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Planning
You don’t want to turn up for a long wedding day without having a gameplan in place. I walk you through all the preparation you need to take to be ready for the big day, from clarifying what the couple want, managing expectations, and avoiding stress at the busy parts of the day.
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The month prior
Until you have shot several weddings, it’s impossible to know what steps you need to take before the wedding to make sure things go smoothly. I will run you through a variety of things that cover communicating with the couple, visiting the shoot locations, prepping gear and more.
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Gear
Knowing what gear you will need in each part of the day, and how to use it to get the best outcomes is critical.
I talk you through the theory, and show you in practice how I use the different equipment to get the desired images.
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Shot List
One of the most stressful parts of starting to shoot weddings is not knowing what shots you need to get on the day, when they will arise, or what the best way to shoot each opportunity. I provide you with a shot list including over 100 must-capture shots, and give you guidance on expanding the list to cover off all the requirements of the couple.
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Shooting the bridal party preparations
We take you along on a typical traditional wedding shoot – starting with the Bride and Groom getting ready for the day with their Bridesmaids and Groomsmen. This is an important opportunity to strike the right dynamic with the bridal party which will make the rest of your day easier. There are over 20 key shots to get, including story telling images and detail shots.
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The wedding ceremony
This is the once in a lifetime moment the couple has been dreaming about – and it is often the most stressful part of the day. I walk you through what to expect, where to position yourself, what shots to get and what equipment is going to deliver results. There are some obvious MUST HAVE shots here, but there are other important story telling and reaction shots you don’t want to miss.
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Group shots
For some people working out how to get a great shot of the guests is just as stressful as the ceremony itself. How do you find a good setting for the shots; what camera settings will get you the right image; what different group pairings do you need to get and how do you make sure you don’t miss anyone? We’ve got you covered.
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Bridal party shots
Even couples who want a documentary or progressive style of photography end up wanting posed bridal party shots – and these (along with group guest shots) are the ones most likely to end up framed or in albums. I will show you how to get fun and playful, as well as traditional group shots, also tender couple portraits, and how to eliminate potentially distracting elements from your shots.
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Shooting the reception
Now the party begins. Every reception presents different lighting and shooting challenges, and you still have several must get shots in this final session of the night, with speeches, first dance, cutting the cake, table decorations and more usually on the couples photo list.
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Post processing workflow
You’re likely to end the day with hundreds or thousands of images. I walk you through my process to cull down the shots and save time in editing, as well as showing you options on how best to deliver the images to clients.
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Bonus Lighting Tip
It's common that couples will want pre-wedding portraits these days. These are formal portraits of the bridal couple taken before the big day, and they are a great opportunity to sell prints to be displayed on the wedding day.
I show you a simple location lighting tip that yields beautiful dreamy results that brides just love!
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Planning forms & templates
There are SO many things to keep in mind on a wedding day - you will need lists and planning tools to keep it all clear in your mind.
The course comes with a gear guide, a packing list, a shot list and also a set of editing presets. These tools will help you plan, execute and wrap up the wedding shoot smoothly!