5 Tips for Artistic Wedding Photos
Everyone deserves artistic wedding photos.
Photos that are more than just photos. A gallery you can look back on that evokes the smell of fresh morning rain, the crackling sound of a well-loved record, and the warmth of a well-deserved coffee.
When it comes to your wedding day, the thought of artistry may fall to the wayside, as you have much more important feelings, emotions, and logistics to prioritize. If artistic photos are a priority, hire the wedding/elopement photographer who’s photos you love. That much is obvious enough that it’s not included in the tips below. But there are a few things you can do to prepare and help a photographer (a.k.a. me) out, so keep reading.
1. Roll with the weather
Rain on your wedding day is good luck, right? I firmly believe so. It rained on my wedding day (and hailed, and snowed, and literally everything Mt. Rainier could throw at us).
Rainy wedding days are not only good luck - rain makes the day nice and cozy, makes for a great story, and helps create romantic and unique wedding photos.
If these have convinced you to roll with whatever weather the universe gives you to accompany your vows, it’s your expectation and perception of the weather that makes the greatest difference. It can be instinctual to try and keep everything ‘perfect’. Don’t let the vow books get wet, pick up the dress on muddy terrain, cover your hair as much as possible.
I’m here to whisper, “What if you let go of perfect?” One of the top reasons I love photographing intimate weddings and elopements is couples and their families being fully present in the experience. I encourage you to experience the weather. Let the soft rain outside your window give you the comfort of a cozy fall day. Lift your face to the sky for soft rain kisses on your cheeks. The raindrops on your vow books will give you proof behind the story of your wedding day for your children to feel. Let go of perfection for the dress you’ll likely wear on one day only (and in my experience, look brand new with a good dry cleaning).
2. Be yourself
Understandably, I don’t think many of us know how to have our picture taken. I actually hate having my photo taken. Yes, I’m a photographer, who feels uncomfortable in front of the camera. I’m here to clear the air, these are not your cheesy department store portraits, or family photos where everyone says ‘cheese’.
Muscle memory can have us standing stalk-still with a smile wired on our face as soon as a camera lens is pointed at us. It’s time to erase that muscle memory, all of it.
As photographers, we are dying for the little moments that give us a peek into who you are. The way you grab his hand, your anxious foot tapping, the familiar way she subconsciously rubs your shoulder as she passes you. These let us weave the little moments that are instinctively ‘you’ into the story of your wedding day.
To create artistic photos, don’t be afraid to be who you are. Move, laugh, cry. We know how to work our cameras and your photos won’t be blurry (unless they’re blurry on purpose for, you know, artistry). So even when your photographer jumps in to ‘pose’ you for more intentional photos, make the pose your own. For example, I’ll say, “take each others hands and walk towards that tree”. Feel free to swing your hands, talk to each other, point out the scenery. The experience doesn’t pause when taking portraits, and we’ll soak up every pointing at wildlife, impromptu kiss, or gust of wind in your hair. If a pose feels unnatural, change it. If you feel comfortable, you’ll look comfortable. And that translates into great photos.
3. Make time for portraits
Although portraits are usually built into an elopement day, the time can be harder to find during intimate or more traditional weddings. It can be easy to get swept into the day, time goes by so so fast! And you’ll never want to leave the day saying, “I wish we had done photos when…”
Tip number one is to book your photographer for the maximum amount of time you think you could need. It’s common to have budget as a priority and let that influence you to choose the minimum amount of time of your vendors. If you catch yourself saying, “I think we only need (x) amount of hours”, you probably need to double (if not triple) that number.
Take this from someone who has not only eloped and hired an amazing elopement photographer, but who has photographed many elopements since. Time. Goes. By. Fast. Minimum amount of coverage is typically thinking from a documentary-style mindset. If documentation is what you’re after, 4 hours can certainly be plenty. However, if you have the story-style mindset, a half day of photography also means half the story. All-day elopement photography is now the norm for a reason, to get the most of your wedding day and invest in the most important story you two have.
Tip number two is to create an hour-by-hour timeline of your elopement/wedding day. Planning everything in advance will make it possible to include time for portraits. I’m a huge fan of throwing the timeline out the window on the day-of, as setting these expectations ahead of time is more than half the battle. It also helps your photographer plan for what photos they can expect to get and think of creative ways to approach them.
4. Keep your getting ready space tidy
What’s your first instinct as soon as you finally arrive to your elopement/wedding lodging? Probably to drop everything and get some food or take a nap. When you get ready for the day, it’s so common to have all these emotions and thoughts, that pickup or organizing can be the last thing on the brain. Clutter happens organically, it multiplies.
As photographers, we work around it. We’re constantly moving things to improve the aesthetics, or saving ourselves a lot of extra work editing out the bra on the couch behind you. The first tip is to contain the clutter before it starts. It’s easy to get ahead and stay ahead on the cleaning, rather than trying to clean it all once your photographer arrives.
Second tip, if clutter is unavoidable (which sounds like my daily life). Contain the clutter in groups. So instead of having multiple things (hairspray, shoes, toothbrushes, water bottles, curling irons, jackets, etc.) spread everywhere, put all of these things grouped together in one or two locations (preferably a corner away from a window, photographers are always using window light!). It’s much easier to locate things quickly this way, but it also gives photographers so much more freedom to create amazing photos for you.
What photographers are focusing on during the getting ready moments is mostly emotion. Capturing the anticipation in your face and the nerves, a tear that finds its way to your eye thinking of every moment that has led you to here, mom’s slightly shaking hands zipping her daughter’s dress. This story telling element is always more successful in tidy spaces.
5. Communicate with your photographer
The last, and most important tip for artistic wedding photos is to keep your photographer in the loop. Your photographer will be experienced enough to know what time of day will give you the best light, help prioritize when and where to take photos, give feedback on the aesthetics of the ceremony location and time, and more. Including your photographer in creating the timeline of your day can go a long way.
Not only will including them in the planning process help, but communicating with them about how you’re feeling is extremely valuable. Your photographer should help you know you’re in a safe space to be vulnerable. Including your photographer in discussions of a family member that tends to change your mood, blemishes or other features that make you self-conscious, or even things like what music you like to listen to when it’s raining or your favorite time of day can help your photographer manage situations and posing to give you the best possible photos. Allowing them to know little tidbits of you can also help your photographer make photos that are more meaningful to you.
And don’t be afraid of sending them photo inspiration! Tell them which photos on their Instagram are your favorite, or if you have a favorite blog post on their website. Create a Pinterest board of wedding/elopement photos that hit you in the feels, and share it with them. Send them photos you come across on Facebook you love. This will help your photographer learn what types of photos you’re drawn to so they can focus on finding/creating those moments on your wedding day.
How I create artistic wedding photos.
1. Timeline - Giving me a timeline of your wedding/elopement day helps me think of photo ideas, helps me plan when I’ll be getting those ‘key’ photos and when I’ll have space to be my most creative.
2. My camera shutter - My camera operates silently. The ‘click click click’ I’ve found can make people nervous (understandably). And I think the soundtrack to your vows should be the wind in the trees, not a camera shutter.
3. Learning light - Photographers are students of light, and I’ll frequently place you, or move around you to get the most dramatic light in every photo.
4. Scouting locations - Knowing the location of your ceremony and portraits let’s me throw all my anxiety to the wind and focus on creating (and not focusing on how to get there and where we’re going).
5. Focusing on feelings - As an introverted person, my perspective is always coming from a place of quiet and understanding. I focus on the feelings that seem insignificant, but in the long run become the most cherished. I aim to photograph energy as well, as well as objects, in every gallery.
