OH! Magazine - Australian Version June 2014 (Australian Version) | Page 29

GARETH
CHRISTIAN

3 TIPS FOR TAKING BETTER
PHOTOS

wedding

www.garethchrstianphotography.com

( Life Through The Lens )

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which includes more tips from www.
garethchristianphotography.com

In this new article series, professional and accredited
photographer Gareth Christian shares his secrets to taking better photos.
This month he’s helping you take better photos at weddings.
1 Get an original angle
Most wedding photos by guests are
from eye level, so to really create
something memorable score yourself an
original angle. To do so, try these tips:
• Stand on a chair. This will include more
background details, adding to the story in
your image. Similarly, positioning yourself
down low can add extra energy to your
photos

(and

is

a

great

tip

when

photographing kids).
• People being photographed tend to
relax more without a photographer staring
at them from the other side of a lens, so
play with the self-timer on your camera.
Place it on the ground or table and get a
group of friends to lean in and over.
• Shoot from the hip, and I mean this
literally. Hold your camera at hip level
and just take photos without actually
lining the shot up in the display. This
technique frees you up from composing,
and can actually deliver some surprisingly
dynamic images.

2 Use what you know
to read the play
Weddings are personal events, though
most will follow a familiar format. This
gives you the opportunity to “read the
play” and be ready to capture gold.
• Think about the shot you want.
• Look for clues about where and when
it might be happening and the best
position to capture it from.
For example, to capture a shot of the
newlyweds in that ‘just married’ scenario
where the guests are in the background
and they are looking naturally happy, ask
yourself:
‘When will they be “just married”?’ Right
after the ceremony.
‘When will they look naturally happy?’
Walking back up the isle.
‘When will guests be in the background?’
Once they have walked past the last row
of seating.

‘Where should I be to grab their attention
and the shot?’ Just past the end of the
aisle with the couple walking straight
towards me. Bingo. There’s your shot.

3 Use details to tell a story
Seek out details about the bride and
groom and include these in your photos.
For example, if it’s a wet day ask the
groom to use his jacket to shelter the
bride in a photo, or maybe invite some
guests or the wedding party to pose with a
pile of umbrellas. Or, if the couple met in
a library or share a love of reading, and
the venue has a wall of books, use this as
a background option. Weddings are full of
details that are unique to the bride and
groom. Some are small and subtle, while
others are large and obvious. All of these
aspects can be used to separate this
wedding from all others. And by describing
the bride and groom via the pictures you
take, you’ll definitely be invited back to
the next family function!
( OH! MAGAZINE ) JUNE 2014

29