Vail Wedding Photographer - Four Tips for Capturing Wedding Photos and Staying Discreet

A new camera on the market has been brought to my attention.  Light have introduced the L16 camera, which has the ability to take DSLR quality photos in a camera the size of a smart phone. This got me thinking about how much gear I carry with me when shooting weddings.  I shoot with two DSLR cameras on a chest harness.  One camera has a wide 17-40mm lens and the other has 24-70mm portrait lens.  Both cameras have flashes and light diffusers attached. That's a lot of gear!  So if a wedding photographer carries so much gear, how can they be discreet and still get the shot?

1: Dress Comfortably

Recently I saw a wedding photographer dressed in a full tuxedo.  I couldn't think of anything worse! For high end events in Vail, we have a dress standard that's referred to 'Mountain Casual'. Translated, this means dress nicely but sensibly.  If I'm shooting a wedding, it's not uncommon for me to be walking through long grass, mud, snow, rain, river beds and obviously, over mountains.  This means sensible shoes.  I also wear black dress pants, a black shirt and usually a black cardigan.  Whatever I'm wearing, I have to be able to move and stretch.  If I can't move, I can't get the shot.

2:  Be Prepared

If it's good enough for a boy scout, it's good enough for a photographer.

Do a walk through at the location, check on the light (both artificial and natural), clean your gear, buy batteries for your flashes, have clients fill out a questionnaire, create a shot list, visualize your ideas, talk to the officiant, get the wet weather plan, check the weather forecast on multiple apps, research ideas for large wedding parties, look up ideas for small wedding parties, plan a route for photos throughout the location, pack a snack, take sunscreen, bring an umbrella, check your camera bag multiple times, make sure you have enough memory...you get the drift.

Be both strategic and adaptable for any situation that may arise.  Nothing will draw more attention to you than being unprepared!

3:  Ninja Mode

We wedding photographers wear black for a reason.  We want to blend in and not draw attention to ourselves.  We also want to be light on our feet.

I like to shoot from all angles during the ceremony.  I start by taking centered shots from the aisle, both wide and tight.  Then I move to each side and repeat.  I'll be back in the center to get the vows, exchange of rings, the first kiss and the recessional.  With all of this moving about, I have to be quiet and quick.  This means moving in and out of each location as nimbly as possible.

In order to do this, you need to know your gear backwards, forwards, inside and out in order to get the photos that the clients want - like a ninja!

4:  You're on the Clock

This one is personal and some photographers may disagree with me.  I worked for years in the resort industry, helping to plan weddings on top of the mountain. Because of this, I'm very conscious of my role during a wedding.  I don't eat vendor meals in front of clients and I don't drink alcohol during events.  I'll carry a snack with me and eat it somewhere out of sight of guests, quickly and usually during dinner service.  I find that dinner is the best time to walk around and grab a photo of each table.  This ensures that I've taken at least one image of every guest at the event.

When I'm done for the day, I'll go home and have a glass of wine in the comfort of my own home, make-up free and in my pajamas!

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