, so you can hang out with your bridesmaids, sip champagne and have some relaxed photos, rather than spend that time in your pyjamas, clock-watching and then rushing the final minutes of getting your dress on. Also throughout the day set a strict day-of schedule that everyone is aware of. Don’t be afraid to geek out with the Excel documents here. The geekier you are about timings before the day, the less you will be inclined to stress about it on the day.
6. Enjoy.
My favourite and most important tip! Almost all of my couples say they feel awkward about being photographed before their wedding day (not just my bicycle-hopping friend). Believe me, it’s a common fear and you don’t need to give yourself stress dreams about it – you’ll be fine! You also really don’t need to practice smiling in the mirror before your wedding day – just one of the many crazy things I suggested my husband do during our own wedding planning days (thank you husband for still marrying me). I’ve not once met anyone sporting a deadpan face on what is potentially the happiest day of their life. Trust me, it’s going to be the most fun, crazy whirlwind of a day ever, you will barely notice the camera is there, so get on and enjoy.
Now if you’ve fallen in love with Rebecca based on a blog post, imagine what she’s like when you meet her IRL? To make sure you can do exactly that, head over to our shop and grab your tickets for our London fair - 7th-9th February 2020, The Old Truman Brewery. See you there…