What guidelines can you provide to wedding guests regarding taking photos at the wedding and reception? I know there will be a professional photographer, but don't want to miss the chance to get some candid family photos.
The Music Pros
Music Forum Moderator
Sep 25, 2006, 10:35 AM
Post #2 of 2
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Re: [Perkins10] Guests taking photos at wedding and reception
[In reply to]
Here are some helpful "candid" photography tips:
Keep in mind that many photographers now do not just "shoot" photos. If they are shooting with a digital camera, they often take the pictures on location, then clean them up back at their studio.
Cleaning them up means 1) adjusting the light and contrast 2) removing unwanted things from the picture 3) enhancing the pictures with softer light or special effects 4) cropping the pictures to focus on the primary subject rather than the background images and 5) removing or smoothing facial blemishes.
The file size images that you want to have printed will probably be very large 3 megs and higher. You don't have to submit your images online. If you have the disk with quality images you can go to any film development center and let them know what size prints you want. Unless you have a fast internet connection, it's not a good idea to try and upload large image files to an on-line source.
To ensure your photos are the best they can be, please consider the following tips to ensure your memories will be captured as they should (whether by your friends or photographer):
1) Negotiate with your photographer so that you will "own" the images when all is said and done. This allows, in the future, for you to take either the negatives or the digital images and purchase your prints directly. If you do not obtain a signed release or show proof of ownership, many photo labs will not print the images as a professional photographer's images are copyrighted.
2) If the photographer is shooting with a digital camera, be sure that the images are supplied to you in the highest resolution format possible. Ask the photographer to supply the images in uncompressed TIF file format. If they are only willing to supply the images in JPG format, then ask that they do not compress the images further, and that they take the photos at their camera's best setting. Do not allow them to provide low resolution small JPG file size images. Because, when you go to have your portraits made, you may be limited to only 5x7 portraits, rather than a larger format that you may want.
3) If a family member or friend will be taking the photos check on the following:
If your friends will not be using a high quality camera (3 megapixel or larger), consider renting a high resolution digital camera for a very reasonable amount and have your shutterbug friend use that during your event. There are several outfits on the net that provide this service, plus provide the photo prints at a great price.
If you are using a digital camera and want high quality prints made from the images, the pictures need to be taken at the highest resolution and pixel size. Many people shoot digital photography at 72 dpi to save space on their memory stick and save it as a compressed jpg, but when it comes time to have the photos printed the image looks blotchy, blurred, or below quality.
When you look at a newspaper color photo, notice how the dots of color have space between them? The higher the dpi (dots per inch) the better the picture printed. So, when the digital photos are taken, please keep this in mind. People often don't realize this because 72 dpi looks great on the computer screen and TV, but definitely does not translate well to the printed paper.
When jpgs are compressed image quality is lost. To prevent this from happening, you can invest in several large file size memory sticks for your friends' cameras to hold your images. Some people always have their laptop computer handy so they can access the internet from their hotels. If so, your friends could download the images they take to your or their laptop to ensure you have plenty of memory card space.
Lighting is a major issue. Many churches do not allow flash to be used. Digital cameras have a hard time in low light settings. Ask your friends if they can use a flash with their camera to ensure faces are seen. Proper ISO settings is very important when shooting in low light. The lower the light the higher the ISO should be set. An outdoor shot in full sun will usually have the ISO at 100 or 200. Low light events, such as dancing and such, you'll need to set the ISO higher 800 or more. Copen Cabana DJ and Custom Wedding Photo Book Services http://www.knowareland.com
Guests taking photos at wedding and reception
