How to get good candids on your wedding day!
It is no secret that I pride myself on my documentary approach to your wedding day. The feedback I get from my previous couples is always steered towards the fact they are so thrilled to have so many pictures of their guests as well as themselves in such a natural and unposed way. So I thought it would be fun to do a little blog post about why I shoot this way and tips on getting the absolute most out of your documentary / candid photography.
I used to be one of those photographers that kept far back, hid in the corners and watched from afar to capture the smiles with a zoomed in lens. Over the years I have developed my style to be the complete opposite of that! One of my favourite things about second shooting for other photographers (which I did heaps of back in 2017) is seeing how others work and those photographers that I admired hugely all had one thing in common - they all got fully stuck in to the guests chats and laughs and took their candid photos with a wide lens from much closer in. I was massively intimidated by this at first as it was just so different to how I had previously worked but as my confidence grew and I could see first hand that my photography improved so much alongside it, I decided to promise myself I would never hide in a corner again!
And ta-da! Enter the new era for Charlotte Amy Photography about 6 years ago.
I think not only shooting this way just brings more of a story to your complete set of photos in your gallery, it also shows the true emotion of your day. Be it laughter or tears and everything in between, focusing on the documentary side of photography during your wedding day is so valued and important in years to come.
SO. I have put together some helpful tips and advice on HOW you can achieve these awesome photos… Drum roll please.
Tips on getting the best candid photography during your wedding day!
Whilst some of this lends itself to having enthusiastic and animated guests, there are a few things you can do that can help get your guests in the mood and I am here to share those tips and tricks with you! Just consider me your wedding advice fairy godmother. You are SO welcome. ;)
Games!
If you have a garden at your venue or a patch of grass then lawn games are the ULTIMATE for candid photography. Most people have a competitive streak, if you leave a few games laying around there is no doubt your guests will lap it up and have a total ball whilst doing it. Not only does this help with your photography it also offers your guests a more fun feel to your whole wedding day, too, and your guests will be talking about it for months! Win win.
2. Contain your guests!
Now this may sound slightly bizarre and semi contradicts my previous tip, but the more space you have during your drinks reception, the more your guests will spread out and automatically congregate into little groups rather than a huge cluster of people all together. I have had some weddings where they have designated areas for specific parts of the day and it actually works really well. Everyone mingles, I don’t feel awkward walking around big open spaces, your guests don’t feel awkward having a photographer try (and fail) to subtly walk past nonchalantly to capture some documentary photos, and everyone has a much more intimate and fun time.
3. Don’t offer too many places to sit!
Again, this is another one that sounds a bit weird and kind of mean but if you have a lot of tables and chairs around, they will be sat on! And people sitting at tables do not make for awesome documentary led photos. When people stand and chat they naturally move their bodies more, they also interact with who they are talking to more thus meaning your photos are so much more animated and natural. Of course, have somewhere the oldies can sit but don’t over do it!
4. Table entertainment!
This can be something that can be interpreted in so many different ways and you can make it as personal to your day as you like. This also goes along the theme of your guests having a great time, and how your wedding day is making them feel. Table entertainment can be a super fun way for tables to mix and guests to mingle who usually wouldn’t. You could have a quiz on the tables, or an activity. Speeches Bingo is a super fun one! Even a magician to go around the tables is awesome, and whilst it sounds a little cringey it honestly makes for some awesome candid photos! The list is endless!
5. Talk to the introverts!
Naturally the extroverts will be comfortable in front of the camera and photographers are always drawn to those who are loud and make those around them laugh which means the introverts can sometimes be left behind a little. A great way to get them involved and within your photos more is simply if you are chatting with them. No one is going to find it odd that the married couple are being papped so shying away just isn’t an option ;)
I think that rounds up my advice, if you think of anything else I should add in then I would love to hear. I hope this is useful for those planning their wedding day.
If you like the sound of my relaxed and informal approach to photographing your wedding day and would love to find out more then please get in touch! My 2024 calendar is filling up very fast!! If you have already booked me for your wedding then I cannot WAIT to photograph your day!
Charlotte x
