As a professional photographer I would be remiss not to explain the important elements behind beautiful photographs. The first and most important element is making time and being on time. The events of the day can usually be captured very unobtrusively and spontaneously once the formal photographs are completed. I've found a photographic session early on calms the bride, groom and families before the ceremony and gets the posed photographs out of the way early. However, if the bride and groom are reluctant to see each other before the ceremony then time must be set-aside after the ceremony for those important images. It is important to choose a location and make sure everyone is on time. A skilled professional with the help of assistants can move very quickly through a formal session.
The first step is to decide which photographs are your priorities. It's a good idea to start with the bride and groom. This is the image everyone wants and will likely be passed down through the family for generations. Again a skilled professional will take close-ups, three quarters, and full lengths of the bride and groom together and alone. The immediate families are first to be photographed with the bride and groom. Most professionals will photograph extended families at the reception in order to cut down on the formal pictures immediately after the ceremony. Next, I usually take formal and candid images of the wedding party and while doing so my assistant will send the parents on to the cocktail hour just to let the guests know the bride and groom are on the way. It is important to note that I will usually take close-ups of the bride alone before the ceremony and with her parents and bridesmaids if the bride and groom don't get together before the ceremony and given time I will do the same with the groom before hand. This also shortens time for the posed shoots after the ceremony.
Candid photographs are taken throughout the wedding as a matter of fact; my wife and assistant are accomplished photographers and are also shooting candid moments throughout the day. There are certain events such as, the toast, the first dance, the cake, etc. where it's important for the professional photographer to have an approximate time line; however, it's my belief that these are still candid moments and not staged events. Carl Cox is an award-winning assignment photographer serving Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. His studio is located in Rockville, Maryland, a Montgomery County suburb just twenty minutes north of Washington, DC. He specializes in location work of all sorts, including executive and family portraiture, architecture, and wedding photography. In addition, much of Carl's commercial and corporate work is directed towards publication. Carl and his wife Bette are available for travel anywhere, and have photographed weddings as far as Ireland and Sweden.
Read our
article on "Selecting a Wedding Photographer" |
Carl Cox is a professional wedding assignment photographer serving Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Carl's wedding photography studio is located in Rockville Gaithersburg, Maryland, a Montgomery County suburb just twenty minutes north of Washington, DC near Rockville Potomac Bethesda Olney Gaithersburg Maryland Virginia Washington DC. He specializes in location work of all sorts, including executive and family portraiture, architecture, and wedding photography. In addition, much of Carl's commercial and corporate work is directed towards publication. Carl and his wife Bette are available for travel anywhere, and have photographed weddings as far as Ireland and Sweden.
An Insider's View on Planning Wedding Photography
