A wedding is a special event that marks a vital transition in the life of lovers, and so documenting its proceedings should come with a great deal of care and accuracy.

As a photographer, you need to understand how to work around different situations to offer the perfect shots during the amazing day. To prepare to give your clients the best, here are 20 tips you could embrace to perfect your skills in wedding photography.

1. Expect the unexpected

One of the things as a photographer you need to learn is that things could go wrong any time and this could in some way form the best moment. All you need to do is to embrace the event with an open mind and a flexible eye so as to capture moments as they come not as your fixed plan says you should do.

2. Have fun

A wedding is an event that is all about celebrating, so you should not be left behind while the rest will be enjoying themselves. Having fun allows you to be relaxed and this increases your confidence and accuracy level.

3. Set continuous shooting mode

Events proceed quickly at some point and this where you need to capture the drama as it unfolds. To achieve the goal easily, you should use continuous shooting mode, which allows you to capture as many photos as possible within a short time span.

4. Try group shots

Trying to capture every person in the wedding is also important as this gives a preview of the amount of frenzy present in the event, and it allows you to share the story better. You could do this by getting on a raised ground where you can easily capture every person in the venue.

5. Fill flash

During the day where there could be shadow, a little fill in flash comes in handy as it works out the clarity stolen by the differences in lighting on that day. You need to keep your flash attached to achieve this.

6. Get a little creative

Having a fixed perspective while shooting wedding photos could limit your effectiveness. You need to include some creativity by coming up with ideas like using different angles to create the dramatic and unexpected shots your photos should have.

7. Don’t delete your mistakes

Many photographers are tempted to discard their mistakes but this is also a mistake in itself. Images can be cropped to give a perfect photo, so not every image you feel is not perfect is useless.

8. Pay attention to your backgrounds

The biggest challenge about wedding photography is that you will have people moving about and you cannot control where they should be at any particular time. It is, therefore, advisable to time when your target is at an uncluttered background to create emphasis.

9. Do it RAW

Many people don’t prefer shooting in RAW because of the processing time, but gives you much more flexibility to manipulate the shots after taking. You are not assured to get the perfect lighting and this means you need to make manipulations to cater for your needs perfectly.

10. Apply diffused light

You also need to have the ability to diffuse light as this will help you when the light in the venue is too low. You can do this relatively easily with a diffuser.

11. Exude boldness

Being timid won’t give you the perfect shot and sometimes you need to be strong to capture a moment. Timing is vital and thinking ahead allows you to get the perfect position for key moments.

12. Invite a second photographer

You cannot be everywhere every time and this is the reason you need to work with someone else. With another photographer (i.e.: a second shooter) helping you, it becomes easy to focus on one area by minimizing movement.

13. Have two cameras

Hire or borrow an extra camera and make sure to use a different lens. This allows you to create diversity and come up with perfect shots for different moments.

14. Capture the tiniest details

It is the small details that are often ignored that create great memories. Focus on them to come up with photos that will hold value for many years.

15. Turn the sound off

You don’t want to disrupt with beeps amid speeches and important announcements, so just keep your camera in silent mode.

16. Discuss with the couple

You should discuss with the couple to set expectations and to get their ideas on what they would like captured. Remember you are not doing the photos for yourself, so you must serve their needs fully.

17. Preparation is key

So many things can go wrong when you are ill prepared. Gather your tools early and make sure to have a backup plan in case of bad weather.

18. Scout the location

You also need to visit the location to see the different places you will shoot. This prepares you psychologically.

19. Photography coordinator

Suggest the couple nominate a photography coordinator from the family to guide you on which places to emphasize shooting.

20. Compile a shot list

Get information from the couple and prepare a list of the shots they would like executed. Implement every shot after the other to ensure you serve their needs well.