Wedding Photography Business - Formal Posing Techniques

While the photojournalistic look is all the rage these days, the fact is that most couples (and their more traditional parents) still want a few posed photographs of their wedding day.

The professional wedding photographer should work quickly and efficiently when doing the posed portrait segment of the wedding. This usually takes place immediately after the ceremony. If you don’t work quickly, people tend to become anxious and uncooperative (after all, they are ready to head to the reception!). Ideally, you should take no longer than an hour at the most.

The bride and groom should be coached ahead of the wedding day about the time and sequence of events relating to the posed portraits. Let them know that you will be able to work faster if everyone cooperates and other “photographers” stay out of your way. Hopefully they will pass the word on to their wedding party and everyone will be cooperative.

Start with the largest group and work down until you are left with just the bride and groom. This allows people to leave as they are finished being photographed. When doing large groups, start with family groups first, then move on to wedding party groups. Here is an example (add some of your own ideas, too):

• bride and groom with both entire families
• bride and groom with just bride’s entire family
• bride and groom with bride’s parents
• bride and groom with just groom’s entire family
• bride and groom with groom’s parents
• bride and groom with both sets of parents
• bride and groom with grandparents
• bride and groom with wedding party
• bride and groom with entire wedding party (either by couples or with men on one side, women on the other)
• bride with bridesmaids
• groom with groomsmen
• bride with maid of honor
• groom with best man
• bride alone (front and back views) full length and close up
• bride and groom (full length) looking straight into camera and at each other
• bride and groom close up

Cindy Bracken is the founder of www.shuttermom.com, an online community for portrait photographers. Stop by to enter the photo contest, subscribe to the free ezine, join the message board, and create a free blog! Start your own photography business now!

Cindy’s other sites include www.prostudiolighting.com, www.picturepartypeople.com, and www.dayinthelifephotography.com