It seems like all a wedding photographer should need to do throughout a wedding day is pay attention to what’s going on, know how to pose people, and click the shutter button at the right moments, right? 7 years ago I would have thought the same thing!

But in reality, wedding photographers (who shoot in manual) must constantly be assessing all of the following things…

– The sources of light in a given space

– The direction of the light

– The type of light

– Whether there are mixed types of light

– Whether the light can be manipulated & made more lovely

– Whether there are harsh shadows or bright highlights in the shot

– The number of subjects in the shot

– Whether the subject(s) are moving

– How fast the subject(s) are moving

– Whether there are eyesores in the background (there’s always an Exit sign!)

– The most strategic way to avoid the eyesores

– The most effective way to frame the shot (Center it? Rule of thirds?)

– The most attractive angle to shoot from

– Which lens to shoot with

– Whether flash or no flash looks better

– The best direction to bounce the flash

– Whether to use on-camera or off-camera flash (or maybe both?)

– The focus point

– The most wowing portrait spot (p.s. It’s not always the bridge, gazebo, or fountain)

– The most flattering poses for each particular bride & groom

– Whether the expressions are genuine (those smiles get weary!)

– How the couple is feeling: Are they cold? Hot? Annoyed? Ready to move on? Is the bride about to collapse under all her layers of chiffon? Do they need a break? A bottle of water?

-The itinerary.  (One eye on the clock at all times!)

Sounds exhausting, right? This is why there are so many varying levels of expertise and execution when it comes to wedding photography (and why many of us don’t work on Mondays!)