5 Mistakes Wedding Photographers Make
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, Magic, a destination wedding photographer and Sony Europe Ambassador, identifies five common mistakes made by wedding photographers. These include incorrect exposure settings, overexposing important moments, sloppy framing, reluctance to shoot close-up, and inadequate use of flash. Magic shares practical advice on how to avoid these pitfalls, emphasizing the importance of understanding camera settings and composition for capturing stunning wedding photos.
Takeaways
- 📸 The speaker, Magic, is a destination wedding photographer with over 12 years of experience and a Sony Europe Ambassador.
- ❌ The first mistake discussed is incorrect exposure settings, which can lead to missed moments, especially when shooting in manual mode.
- 🔄 Magic prefers using Aperture Priority Auto ISO over manual mode for its convenience and adaptability to quickly changing wedding day conditions.
- 🌞 It's better to underexpose an image slightly to preserve highlights, as modern cameras can effectively recover shadows but not overexposed areas.
- 🖼️ 'Sloppy framing' is the third mistake, where photos may have unnecessary elements or be too centrally focused, suggesting the use of face tracking and recomposing for better framing.
- 🔍 The fourth mistake is shooting from a distance, which can result in less intimate and emotional photos; Magic recommends getting closer with wider lenses for a more cinematic feel.
- 🤳 Not knowing how to use flash properly is the fifth mistake, and Magic encourages photographers to practice and learn different flash techniques for various lighting situations.
- 🔄 Magic has transitioned from shooting in manual to using Aperture Priority Auto ISO for better control and less adjustment needed on the wedding day.
- 📈 The importance of understanding the exposure triangle is emphasized, with Magic still controlling aperture and shutter speed while letting the camera handle ISO.
- 📹 A full wedding set review service is offered by Magic, where he reviews and provides feedback on photographers' work, settings, and framing.
- 💡 Investing time in learning about flash and practicing different settings is crucial, as it can greatly enhance wedding photography, especially in low light conditions.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is discussing five common mistakes made by wedding photographers in terms of technicalities and shooting techniques.
Who is the speaker in the video?
-The speaker is Magic, a destination wedding photographer and Sony Europe Ambassador who has been in the industry for over 12 years and runs a YouTube channel focused on wedding photography.
What is the first mistake discussed by Magic in the video?
-The first mistake discussed is wrong exposure settings, where photographers may struggle with parameters during crucial moments of a wedding.
Why does Magic recommend not shooting in manual mode?
-Magic recommends not shooting in manual mode because it's cumbersome to constantly change settings like ISO and shutter speed, especially on a fast-paced day like a wedding. Modern cameras can handle these adjustments automatically based on the photographer's input.
What is Magic's preferred shooting mode and why?
-Magic prefers shooting in aperture priority auto ISO mode because it allows for control over the depth of field and shutter speed while the camera automatically adjusts the ISO, which is less relevant with modern cameras' high ISO performance.
What advice does Magic give regarding exposure in critical moments like the first look?
-Magic advises against experimenting with exposure settings like motion blur or high aperture in critical moments. Instead, he suggests using camera modes that prevent underexposure and motion blur to ensure the moment is captured clearly.
What is the issue with overexposing the sky in a photo?
-Overexposing the sky can result in loss of detail and highlights that cameras cannot recover, whereas underexposing can allow for recovering shadows with modern cameras.
What is the third mistake discussed by Magic, and how can it be avoided?
-The third mistake is sloppy framing, which can be avoided by using autofocus points throughout the frame, tracking the subject, and recomposing for better framing rather than relying solely on the central autofocus point.
Why does Magic suggest photographers should not be afraid to come closer to the subject?
-Coming closer to the subject allows for more intimate and emotionally charged photos, and it can provide a cinematic look that is different from distant shots.
What is Magic's opinion on using flash in wedding photography?
-Magic believes that knowing how to use flash is crucial for wedding photography, especially as it has become a trend and is essential for capturing moments in low light conditions.
