In virtually every type of wedding photography there is a ceremony. How to photograph that ceremony so emotions and the story are told is an important part of our craft. Whether it is a wedding ceremony in Blue Ridge Georgia or Vail Colorado photographing the ceremony is critical

In Blue Ridge Wedding Photography The ceremony in wedding photography can offer varied and unique requirements as church’s, officiants, cultures and expectations can alter what is available, how it is approached and what to photograph.

When viewing many examples of wedding photography the ceremony is often given the single image or two representation. If however you are attuned to your clients and their emotional reactions to each other and moments the ceremony can be a veritable treasure trove of emotional content. In the above examples it would be easy to believe the processional, ceremony and recessional would be limited to a few obligatory images. As you can see above, each can make a powerful and emotional statement. Here is where we tell our students in our Super 1 Day Classes to stay on point, stay alert and shoot for those key moments that are unique to your client.

Remember to give your self time to work the angles. If allowed by the venue or church, getting close with a long lens at the corners can show a great deal of emotion going on, from tears of joy to an overwhelmingly beautiful contentment.

Once The ceremony is underway, keep your eyes and heart peeled for key moments. One thing to be aware of is those key moments, especially during the ceremony are usually incredibly brief. Keep focused in and on your toes and try to anticipate the moments before they happen.  I cannot stress enough how tightly the success of that is woven into the relationship you build with your clients.

The landscape image, known as the weddingscapes, are also a great place to show emotion and feeling, even with a wide shot. Look for moments of prayer or impact by weather to show not just what the moments looked like but what they FEEL like.

In closing shooting the ceremony is not a time to relax and rattle off a few images, but a perfect place to mine for emotional content.

Finding a photographer who is a consummate professional is, in our opinion, key to getting the wedding story told as it should be.

An excellent place to start is at the Professional Photographers of America Website that houses the ability to search Photographers who are members and/or certified professional photographers.

You can check them out HERE: