When most brides and grooms make wedding day plans, they take certain things into consideration. They coordinate the date according to vacation times from work. Or they coordinate the wedding day for the family to be able to make it into town. Or they make plans according to the availability of the church or restaurant.

But one of the biggest things they fail to plan for on the wedding day is the photographer. Don't think this is something small.  And I am not just saying it because I am a wedding photographer. 

No planning the wedding day with the wedding photographer in mind could mean all the difference in the world. Especially when you think about the fact the photos are going to be the thing that captures that day for a lifetime.

So what are the key factors to consider when planning with the photographer in mind.  The time and the date.

Let's start with the time.  How many couples would want their photographer rushing through the photo shoot?  I am pretty sure most people will not raise their hand to that. 

Without even considering your photographer, a majority of the times most couples do just that. The couple or family basically rush the photographer to try and take all the pictures. 

How so you ask? Well let's say, the couple makes the ceremony between 1-2 pm.  With the reception starting at 2:30. How many shots can a photographer make when he only has a half hour to work with?  Not many.

Even worse, let's say he does take all the shots? Do you think they can take some real good shots if they are being rushed? No way.

So plan the times for the wedding and the reception with enough space in between to take all the photos.

Second thing to consider when planning with the photographer in mind is your photographer's availability.

Most probably don't realize this, but most good photographers will be booked months in advance.  And if you are dealing with let's say a large photography company, they may have several photographers.

Well planning your wedding without considering your photographer's availability could turn into a nightmare. Because when you reserve that special day, without making sure your photographer is available, come wedding day you might get a shock when you find somebody totally different.

This scenario happens when you are dealing with a big company. You may not even realize that they have a staff of photographers and if the photographer you liked is booked, unless you ask, they might not tell you.  When your wedding day comes, they might just outsource their work or a second rate photographer might show up.

So be ready by not letting this happen.  Planning your wedding day is wonderful.  Make sure you plan it also with your wedding photographer in mind.

A wedding is one of the most important events that will occur in a person's life. Hours and hours go into all of the planning for the wedding. All of the tasks that go into wedding planning can be time consuming, stressful and very frustrating at times. That is why it is so important to do some homework and find the right people for all of the jobs.One of the very big jobs will be that of the photographer. From my experience as a San Diego wedding photographer I'll show you it can be a few simple steps away.

Trying to find a wedding photographer is huge responsibility and job. There are several things to take into account when trying to make this important decision. The photos that you take away from your wedding are going to be the most memorable keepsakes that you have. The photos will be on your walls for the rest of yourlife. One of the most obvious factors when choosing any photographer is price. Most photographers do charge a price for a specific amount of time for the wedding. It is important to know up front what all is included with that
price. When it comes to finding a wedding photographer, the biggest upside to pricing is there is a lot of competition. Remember, that a lot of photographers can and will negotiate their price a little bit to fit what you need.

Another thing to take into account when deciding is how much experience does this person have. Is this their firs big wedding job, or have they done a few dozen or more? Their price might be an indication of how many years they have been in business as well. Now just because someone may have a lot of experience doesn't guarantee they will be better. Sometimes those people that are just starting out and trying to build a name for themselves will turn out to be excellent. The advantage of going with someone like that is you know you are going to get their best effort. When you are trying to find a wedding photgrapher, you will find photographers of different levels of experience. Doing an interview with a photographer can give you a good sense of what they will be like to work with.

A final thing for you to take into account when trying to decide is the personality the photographer has. Are they likely going to try call all the shots and decide on all your poses? Or will they let the bride and groom make some of the decisions themselves? The other thing to consider is whether or not you want to be making decisions on the photos. The bride and groom will have enough to think about the day of the wedding as it is. Take all of these factors into consideration when you choose your photographer. If you do, no doubt you will have some beautiful photos to cherish for the rest of your lives.  Take it from me, your experienced San Diego photographer.

When you are asked to be the one to take photos of the wedding is a huge responsibility.If you've been approached to do it as a friend, or maybe asked to do it as a professional, here are 5 great tips to do the job right.

This tips are coming from first hand experience as a San Diego wedding photographer.You could be a seasoned pro, or you could be an amateur, but by following these tips, you will do the job smoothly without second guessing yourself.  You will be fully prepared for whatever may come.

Our first tip is pretty simple and that is to have the couple and their families make a list for you of shots they want to take.When you know the day will be hectic and chaotic, doing this will help you get the family and group shots later on in the day more smoothly.You will love how you can just go through your list and get all the shots you want without leaving anything out.

The second tip on our list is to not delete any shots.  In this day and age of digital cameras, most photographers use them.  Great as they are, they also are tempting to delete a shot since it is so easy to do.  Don't even look at the previews.What you think may be a great photo, can differ widely in what the couple considers a great photo.You never know, they might like all those so called un "professional shots.

For the the third tip, make sure you get candid shots during and after the wedding.A good wedding photographer doesn't look to just take your typical shots, like group shots, or wedding shots or your standard newly married shots.  But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It could include things that don't go perfectly, like a flower girl not wanting to walk down the aisle or the ring bearer making a wrong turn.Every picture counts.

The fourth tip is which is often overlooked is to make sure you have several cameras and other equipment as backup.Do you even want to think of a moment like that of not having a working camera halfway through the wedding.  Plan for anything that could go wrong.  Being prepared will help you avoid that uncomfortable moment of not having a working camera to capture the rest of the day.

Last piece of advice, make sure you know the lighting of the wedding. The difference between the lighting in the church and the outside reception can throw you a curve ball, so just practice for all different lighting situations. Go see the locations and scout it out for the big day, by finding the best places to shoot as well as studying the lighting needs.

Doing these 5 tips will help you immensely.  It will prepare you for whatever might go wrong, it will prepare you for capturing what goes right, and it will prepare you to help contribute to this wonderful day by being the best photographer you can be.  Take it from my years of experience as a San Diego photographer.

Learn Wedding Photography - Natural Light Photography Tips by Davide Greene