What does Magic offer for photographers who want their work reviewed?
-Magic offers a full wedding set review service where he will analyze a photographer's full catalog, providing feedback on settings, framing, and areas for improvement.
What additional resource does Magic provide for photographers interested in improving their use of flash?
-Magic offers a flash for wedding photographers course, which is over 2 hours long and covers different settings and setups for using flash effectively during weddings.
Outlines
📸 Common Exposure Mistakes in Wedding Photography
Magic, a destination wedding photographer and Sony Europe Ambassador, discusses common technical mistakes made by wedding photographers, particularly regarding exposure settings. He shares his experience with second photographers and emphasizes the importance of using aperture priority and auto ISO to adapt quickly to changing lighting conditions during weddings. Magic explains how modern cameras can handle high ISOs, allowing photographers to focus on aperture and shutter speed without worrying about noise. He also advises against underexposing crucial moments to avoid motion blur and suggests that photographers should control aperture to manage depth of field.
🖼️ Improving Framing Techniques in Wedding Photography
The second paragraph addresses the issue of sloppy framing, where photographers may cut off important elements or leave too much unnecessary space in their compositions. Magic recommends using continuous autofocus to track subjects and then recomposing for a better frame. He suggests moving away from central framing and experimenting with different angles to capture more context and emotion. The key is to be mindful of composition and to avoid the temptation to just click without considering the frame, especially during high-pressure situations.
🔍 The Importance of Getting Closer to Subjects
In the third paragraph, Magic talks about the tendency of some photographers to shoot from a distance, which can result in a lack of intimacy and emotional depth in wedding photos. He encourages photographers to use wider lenses and get closer to their subjects to capture more meaningful and cinematic images. Building a relationship with the couple beforehand can also help in getting closer and capturing more personal moments. Magic emphasizes the value of variety in photography and the benefits of challenging oneself to shoot from different perspectives.
💡 Understanding Flash Usage in Wedding Photography
The final paragraph of the script focuses on the crucial role of flash in wedding photography. Magic points out that many photographers struggle with using flash correctly, which can lead to missed opportunities for great shots. He suggests that photographers should invest time in learning about flash, experimenting with different settings, and practicing at home. For those looking for a more structured approach, Magic offers a course that provides over two hours of instruction on using flash effectively during weddings.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Exposure Settings
💡Second Shooters
💡Technicalities
💡Destination Wedding Photographer
💡Sony Europe Ambassador
💡YouTube Channel
💡Aperture Priority Auto ISO
💡Exposure Triangle
💡Sloppy Framing
💡Central AF Point
💡Flash Photography
💡Full Wedding Set Review
Highlights
Magic, a destination wedding photographer with over 12 years of experience, discusses common mistakes made by wedding photographers.
Wrong exposure settings are a common issue, leading to missed moments like the first look.
Manual shooting can be problematic due to the need for constant settings adjustment.
Magic prefers aperture priority auto ISO for flexibility and control without manual ISO adjustment.
Modern cameras are capable of high ISO performance, reducing the need for low ISO settings.
Cameras should not underexpose crucial moments; instead, control aperture and shutter speed.
Overexposing images, especially skies, can lead to unrecoverable loss of detail.
Underexposing by one or two stops can help retain details in the shadows.
Sloppy framing, such as cutting off limbs or excessive negative space, detracts from the image.
Using the central autofocus point can limit framing creativity.
Tracking the subject and recomposing can improve framing and composition.
Fear of getting closer to subjects can result in distant, less engaging photos.
Shooting with wider angles and closer distances can create a cinematic look.
Building a relationship with subjects allows for closer, more intimate shots.
Magic offers a full wedding set review service for photographers to improve their work.
Not knowing how to use flash properly is a common mistake in wedding photography.
Investing time in learning and practicing flash techniques can greatly improve photography.
Magic provides a course on flash usage for wedding photographers.
The video encourages photographers to learn from mistakes and grow together.
