We’ve all heard about someone getting married on a budget who has a friend who has a camera…the thing is, there’s a bit more to successful wedding photography than just being able to hold a camera and press a button.

Even the most basic, traditional wedding photos take some practice to get right. Have you ever tried to get 20 or more people all to look in the same direction, at the same time, so you can take their picture, without  any of them blinking or pulling a funny face, when all they really want to do is chat to people they haven’t seen in months or years? I bet it doesn’t sound quite so simple when I put it like that! Wedding photography is just as much about people management as it is about taking a good picture. And I haven’t even touched on making sure that picture is in focus!

While reportage photos might seem easier, even the best wedding photographers have to take A LOT of photos in the hope that there are some good ones in there, and we have the experience that tells us when those moments might happen. You not only need to be super observant, you also need to be aware of any visually interesting compositional devices. There are lots of things to look out for and when you’ve done lots of weddings, you get better at it. Having prior experience with the venue helps too as you will know where people like to sit while they’re waiting for the next part of the day, or where there’s an archway that looks stunning and the couple will have to walk through.

And then there’s the couple photos that are posed but shouldn’t look posed. Sure, you can tell people to look lovingly into each other’s eyes (to be fair, most newly weds will spend a lot of time doing this anyway!), but unless they’ve spent a lot of time with someone poking a camera in their face, it can make them uncomfortable unless you know the right way to ask. It’s all about creating the right mood…and yes, people management again.

To recap, wedding photographers have to be able to manage people in large groups or small, always have an eye open for a photo opportunity, and still be able to remember which lens is right for which shot and what camera settings they need to use, and they need to do it all in a flash. Rebecca Dawe are wedding photographers in Leicestershire with insider knowledge of local venues – check out our wedding photo gallery to see how well we take our pictures!