New Orleans Wedding at Macarty House - Bywater
In early March I had the opportunity to photograph the wedding of Asher & Savannah. These two trusted a new guy photographing weddings like myself with their wedding day, and for that I’ll be forever grateful. They held their ceremony + reception at the historic Macarty House in New Orleans's vibrant Bywater neighborhood. I love everything about New Orleans. The old, French architecture mixed with southern charm, spanish moss, jazz music, and a topic for another day, the food. It’s amongst my favorite places to eat of any city I’ve ever visited.
As someone who’s new to wedding photography, I wanted to share a few things I learned after working a wedding. It’s stressful when beginning any new career / endeavor, so I encourage anyone to take the time to learn and absorb as much information from those who have done it before. There might be some details about how I shoot or what I see as super important someone else may disagree with, but one of the beauties of this art form is we all have our own creative style and developing one’s own, unique approach is what makes this line of work so rewarding and FUN.
Alas, here are few things I wanted to share and encourage as you prepare for shooting your first wedding:
5 Tips for New Photographers Working Their First Wedding
Meet with the Couple: Schedule a meeting with the couple before the wedding day to discuss their vision, preferred shots, and any specific requests / family dynamics they want to share with you. Understanding their expectations will help you tailor your photography approach to meet their needs. Some couples may you want you to keep your distance or want very minimal posing, etc. It’s important to ask these questions.
Know the Venue: Visit the wedding venue ahead of time to familiarize yourself with the layout, lighting conditions, and best spots for photo ops. Identifying key locations can save time on the actual day and ensure you capture all the essential moments. If you can’t visit in person before the wedding date, get there early to get a good feel. It’ll help you be so much more confident.
Prepare Your Gear: Make sure all your equipment is in working order and pack extra batteries, memory cards, and lenses. If you have a 2nd camera body, bring it along with you. It's essential to have backup gear in case something malfunctions during the event. Familiarize yourself with your gear to avoid fumbling with settings on the day.
Have Your Shot List Ready: This is crucial and helps with the overall flow. It’s important to be organized and after having talked with the couple about their overall vision for their photos, have the poses or prompts ready to go in an order that makes sense. Have a conversation with the couple about the order of family shots, and if possible, have the couple provide someone who can help with this as you will be busy taking photos.
Stay Calm and Flexible: Weddings can and will be chaotic, and things may not always go as planned and will move fast. Stay calm, adapt to these changing circumstances, and don't be afraid to take charge when needed. Keeping a positive attitude and being a comforting presence for the couple are key to successfully navigating unexpected situations and delivering quality photos.
Remember, your role as a wedding photographer is not just to capture images but to tell a story and preserve the memories of a significant day in the couple's lives. Embrace the challenge, stay focused, and enjoy the creative process!
Below is a shortened gallery of some of my favorite shots throughout the day. I hope these provide a starting point and how to go about planning your first wedding!
- Daniel -
