Dapper and Distinguished: Essential Grooming Tips for the Wedding Day
Perfect Candid Wedding Photos: A Comprehensive Guide
One of the biggest trends in wedding photography right now is candid photos. The opposite of the often stiff posed photos, candid wedding pictures are natural, organic, and authentic and they make wonderful memories of your most special day.
However, capturing this type of candid shot can be a lot thicker than it first seems. Indeed, many different factors go into securing the perfect candid wedding photos. The good news, as part of our wedding photography tips, is that you can read all about them in our candid wedding photo guide below. Keep reading to find out more.
Make sure your photographer has the right equipment
The best type of equipment for candid wedding photos is a camera with a telephoto lens. These are the large, long lenses that newspapers use to capture high-quality photos from a long distance away. The main benefit of choosing a photographer over working with a telephoto lens for candid pictures is that they can get those amazing, emotional-filled, up-close shots, without having to barge into conversations or disrupt the flow of your reception.
Watch this video for some more useful tips from a pro:
Get a wedding photo website
Professional photographers are not the only people who can take great candid shots at your wedding, your guests can too. The problem is that getting those photos after the big day is over has traditionally been something of a challenge.
The good news is that there is an easy solution to this problem, and it’s to invest in a wedding photo website or app. This is an online digital storage space that allows guests to upload the photos they have taken of your big day. You can even use this type of software to create albums for different parts of the day from pictures that your bridesmaids take when you are getting ready, to images of the last ones standing on the dance floor at the end of the night.
The trick to facilitating a proper photo website or wedding photo app successfully is to make sure that you provide all guests with the access code. One way to do this is to display the code around your wedding venue with a reminder to upload. Some couples even add the code to their invites so guests can upload photos the next day.
Use Instagram hashtags
If you don’t want to set up a wedding website or app for candid guest photos, there is another option. That option is to make use of your social media account. To do this all you need to do is create a custom hashtag for your wedding. Then whenever your guests add an image to social media, get them to tag it with this hashtag, so you can easily collate them all and review them at your leisure. However, do remember that posting them on social media makes your images public so it’s important to consider whether you are OK with this for your wedding pictures or not.
Hire or Create Your Photo Booth
While wedding photo booths won’t produce candid photos per se, they are another great way to get some more informal and fun shots. Especially if you provide lots of hilarious props like wigs, hats, and glasses.
When booking a photobooth be sure that they provide a copy of all the images to you, as well as to your guests. Otherwise, some of the most hilarious shots may be lost and you certainly wouldn’t want that.
If you prefer to create your own photo booth – read this guide we made a while ago.
Photo by Ana Arantes on Pexels.com
Choose an active photographer
When it comes to getting the best candid photos at your wedding, you must choose a very active photographer. This is because to capture the best organic shots your photographer will need to be moving around to find them.
The photographer you choose will also need to be able to move about unobtrusively. The idea is that they blend in with your guests, which puts everyone at ease, allowing for candid photo opportunities to arise naturally. To that end be sure that the photographer you choose has the skills to do this with grace and ease on the day.
An active photographer can get those candid wedding photos. Photo by A.C on Unsplash.com
Keep things chill
The more relaxed you are, the more opportunities there will be for charming candid shots. What that means is you need to do everything you can to make your wedding day as relaxing as possible.
One option is to schedule some chill-out/time-out time throughout the day. These are 10-15 sessions where you and your new spouse can retreat to your room, and just spend time relaxing together. In this way, you can remove all the pressure of being ‘on’ or even of being ‘photographed” leaving you refreshed once you emerge.
Watch this awesome video for some more tips:
Book a second photographer
Often, a wedding photographer will have their hands full capturing the posed shots you want on your wedding day. That means they can easily miss the candid ones that many couples find so charming.
With that in mind, investing in a second photographer that works in tandem with your first can be the best option. This second shooter will have the time and the equipment to take better candid shots. They will also be able to focus on the things that the main shooter can’t, such as your parents’ reactions during your vows, or your family having fun while you have your formal pictures taken.
A second photographer can find those awesome photos. Photo by Alexander Mass on Pexels.com
Plan a first look
OK so planning a session may go against what candid wedding photos are, but there is nothing wrong with optimizing the opportunities for some great shots. Indeed, a first-look session has several benefits that result in better candid photos later on in the day.
The first is that because you have seen your future spouse before you tie the knot, a lot of the nervousness and worry will dissolve. Secondly, because you have dedicated some time to getting posed portraits before the ceremony, it leaves more time and opportunity to get candid photos right after you get married. A time that is usually the most full of joy and enthusiasm both from you and your guests.
Pick a photographer who specializes in Candid Wedding Photos
Posed formal photography and photographers who specialize in candid shots are two quite different professionals. While it’s true that some people will offer both, it’s also worth noting that a jack of all trades is rarely a master of one, and a master is exactly what you will want for the shots on your wedding day.
That is why it’s well worth investing in a photographer who specializes in candid style if that is what you want from your wedding photos.
Get a pro in candid photos. Photo by cole peters on Pexels.com
Get comfortable with your photographer
Formal shots are hard to get when the couple is stiff and uncomfortable being in front of the camera. Candid shots are almost impossible if this is the case. That is why it’s well worth your time to get as comfortable with your photographer before your wedding day.
A great way of doing this is to have an engagement shoot. This is because it allows you to meet your photographer, experience the way they work, get to know what is expected of you and evaluate the results of their picture-taking afterward. What this means is you not only get to get comfortable with your photographer for the big day, but you get to make any tweaks to the style of photos or approach taken by your photographer before your big day.
Be mindful of things you do not want on camera
To be truly relaxed during your big day, and to get those wonderfully candid wedding photos you also need to be mindful of the things that you don’t want to be captured on film. Particularly if you are asking your guests to take pictures and upload them online or to a social media site.
For example, some brides are OK with photographs being taken of their wedding lingerie draped across a chair as they get ready. While others would prefer to keep this private, making sure the only person that gets to see this is their delighted partner once the day is over.
Similarly, if you have family members you know will want to smoke during the day, you might want to ask them to use an alternative nicotine delivery method such as a pouch from the Zyn range while the photos are going on. The benefits include that no one else can tell that they are using them, but they’ll still get what they need to feel their best selves during the celebrations.
Be present
Another way you can ensure you get some awesome candid photos on your wedding day is to be present. What that means is instead of rushing from one thing to the next, take some time to slow down and truly enjoy the part of the day you currently find yourself in.
For example, when it comes time for the cocktail hour, don’t worry too much about getting around to see and talk to every guest. Just focus on the moment and enjoy the conversation you are having now, as it’s in these moments that skilled photographers will be able to capture the best organic candid shots.
