One of the most important milestones in a person’s life is their wedding. The wedding day is filled with love and emotions that should live in the memories of a couple, their closest friends, and their families. One of the pinnacle moments for couples and engagements is when the groom and the bride see each other for the first time on their wedding day, also known as the first look.
Kate Legters Photography weddings experts are at your service if you are looking to capture your big day’s special moments. Call on us to capture this brief moment that will make all the nervousness and anticipation disappear. You and your spouse will enjoy an emotional connection you will cherish forever. If you are a bit nervous about getting your first look photos right, read on for some trusty tips.
Table of Contents
Location
Choose a location that is appropriate and free from distractions. When preparing to do the first shoot, find a good site that is far enough from the early arriving guests and family members and the hustle and bustle of the staff.
Ensure that that moment is very intimate between the groom and the bride. Your location of choice should allow you to stick on the zoom lens and back as far as you can and still clearly see the faces.
Prep the Groom
When the groom gets on their spot, let them be ready for what the bride will choose to do so you can get their full expression. Let them know that the bride may walk behind them, hug them from behind, tap them on the shoulder, or do other things. Tell the groom to turn to the right or left, depending on where you stand. If you are off to their left, let them turn to their left so you can see the full expression.
Since it is their moment, ensure they focus on each other and not on you. When you are ready, it is best to encourage the groom to focus purely on the bride. If they are anxious, let them know that it’s okay to forget instructions and that you’ll be there to remind them.
Pick your Spot
Identify the best spot that will allow you to see the bride and the groom clearly. Your goal should be to have a 90-degree angle when the groom turns around. Sometimes, you may have to run to a different spot if the groom doesn’t turn as anticipated.
Let go of the Moment
You must let go of the moment to get the best shots and place the action completely on their hands. Let the bride walk up to the groom, then let the groom turn on their own. They will immediately hug, admire each other, kiss, and laugh for as long as they are.
Once they are ready, either the bride or the groom will turn to acknowledge that you are there. It is now the right time to proceed with the portraits. The entire process should last, at most, five minutes.
Learn from Others
Shooting for other photographers can be a great idea. Seeing how other photographers work firsthand and learning how they do things is always fun. You can learn new hacks to up your photography game and save time. Sometimes you may be doing something wrong, for instance, giving the bride and groom instructions like you are a director for a magazine photoshoot.
Find your Rhythm to Work Quickly
Come up with a rhythm and create a plan of attack, then ensure the method works for you and the couple. Being a photographer, you already know that some of these moments are fun but often difficult to capture as they occur incredibly fast. These are events that you can’t replicate. You don’t want to miss any moment, so you must create a workable plan to guide you.
Ease their Moment
Don’t focus too much on the photographs that the couple feels like you are taking away from the moment. For example, there is a wedding where the photographer had no choice but to stand five feet away from the bride and groom during a first look. The photographer had given both instructions, but since he could not back away from the picture, they couldn’t ignore his presence. So instead of them focusing on one another, the bride severally walked up behind her groom to ensure he turned to his right. Even though they did it diligently, the photographer had already ruined their moment.
Share these tips with whoever you’ve entrusted with your first look photography to ensure it goes smoothly.
