Capturing weddings is an immensely beautiful art. And like all good art, it comes with a sweet responsibility. When a bride trusts you with chronicling her big day, it is crucial that you make photographs that she will cherish for many years to come. As a wedding photographer who has been crafting unique and memorable bridal photos for over a decade, here are 8 types of shots that I never miss taking during a bridal photoshoot.
Photographing each hour that adds to the bride’s big day will help you do justice to the bride’s journey. Hence, the first shots you take for the bridal photoshoot should be of her getting ready as she anticipates her wedding ceremony. If possible, have a conversation with your point of contact for the wedding beforehand to learn where the bride will put on her make-up and jewellery.
A step further to that, if you have the luxury of checking out the venue and the dressing room in advance, absolutely seize the opportunity. Assess where the light will come from in the room or how you would light the space if there is a lack of natural light. You could also visualise the kind of frames you would like to capture.
Once the bride is ready and before the ceremonies chime in, request her close friends and relatives to gather for a few memorable group portraits. You would often have to request the bridesmaids and close relatives to get ready at the same time as the bride to get their group pictures.
The hassle is worth it because getting a bridesmaids’ photoshoot done after the wedding ceremony may result in dull photographs as the subjects would likely be all worn out by then. Thus, when you click group pictures before the wedding begins, you will have fresh, lively, and much more charming portraits.
When making tasteful images of a bride, you can start with taking full-length shots that showcase the bride’s entire outfit. Remember, she has chosen the design, colour, jewellery, and every subtle element of her look with utmost care. Therefore, it is only fair that the whole look gets highlighted in full glory.
Full-length shots are also money shots for photographers. Make sure you get creative with their choreography. Alongside traditional standing shots, try capturing the bride as she walks, climbs down the stairs, or twirls gracefully in her lehenga.
This series of bride photos helps you reflect on why the bride chose you, particularly to chronicle her wedding. Because while all the other shots are pretty common and evident to a photographer, only you can craft portraits in your unique style.
To create unique bride photos, assess the time of the day and every nook and corner of the venue to find pockets that would make for a great backdrop. Then, work on pre-visualising shots that depict your special style of bridal photos. For example, you could incorporate interesting light and shadow patterns, experiment with different lenses, and play around with frames unique to the location by exploring varied perspectives. Your instincts and vision as a photographer will ultimately craft the concoction of colour, emotion, and elegance for creative bridal portraits.
No bridal photoshoot is complete without a series of mid-length shots where you can focus on highlighting the bride’s look. Years later, she would like to remember and revisit her wedding day look. So, put in extra care and effort while choreographing this set of bridal photos. Take your time to choose the location, pose, and backdrop– make it something that she would cherish forever.
This is where you showcase every single element that assembled the bride’s extraordinary look. Take close-up shots of her eye make-up and expressive eyes, of her jewellery such as her maang tika, bangles, and pendants, as well as her her whole face. Oftentimes, brides adorn themselves with ancestral jewellery or precious make-up looks, and showcasing each of those elements with love and care could mean a lot to the bride.
As the wedding ceremonies approach, find out about the bride’s entry into the venue or the mandap. Get a shot of her walking in, donning a hundred emotions and surrounded by her close family and friends.
A tip here is to figure out the location of the bride’s entry beforehand when you plan the bridal photoshoot. This will help you understand whether natural light would be enough or if you would need to carry artificial lights to get the best shots. Furthermore, it will prep you to clear any hurdles which might come your way as you try to take bridal entry photos.
This tip is for you if you are a photographer who loves to pour in some extra love during a bridal photoshoot. Before the wedding and even before the bride starts to get ready, carefully take pictures of her outfit, jewellery, and the wedding invite as a memoir of her wedding look. Focus on the details of her outfit, such as the embroidery or laces. Click pictures of her shoes and jewellery pieces to give the bride an extra slice of love from her big day.
With these eight types of pictures for a bridal photoshoot and tips on how to capture them, you are all set to embark on the gracious journey of wedding photography for the bride. And if you are a bride looking for an expert photographer to chronicle your big day, I’d love to chat with you and explore your ideas, hopes, and dreams for the wedding.
Get in touch with me here or check out my wedding and pre-wedding work for many beautiful Indian brides here.
