As such you feel like you may even be able to pose people in a manner you find pleasing. In fact you have practiced this with your friends and begun to develop and understanding for what kind of language you can use to instruct people efficiently. That's all fantastic, you are really starting to feel ready for photographing your first wedding, but we are not there yet. I'm assuming we are all humans here, one unfortunate part of being so is that when faced with pressure our minds like to present as black voids, "I'm outta here" Mr Brain yells as he jumps upon his brain mobile and drives off into the sunset. It is at this point you will be happy you prepared a shot list. What is a shot list I hear you ask. Essentially it is a list of images that you feel are important to capture, we can however take this beyond a simple list of essential photographs and develop it into a list of creative ideas that you wish to try. If you are the sort who embraces technology then you can make a list of images on your phone which you can scroll through during some quite moments, then when faced with an opportunity to grab some shots you will have ideas fresh in your mind.

Be a scout! Call your best mate, using threats and/or bribes encourage them to take a drive with you to the location of the wedding, this of course should be done before the big day! Remember to take your camera along and head there at the time of day the wedding will take place so you can get an idea what light may be doing. Use your friend as a stand in bride and groom and take the opportunity to find some shots you may wish to capture on the day, this will not only provide you with valuable practice but also ease any nerves you may have on the big day, knowing that when all else fails you already have some ideas.

Last but certainly not least familiarize yourself with the timing of the wedding day. Ask your bride and groom for an order of events and make a point of reading over it. Being in the right place at the right time is key to capturing the action of a wedding. Armed with knowledge of the days events you will be in a much better position to anticipate where you will need to be, thus maximizing valuable shooting time.

Photographing a wedding can be really stressful, chaotic even. Yet with the right preparation you can help the day run as smoothly as possible. It is up to you to put the time and effort into obtaining the knowledge you need.

The film versus digital debate has been at the forefront of professional photography over the last decade or so. Most professional photographers charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for the wedding day, which do not include print fees or additional transportation costs. Photographing the wedding yourself can be an affordable and creative way to remember every single moment of your wedding. These wedding photography tips are designed to help you get the best pictures for your special day.

Wedding photography prices aren't cheap, so you can hopefully cut budget costs by hiring a family member or a friend.