Foto Friday #9

I’m not sure if the anxiety involved in shooting a wedding will go away as I shoot more of them and maybe that’s a good thing. I think that it’s what keeps me on my toes, thinking about where I need to be and what shots I need to be getting. There is certainly pressure to perform and not miss the moments, but that is also where the excitement comes from.
I have learned a lot after shooting a couple of weddings. Something I realized right away was that I needed to just do it. By that I mean you have to put aside the nervousness and anxiety and just step into the photographer role and focus. You need to have confidence in your ability to get the shots. Even if you are struggling a bit, you need to maintain your confidence so the client isn’t wondering if something is up. Keep smiling and push through.
One of the main things that will help your confidence is knowing your gear inside and out and how to get good exposures. This is really photography at it’s core. If operating the camera is second nature, you can concentrate on capturing the moments, not what shutter speed you are using. I practice all the time with the camera even if I’m just shooting random photos of nothing in particular. So, keep shooting.
Having an assistant and/or second shooter is also a great help. I’m sure I could shoot a wedding by myself, but having someone on your team really does make a difference. They can keep your confidence up, help you see things you missed and be in two places at the same time. My wife was the second shooter on this past wedding and it was a huge advantage. She was able to get some shots that I couldn’t have gotten myself because of the timing.
Today’s image is by my wife. She made this shot of me walking down the aisle just before the ceremony. For some reason I just liked how this shot seems to tell the story of the wedding shoot, like I’m on my way to do the job.

Happy Friday!

Canon 40D EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS @ 55mm f2.8 1/320 ISO 800