Being asked to be the photographer for a wedding is a big 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.It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned pro, or if you are an amateur, by following these tips, you won’t second guess yourself.  You will be fully prepared for whatever may come.

Our first tip is a simple thing you can do and that is to have the couple and the families go and make a shot list.With a day that can be as hectic and chaotic as a wedding day, doing this will help when you are trying to organize all the group and family shots later on in the day.Imagine how wonderful it will be to just go down your list and know that you aren’t 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 bother even peeking at the previews.Remember, what you think is a great shot, could be vastly different than what the couple thinks is a great shot.  And who knows, they might appreciate the so called un “professional” shots.

The third tip to make sure you do is taking candid shots.  A good wedding photographer will not just try and get the typical shots, like family group shots, wedding party shots, or your standard bride and groom.  But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It may include the things that go wrong also, like a flower girl making a wrong turn or the ring bearer not wanting to walk down the aisle.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 imagine having a camera stop working halfway through the day.Plan for the worst that could go wrong.By being ready with extra equipment, you will avoid the uncomfortable time of not being able to take any more pictures of the wedding day with a broken camera.

Finally, you have to be prepared for the lighting and you do that by practicing. 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. You should try and see if you can scout the locations for the big day and try and find the best spots to shoot as well as gauging the lighting needs.

Taking these 5 tips into account 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.