A Visual Guide to Wedding Photography

Have you ever wondered why there is such a big variance in the prices of wedding photography? The simple answer is there are just so many newcomers trying to get their foot in the door and they'll work at any cost to get a portfolio going. But wedding photography is not a commodity; it's a skill set, and when done right it's an art form.

There is a saying "You get what you pay for." There is currently a flood of newcomers to the wedding photography business with their new digital cameras, that frankly I am embarrased to see identifying themselves as "professional". Young couples aren't really savvy to the differences between the work of these newcomers and the work of a properly trained and experienced photographer.

Here are the answers you need in an easy to understand visual form. This is real world stuff - very typical of what you will see in the portfolios of people selling wedding photography services. This is what you should be watching for.

Exposure

Under Exposed

Just Right

(By the way, tell your guests to put away their cameras during the formal shots,)

Over Exposed

You want to see detail in the whites of the wedding dress!

Much Better

Out of Focus

Sharp

Ordinary

Creative Composition and Lighting

Straight from the Camera

With Post-Processing

The fun part..., but can be pretty time consuming.

Incorrect Color Balance (Too Much Blue)

Correct Color Balance

Incorrect Color Balance (Too Yellow)

Notice the reddish shadows - the signature of a novice photographer

Correct Color Balance

Photographers talk about capturing the moment, but how often do you see real examples of it?