Rules Of Engagement

Finding and hiring a professional photographer to document your wedding day is a sizable investment, in not only money, but time as well. By doing your research and hiring a professional that suits your style, you can be rest assured that he or she is going to capture your day exactly how you want. Here are a few tips to help your photographer capture the best images of you.

1. Develop a personal relationship with your photographer. By the time your wedding day arrives, you should consider your photographer a friend, not just another vendor. This can seem like a difficult task to accomplish, considering how busy and hectic the months leading up to the big day can be, but it can be done. Phone calls, emails, any form of conversation will work and it most certainly doesn’t need to pertain to the business of your wedding. The stronger this sense of friendship is between you and the photographer, not only will you feel more comfortable and relaxed around him or her, the rest of the wedding party will as well. As soon as the guard comes down, the photographic magic happens.

2. Be yourself. This may seem like common sense, but it can be more difficult than you might think. Most people aren’t used to having a photographer document their every move, especially with intimidating looking professional equipment. Though they may not realize it, people tend to carry themselves and act differently as soon as a camera is pointed at them, which looks stiff and unnatural in photographs. Others just freeze up altogether. Unless your photographer is giving you specific direction, the best thing you can do is relax, be yourself, and act as if the photographer wasn’t even there. If your nervous about getting your picture taken, then definitely do the research and pick someone that does not have a large crew and piles of gear that will take you away from your moment. Pay special attention to your hands, they are a good indication of how tense you really are. Relax your hands and the rest of you will follow. No need to put on an act, simply be yourself.

3. Look through magazines, on-line, and, of course, through your photographer’s portfolio for specific examples of images, scenes, and body positions that appeal to you and share these ideas with your photographer before hand. It will give both you and the photographer a better sense of direction when working together. Also, if you internalize these ideas and are able to carry and position yourself in a similar way without having to be completely directed by the photographer, the photographs will look much more natural. The more the photographer must direct, the more awkward you will feel and it will show in the images.

4. Enjoy your wedding day. This may seem like common sense, but with the anticipation and stress involved in planning the perfect day, it can be difficult to actually enjoy it. While there is certainly no way to eliminate the stress and worry completely, you can minimize it. You have been planning this day for months, even years, and once it finally arrives, relax and enjoy it. You certainly deserve to and doing so will translate to more natural looking images.

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