What is the difference between photography and wedding photography? Wedding photography is the act of capturing photographs of a couple during the process of getting married. The photographs are taken to be placed on the wedding announcements, displays for portraits, and even the thank you cards. Wedding photography has become an actual branch of the photography industry, with many photographers making it their specialty generic natural related to photography.
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The History of Wedding Photography
The art of wedding photography as progressed a lot since 1826, when the photographic art form was first invented. When photography first began, many of the less privileged couples did not hire a photographer to record the actual wedding event. It was not until after the last half of the 19th century that people did not pose for formal photographs during a wedding. It was the late 1860s that people began to pose for photographs in their wedding clothes and hire a photographer to come to the wedding venue.
During the late 19th century wedding photography was mostly done primarily in the photography studio, due to the heavy equipment and issues with lighting. As technology improved over time, many couples were still in the practice of only posing for one photograph. As wedding albums became more common as the 1880s approached, the wedding party became part of the photographs as well as the wedding gifts.
Challenges of Wedding Photography
Taking wedding photographs can be very challenging for the photographer; because there is very little room for mistakes. The first challenge is that of the bridal party and their families. As a photographer, it is your job to pay attention to every detail in the wedding photography contract. Be certain that you read over it thoroughly before signing it to avoid any unnecessary glitches. This will be a good time to discuss the number of photographs that will be needed of the bride and groom. Time is of the essence when shooting a wedding; you will need to catch everything just right the first time around, so diligence is very important because there is no chance for a “do-over.”
Learning the Art of Wedding Photography
If becoming a wedding photographer is your ambition, then the best way to do this is to hang out with a professional wedding photographer. Learning the basics about taking wedding photographs can be done by working as an assistant to a veteran wedding photographer.
One of the first lessons you need to know about doing wedding photography is to ensure your camera has the correct equipment, lens, and lighting so you will be prepared for any unforeseen conditions. Also, have extra batteries and memory cards, as well as have backup photos stored on your laptop to save time and avoid any issues with data loss.
As an aspiring or seasoned wedding photographer, you want your events to be well-preserved in your professionally taken photographs. Fortunately, there are now many software packages, photo editing programs out, and wedding photography resources that are excellent at helping you to edit photographs.
Once you get through the challenges and equipment issues that go along with being a wedding photographer it can become a very rewarding career. To be capable of creating photographs that last a lifetime and capture the emotions of a couple pledging their eternal love to one another, for generations to witness years later takes a lot of patience and talent.
