If you loved Airika and Gerald Pope’s first four top Wedding Photo Tips, you are going to really LOVE tips 5, 6, and 7!   Ready for the rest of the top Wedding Photo Tips!?!  Here we go!

5.  Know Your Surroundings—Scout Before Shooting

We can’t stress enough how important it is to scout the locations that you will be shooting ahead of time. We try to do this before the wedding day AND at the same time of day that we will be shooting there. That way, we know that the lighting conditions will be similar to what we’ll experience on the wedding day. Sometimes we’re not able to scout a location before the wedding day, simply because the destination is too far from our home. In this situation, we ask our clients to send us any photos they may have taken during planning visits and then we arrive about one-two hours early on the wedding day so that we can fully scout out the location before we start shooting. Some people may think we’re crazy for doing that much research, but I can’t tell you how many times being familiar with our venue has helped us work efficiently & creatively when faced with scheduling or weather-related challenges.

When scouting, look for hidden or unexpected spots where you might be able to capture a unique photo. Select a spot for the first look (if applicable), the couple’s portraits, wedding party, and family photos. It’s also good idea to identify some indoor or covered areas that will be a good alternative for photos if the weather is not favorable. If you’ve done this prior to the wedding day, communicate this information with the couple and their coordinator so that the involved parties can be ready & waiting in the appropriate photo spots. Knowing and communicating your plans will save time, and will ensure that you, “the photographer” are not the reason a couple’s wedding is running late.

6. Backups—Required.

If you can’t afford to purchase a full set of backup equipment yet, there are other options. You can rent equipment, or you might be able to find another photographer friend who’s just getting started that you can share gear with on wedding days. However, if wedding photography is something you are going to be doing long term, you will eventually need to invest in backup gear.

Secondly, always backup your images! Download your memory cards as soon as possible, and don’t erase those cards until you have at least two copies of the photos on separate hard drives, preferably in two different places. This may seem tedious, but two copies is the bare minimum. We keep three-four copies in separate places (main computer, backup drives and online) at all times.

Remember, there are no second chances at weddings, and you don’t want to risk losing a couple’s wedding memories because you weren’t prepared. Do whatever it takes to preserve their images.

7.  Details—Everybody Loves Them!

No matter how busy, stressful, or rushed the wedding might be, make time to shoot the details. Get photos of the rings, the flowers, the venue—anything and everything that adds interest and personality to a wedding. Your brides have worked hard to create these details, and they want to remember them. Not only that, but these are the images that photo Editors look for when choosing which weddings to feature on their blog or in the next issue of their magazine. And brides usually love getting their wedding featured!

We especially love capturing a creative detail photo of each couple’s wedding rings. We try to incorporate an aspect of the couple’s wedding, whether it is one of their details, their colors, or just something quirky that we’ve found throughout the day.

Airika and Gerald are dear friends, and Brian and I can’t thank them enough for posting their gorgeous photos and awesome top wedding photo tips!  Hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I have!  They spent hours making these two posts, and we are all better photographers for it!  Thank you so much Airika and Gerald!  We love you two, xoxo, Me Ra and Brian

Airika & Gerald Pope (a.k.a. “The Popes”) are a husband and wife photography team. Although based in Seattle, they are passionate about artistically interpreting wedding stories for couples in love all over the globe. To connect with them and their work, you can visit their photography blog at www.blog.thepopes.com