There's a Photographer in the Room: Managing Visual Clutter
As a bride, you’ve done everything you can to make your wedding day absolutely perfect. You took care of every little detail--or so you thought. Most brides are so busy thinking about the big things (as they should) that sometimes the little things go by unnoticed until it’s too late. As a wedding photographer, I’ve seen everything, and today I’m going to share some tips with you on how to get better photographs of your wedding day.
SELECT YOUR “GETTING READY” ROOM
Whether you are getting ready in your home or a hotel, choosing the room you will be getting ready in will be important to how your photographs turn out. Try to pick a room with big windows that gets lots of great natural light. Natural light always creates beautiful photographs, and windows are always good for framing a subject. Also, think about how many people are going to be in the room and plan the size of your space accordingly. A bigger space gives the photographer more creative options for shots and allows your friends and family members to move around more freely.
DELEGATE AN ASSISTANT
Some of the best photographs come from the “getting ready” process, and one way to get better photographs is by managing the clutter in the room. There are hair and makeup artists, bridesmaids, and family members running around getting dressed, eating, and putting makeup on. It’s necessary so you can’t just stop it from happening. The best way to manage all of this activity is by assigning someone in advance to help keep the room tidy.
For example, most wedding gowns come wrapped in a clear plastic dry cleaner bag to protect them. When the plastic is removed from the dress, your helper can make sure that the bag is either stashed away in a closet for later use or thrown away in the trash bin. It seems obvious, but often the plastic gets left on the floor of the room, creating unsightly background clutter that the photographer will have to shoot around.
AVOID THE MUNDANE
Your wedding day is not just any regular day--it is a special day and every detail should reflect that. While you are getting ready, you need to stay hydrated so you will be drinking lots of water. But, do you want a plastic water bottle with a big label in your photographs? One idea to consider is bringing a beautiful drinking glass so that even if it is captured in photographs it only adds to them rather than providing a distraction. It’s not as ordinary as an everyday plastic water bottle.
Along the same lines, there are other mundane, everyday items to look out for before your big day. For instance, consider the ceremony. Beautiful flowers, gorgeous venue, lovely wedding party. Your officiant approaches the podium and pulls out his notes on--what’s that??--an office clipboard from Staples! It’s something you had no control over, but there it is, in all of your photographs. As a bride, something like a clipboard would be difficult to anticipate, so knowing in advance to ask your officiant if they have something more aesthetically pleasing to read notes off of or providing them with something could make the difference in your photographs of the ceremony.