How to Photograph Wedding Formals

lightcatcher2014 · April 22, 2015

I am a wedding photographer and wanted to share with the group a guide I created to help fellow photographers. Some dread the wedding formals when everyone has to be posed and photographed. As with every large group there are lots of challenges.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Hope you like the tips and it would help everyone who is looking to get into wedding photography.

The link to the guide: https://trifonanguelov.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/how-to-photograph-family-formals/

Cheers,

Trifon Anguelov Photography

Foques · April 23, 2015

I'm one of those novice photographers, so - perhaps - this may change, but the #1 is the recipe for a disaster, unless you're just specifying the list of people who are to be captured.

Matthew Saville · April 24, 2015

Foques wrote: »

I'm one of those novice photographers, so - perhaps - this may change, but the #1 is the recipe for a disaster, unless you're just specifying the list of people who are to be captured.

I agree that it is unrealistic, or at least un-creative, to try and lock down each and every pose and image beforehand. I think, however, that here "pose" just refers to specific groups, plus maybe a few staple poses of the couple / bridal party. Which, indeed, is something a wedding photographer should just never forget to do. Your bride will be unhappy if your 2nd shooter gets tons of photos of the groom together with his groomsmen, but you only shoot one random snapshot in which she and her bridesmaids are all smiling at the camera. You need to balance the collection, and not leave any gaps.

Beyond that, my approach is similar but more simplified: I'm in charge of remembering all the shots we need for the bridal party and the couple themselves, but THEY are in charge of remembering all the family groups they want to have photographed. I specifically instruct them to print out the list themselves, and enlist as many people as they possibly can from each side of each major family group, so they are literally wrangling each other and all checking off the list together.

This way, I have gotten an incredible number of different family groups done in just 15-25 mins. I, and my assistant / 2nd shooter, are ONLY there to help pose and arrange the people so that their faces are not blocked, etc. We are NOT there to yell out names and expect whoever is next to just magically appear. That is up to them. :-)

=Matt=

zoomer · May 13, 2015

Kinda with Matt.

I have the bride assign a family member to create and manage the shot list and to know who is supposed to be in each shot. I have her send me the list before hand to do a sanity check for time and content.

Once we agree on the shot list then that family member cues up each shot while I am doing the current one, shuffle in shuffle out...goes really quick.

For me the big trick is to make sure the family has assigned a drill sergeant to herd both families immediately from the ceremony to the formals to reduce the number of family members that wander off....this is a stage where a lot of time is lost and can be a Huge tension adder if people disappear and shots are delayed.

Never even for a minute let a wedding participant member start setting up shots or scenes....stay in control...once you lose them it is very difficult to get them back.

Make it fun, keep them laughing and it is not that big a chore.

How to Photograph Wedding Formals

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