Transcripts
today I'm going to talk about five
common mistakes that I see wedding
photographers make like in terms of
technicalities in terms of how they
shoot and this comes from like working
with many second photographers or
reviewing other photographers work
online my name is Magic I'm a
destination wedding photographer I've
been shooting weddings for over 12 years
now I'm a Sony Europe Ambassador and for
the last 3 years I've been also running
this YouTube channel talking about
cameras l
gear and technique for wedding
photography specifically so if you're
wedding photographer consider
subscribing to this Channel all right
first mistake is actually wrong exposure
settings like completely messing up the
settings like this happened to me many
times like receiving photos from my
second shooters that during a certain
scenes of the day I saw them struggling
with the with with the parameters and
like don't get me wrong I love my second
Shooters they're great I often work with
the same people and they're really
nailing it every single time but from
time to time I can see those like
settings and be like oh what happened
here and I'm like here's the example so
this is like a first look moment and for
some reason this the shutter speed is
just way below what is acceptable for
Like A Moment Like This to capture to
freeze that motion and like the f- stop
is just like just way too high like of
course I get that you can also
experiment on the wedding day you can
like play with motion blur you can play
with f aperture you know to get like the
most of the depth F fielded but you know
in crucial situations like this so this
is a first look like I'm like the
experimenting might not be the best idea
and I do think that this problem comes
with shooting manual yes I said that the
problem is shooting manual you might not
like that but I am apature Priority auto
ISO lover this is how I shoot these days
I used to shoot manual for years but
after switching to mirrorless and being
able to see the full exposure on the
screen every time I shoot there's no
reason for me to shoot manual and to
like constantly changing my settings
dialing my ISO dialing my shutter speed
because on the wedding day everything
changes so fast you know one time you're
in a shade the second time the sun is
shining the like then you're indoors
you're are constantly changing the
parameters and and like there's no need
to do that manually because the cameras
can do it for us based on our input I
still control the the output of the
image I fully understand the exposure
triangle I control the aperture meaning
the dep F field I do still control the
shutter speed the minimum shutter speed
I have it set to custom buttons so I can
switch back and forth to decide what I
want to do but I don't have to care
about the iso because ISO is irrelevant
these days the camera are just so good
at high isos that I don't see a need
like keeping the lowest ISO all the time
I said that if you're interested in that
I'm like for sure I'm going to be making
video about shooting apture priority
only now these days but like this could
solve a lot of these problems because
camera wouldn't go lower with the
shutter speed during a moment like this
and you know you could still control the
aperture and decide what aperture you
can go and looking at this particular
picture what camera would do when
shooting apture priority and auto ISO
would go higher ISO to make shutter
speed like 1 250 of a second or like the
minimum shutter speed you set up this
way you wouldn't have motion blur and
you could still decide if that you can
shoot F9 if you want to all right the
second one being the photographers often
expose the image like either on on zero
or overexpose it a bit so let's look at
this picture the this is also like kind
of very important moment this is like a
one of like one of a kind moment like
the groom is coming towards the the
bride the for the first time you know
down the aisle to see her and uh you see
the sky the sky is completely
Overexposed and what cameras can't do
they they cannot recover those
highlights this is like too much this
this was shot also with Canon cannons
they they suck right I'm just joking
Sony is the best but in a situation like
this it's it's way more prac practical
to underexpose the image even by one or
two stops because modern cameras have
zero problems pushing the Shadows up by
one or two stops or even three with some
of like my my Sony cameras you can go
like plus three with exposure and bring
back tons of stuff from Shadows but you
cannot recover the highlights so my
recommendation when shooting like this
would be just like to like underexpose
to make sure that the sky isn't blown up
that you can like retain
some of that sky in the photos the third
one the third one being I call it sloppy
framing I'm going to use this photo as
the example what you can see in that
image that there's like way like too
much stuff above you know the head of
the groom coming and you know the legs
are cut a bit it's a central framing but
look at this if you imagine if there's
like a central point of autofocus right
in the middle that's where the face is
and I and and I feel like this is the
problem if you're using Central AF point
or you are used to you know shooting
dslrs when you could only shoot with
like a center you know point of the
autofocus uh like you would end up
having photos that are framed within the
limits of the way you shoot do you
understand what I'm saying that you're
shooting focusing right in the center
you're you're just clicking the photo
and you you do not frame the photo these
days cameras can cont track the face
cont trct the subject like throughout
entire frame so my recommendation here
would be to you know lock on the subject
you know track the face keep the
shutters at half pressed so we can like
keep tracking the subject and then
recompose so you can like work on your
framing make this framing a better
framing not like super center framing
you could just go slightly lower to show
more of the stuff more of the people on
the left and on the right and you know
we don't need that like all that
negative space on the top I'm guilty of
that too that happens to me often too
you know some situations are like super
stressful you're like shooting really
fast so yeah you know you're just
clicking but yeah if you can you know
take a time to think about composition
to think about your frame then your
photos will surely benefit from that the
fourth one the fourth one being many
photographers like like I I see that
working with many photographers are
afraid to coming closer to the subject
so they're like shooting from from the
distance you know shooting longer lenses
shooting from the distance which is okay
sometimes you know like variety is a
good thing having various photos
delivered from the wedding day I I like
I believe that this is the way to go
having like a lot of different angles
lot of different ways to shoot but if
you shoot everything from like you know
a distance then it's in my opinion is a
bit boring and I do love shooting short
lenses like 24 and 35 and and coming
really close to the subjects you know
first of all building that relationship
with couples beforehand allows you to be
you know to be there for them to be a
person that they want to be around with
but then it gives you photos that just
feel different you can shoot wider angle
that gives also that kind of like a you
know cinematic look to it I didn't want
to say that but yes cinematic look to it
so wi their angle close so if you are
the type of photographer that likes to
shoot from the distance like I highly
encourage you to challenge yourself and
try to shoot closer uh take your 35 take
your 24 and shoot like closer to fill
the frame with people to fill the frame
with emotions you know show that stuff
from like a closer perspective your end
result can only benefit from that before
going to the number five if you're
interested in me reviewing your photos
and you know analyzing your settings
your Framing and so on I do have few
spots left for this month I call it like
a full wedding set review so you if
you're wedding photographer you can set
me like a full catalog full Lightroom
catalog I'll go over that catalog I will
record a video of me going through that
and letting you know what I think about
the settings Framing and everything
pointing out the strengths but also if
there are some things that I see that
there is the space for improvement I'll
let you know um their link is in the
description I have I believe six spots
left for this month for reviews like
this okay Point number five is not
knowing how to use Flash and you know
using flash is crucial for wedding
photography not only the The Flash has
become this huge Trend these days in the
last two years you know like
photographers are shooting flash all the
time now but like like even let's just
talk about it's getting dark you just
need Flash and what I see when I have
photos like you know from other
photographers reviewing photos from
other photographers I can see how many
photos are just shot wrong with wrong
settings with wrong flash settings with
wrong camera settings and it's just a
huge waste of opportunity I don't have
one specific tip how to use Flash
because there's just like tons of ways
how to use it but take time to invest in
the flash knowledge take time to test
the flash settings at your home even
Outdoors if you want to shoot Outdoors
flash at home try different settings my
recommendation is start like learning
just like a simple bounce flash like try
to understand how the B balce flash
works how different settings affect the
flash switch your camera to manual for
that switch your flash to manual for
that and just you know and just play
around with it there's nothing else you
can do than train this this is
definitely a skill that can be easily
trained and if you want a little
shortcut I do offer a flash for wedding
photographers course over 2 hours of
showing you different settings different
setups of how you can use flash at
wedding days this one is also linked in
the descript description let me know in
the comments if you are guilty in any of
these mistakes we are all here to learn
together and to grow together thanks so
much for watching see you guys soon bye
[Music]
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