Natural, Relaxed wedding Moments , Whats the secret?
I absolutely Love Natural, Unscripted Wedding Photography in KZN. I love the North Coast of KZN, The Midlands and the Drakensberg Mountains for Destination Weddings In South Africa. Over the Past 17 years travelling the world as a Freelance Photographer, I have learnt a trick or two about how to approach wedding Photography in order to get really cool and relaxed moments that are not to “posey”
It seems the most Natural thing until the big day arrives!!!! Suddenly thousands of thoughts pop into your head, do I look ok, which is my better Side, is my Make-up the right shade, Is the Dog or my mum going to bite the video Guy!!!!OMG Someone Clean up, the Photographers going to take pics of last night’s Tequila!!!!!!
Here are 5 tips on how to calm the Nerves and Crack the Code on how to get original and Creative Wedding Pics, without overthinking them.
Try to pretend that the Photographer is not there.
I try my best to hide away and capture as many moments as possible. Please don’t find me-)
I love Engaging with my Clients. However, this can sometimes become Overkill and a Distraction. As your Photographer, I am there to capture what’s happening, not to script it. This hack is very Simple. But with Photography and Life, Simple is not easy.
The best way to stay mindful in the moment and not get distracted by the cameras and all your wedding guests is to engage with your partner. Practice engaging your partner at the Engagement Photo shoot…..seems simple enough, but it is very often overlooked. Use your partner during moments of awkwardness, shyness or when you feel overwhelmed by the pressure. Chat about it at the Engagement session. The moment you feel tension, squeeze a hand or stare into one another’s eyes, whatever works for you at the time. The worst thing you can do at a time like this, is engage the cameraman!!! That is a sure fire way to get stage fright and feel super vulnerable. This little tool is a lifesaver if you are a shy person or can get overwhelmed easily.
Try Not to picture the finished Picture.
Speculating about how a finished picture may look is the fastest way to kill a moment. It’s moment murder. It’s hard to enjoy the process of Living Life, when my mind is already on an imaginary finished picture. It’s really just a form of self-torture. The moment will be perfect, however that may unfold, so there is really no point in setting up an expectation for a moment that has not happened. For me, the best way to be mindful and stay in a moment, is to be grateful that I am alive to experience the moment. Gratitude really helps with anxiety about how a finished image will look. Remember, there are no perfect pictures, just perfect moments in between the chaos of a wedding day.
Leave Everything is as it should be.
The Wedding is a natural Process of Organized Chaos. Everything around you is there because it should be. It’s as much part of your wedding Day as you are, so no need for obsessive cleaning and Clearing up. Your Photographer and Videographer are there to document your story in the most beautiful way possible and will let you know if they need you to clear anything up, reposition anything or Wipe anything down. I love organic pictures. A little messy. I love a little evidence at my Crime scene. It’s the evidence that will help someone remember funny moments when they look back at the Album in 20 years’ time. It might look a bit untidy, but at least you will have a story to tell you grandkids.
Get over it!!!!!
The Wedding day on the whole is an extremely stressful and emotionally charged day. Expect fights with your Fiancé’, expect things to get Chaotic, expect people to get you angry and service providers to get moody. This is normal. Such is life, however if it’s going to happen so be it, get over it and get over it quickly. Grab the nearest bottle of tequila, give your husband/wife a kiss and Have a jol!!! At the end of the day, it’s a celebration, a huge party so keep it positive and get over things quickly take nothing personally except the next bottle of Wine and have yourself the time of your life!!Weddings are just like life in General, don’t sweat the small stuff. Trust me, you will definitely need all that sweat for the big stuff.
Timing and Planning is Everything.
Unfortunately, if we do not have time to take good pictures, we will not get them. Essentially the whole wedding Event is a time Game. A good Photographer starts his plan with the Sunrise and Sunset times so that he knows Exactly where the sweet spots are for lighting during the photo sessions. Fortunately for you, you have a great photographer who consults with you regarding how much time he will need, what time of the day is best to shoot and how best to synchronize your Logistics so that everything is captured. The most important person to give a Guided time to is your Pastor/Priest. This is definitely a time for the guests to relax and not a time for the wedding to come to a Preaching standstill. I definitely suggest a “timekeeper” person that is assigned to the day. It is such a smart move as the day can really fly by extremely Fast.
I hope these little hacks and tricks give a little insight into how to prepare mentally for the big day and just flow into some really nice moments. I try my best to make these things happen organically and naturally. Keep making memories and God Bless.
