Wedding Photography Tips - Only the Very Brave Will Attempt It

Hire a professional. No? Don't want to do that? You think Uncle George can do it fine on the cheap? Save a few bucks and spread the joy around? Then read on, reckless fool...
Be prepared. Emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and photographically. You will need more than just a strong heart and nerves of steel. You'll need extra memory sticks, extra batteries, a flash outfit, a tripod and a zoom/wide-angle lens. You'll also need a decent photo editing program to produce the finished product in an acceptable form.
Have an assistant or a helper. You should have lots of stuff to carry around, and you need someone who will watch your gear when you're busy. Get someone to help you out. It's also good to have someone relatively sane to talk to.
ALWAYS shoot for the bride. Men don't really care about photos of themselves. Well, that's a generality. 99.9% of men don't care. Usually the only time a man looks at a wedding picture under his own volition is just after the divorce with a drink in the other hand.
Get a list of wanted shots. Don't go into this blind. Find out what shots the happy couple expect and try to oblige. Weddings have about 4 phases: getting dressed, the ceremony, after the ceremony (relaxed shots with the new couple), the reception including the cake and groups of guests. Take your lead from the bride not the juiced up guests at the reception.
Shoot a lot. This is good advice for any photography. At a wedding you're dealing with human nature at its most confused. Who can really tell what shots will be the big sellers? Just cover everything (even the speeches) and shoot everything three times and be safe.
Get the groups. Groups are important but watch out here because semi-inebriated guests will want to be photographed with pot-plants, the foxy waitress, each other, maybe the bride and groom, and towards the end of the evening fascinating cloud formations. Get the bride to tell you who should be in the groups. Stay with her.
Get the proofs to the bride as fast as possible. This is not just good service, it's also good business. Happiness and the vows of matrimony can be fleeting. Get your bill in before the first fight if possible. Definitely before the divorce.
Be a professional. Weddings can be scary things. They're all about love, sex, eating and drinking. Passions and confusions can be rampant. Get your shots first and party later if anyone is left to party with. If you find yourself at the end alone with your camera, at least you can console yourself that you completed your mission.
Do your own quality control before you submit the proofs. Your reputation can be destroyed by a handful of misaimed shots of the bride or her friends. People often remember that one shot where the matron of honor looked as if she was zonked when it was just an untimely blink. If it sucks delete it. Better safe than sorry.
Lance is not very good at writing about himself in the third person. He is an ex-patriot Australian living in Taiwan running a business consulting company. His grasp of the Chinese language ranges from poor to laughable and in most circumstances his actual use of the Chinese language results in laughter.

Portrait Photography Tips - Get the Most Out of Your Portraits

Portraiture can be very rewarding. It's a chance to show the best side (literally) of someone, and create a photo that communicates something unique.
The first rule of good portraiture is LOOK at your subject. This sounds obvious but take a browse through all the shots you have of your family and friends and see if they don't have a sameness about them. Head and shoulders, passport photos, awkward poses, uncomfortable expressions, blank looks, embarrassed smiles...?
Each person has some unique quality that deserves photographing. It doesn't have to be perfect skin, a remodeled nose, pouting mouth, stunning eyes. But it should be some quality that best communicates the person's individuality.
Sound daunting? It isn't if you follow some basic tips.
Don't use direct flash. Flash is light at its most boring. On rare occasions it can really lift a shot into dazzling life, but most of the time using available light is better. Flash tends to give a bland look and the fact of the flash going off takes away any intimate atmosphere you may have created.
Use a telephoto lens. 105-135mm is best. Wide angle is a big no-no.
Compose vertically. Turn the camera on its side. A portrait usually includes the head and upper torso and sometimes the hands. These work best in a vertical format. Horizontal framing leaves you with wide open spaces either side of the subject that can detract from the feel of the shot.
Dress your subject up if possible. If this is a semi-formal portrait you can have some say in the clothes. Solid, dark or light colors work best. Stripes checks, swirls, and patterns confuse the viewer's eye. Bold colors can overwhelm the skin tones. A vee or scoop neck is better than a round neck. For a man or older woman, cover the shoulders, for a young woman leave them bare.
Try to use the available light to good effect. Position the person where the light is soft and coming mainly from one direction. This can give a moody feel and usually gets the eyes more attention. You can use a reflector on the shadowed side to 'bounce the light' if the contrast between highlight and shadow is too strong. You can make a simple reflector using aluminum foil on a sheet of cardboard.
Pick the person's 'best side'. People really do have one. Get one shoulder turned towards the camera so one side is favored a little. Try the pose the other way and figure out which is best.
Let the person sit down. This helps them to relax and helps you to be able to direct them more easily.
Direct the person. In portraiture, you're dealing with minor movements and shifts of position and angle. Try to shoot slightly above the person to make the eyes open more. Lower the shoulder closest to the camera, get the head straight or at an engaging angle. Lower the chin a little.
Some people look best when they smile and some don't. You can get more interesting expressions and nuances without a smile. Tell the person to think of something they like doing. This will bring up subtle lights in the eyes and shifts in the mouth lines.
If the hands are in the shot, take a good look at them. Hands can look ugly or awkward. A lightly closed fist is usually neutral. Let the hands rest on a knee or in the lap and see what you have. Crop them out later if they don't work.
If you're shooting candid portraits the same tips apply but in these shots you have to move around to get the best angle.
Lance is not very good at writing about himself in the third person. He is an ex-patriot Australian living in Taiwan running a business consulting company. His grasp of the Chinese language ranges from poor to laughable and in most circumstances his actual use of the Chinese language results in laughter. Complete Portrait Photography Tips