My uncle has a great camera, he'll shoot my wedding free!

I shot Andrew and Lelian's wedding two weekends ago, they are a wonderful couple and had a great group of warm family and friends. They also had an army of photographers! Everytime I turned around there were 4-7 family members shooting away. Some of them were serious amateurs with thousands of dollars in equipment. Which all begs the question- why hire me?

I will go over a few reasons why a seasoned wedding photographer like me is worth the investment. I will also go over a lot of the common mistakes I see in amatuer photography.

As a photojournalist I do my best to get great shots without inserting myself into the action. I want to work quietly most of the time and capture real moments and real beauty. In this manner I capture the event without being obtrusive and in the way. Many times amateurs plant themselves right in the way during the ceremony and frequently flash away at key moments. I use highly sensitive lenses so I do not need flash during the ceremony and I always try to find great angles without blocking anyones view. This comes from shooting over 50 weddings and

having a good sense of where to be when.

Move! As a photographer I am constantly moving, amatuers many times find one or two spots that they think are good and stay there, usually shooting at standing height. My back and feet ache after a wedding because I am always moving around scanning looking for great moments and unique perspectives. I might put the camera on the floor I might hold it high over my head for a few frames, sometimes during the reception I even jump and I am always climbing on the furniture!

Details & Close ups. Amatuers usually see just the single frame one at a time. This is normal logic for most and has to be unlearned by the pro. I am always seeing images in series to tell the story. An amatuer will certainly get the bride and groom at the altar and close ups of each face. They are unlikely to capture the hands clasped together or a tear on the Father of the Brides face, or a best man snapping away with his cell phone... I look beyond the typical shots and try to capture all the small details. I get the important typical shots too but I try to find the less cliche as well. The amatuer will many times try to crame everything about the story into ever frame and miss isolating the small details and moments.

Experience. Weddings can be very challenging, they are designed to be special for the guests not for the photographer. Photographers have to be ready to make beautiful images with very little control of the lighting or positioning of people and objects. There are no re-shoots we have to get it right the first time. Nothing substitutes for experience, great gear is good but knowing how to use it is crutial. I learn more and more as I shoot weddings, this wedding for example had very harsh noon lighting. I had to get creative and find shade, then I had to use special processing techniques to get the most out of my lighting. Amatuers will sometimes buy a great camera but ignore all the little accessories and items that pros know are crucial. One or more of the "amatuer" photographers may have even been professionals in another field of photography- nothing substitutes for actually shooting weddings.

See more of Andrew & Lelian's Wedding here.

-Josh Kline
http://www.jklineproductions.com/