Photography Trends in Weddings

I second-shoot weddings with a local friend of mine and thankfully we’ve gotten some really fun youthful brides who are willing to venture out from traditional wedding photography & trends to do their own thing and add their own personality and stamp on their special day. We have some weddings coming up soon and while doing some research online for new ideas and trends I stumbled across some great ideas and thought I’d share them here with you.

• Instead of a traditional flower centerpiece, fill a photo cube full of photos from your engagement or bridal sessions. They will be great conversation starters and a great way for the photographer to promote their business plus the bride can decorate her home with them or give them as gifts after the wedding.
• Have brides imprint a black & white engagement photo onto cookies and then wrap them up in wax paper & cute ribbon to put at each place setting for guests.
• Engagement cityscape shoots are popular because of the iconic quality of posing by recognizable landmarks. No skyline? Shooting against an urban brick wall can convey the same message. Use your favorite image in your save-the-dates or, for instant reception decor, blow up one of the pictures, mat it, and set it on an easel near the escort cards. Display other shots in your table cards.
• Try some fun casual shots like the bride sitting on a staircase right after the ceremony, breathing a sigh of relief, with champagne at her feet. If your reception is at a country club, take pics on the golf course and take candids of the bridal group making their way there. It’s those between-the-moments photos that always turn out best.
• Have your clients rent a photo booth and have guests tape wacky shots next to their messages in the guest book. Or create a DIY photo studio in a section of the reception room. Hang a nine-foot-wide seamless paper for a backdrop and bring a printer so guests can take photos home.
• Run a slideshow of images from the ceremony and cocktail hour from your laptop and project them on a screen during dinner. Guests will love looking at what they just experienced, and they’ll have plenty to talk about at the tables.
• Advise brides to skip the traditional album (the one with thick-as-cardboard, single-photo pages) in favor of high-quality coffee table books, like Fineo or AsukaBooks. The images are printed on paper, and the layout is more like what you’d see in a magazine. Opt for a leather-bound or Lucite-covered book for a classic look that’s less stuffy than a traditional album and templates for these albums are available here at Pink Ink.

If you aren’t already a member of the message board forum here at Pink Ink you might consider joining because we have fun conversations on topics such as this and it’s a great place for you to come and ask questions. Best of luck with your upcoming weddings and feel free to share your ideas with us below in the comments or on the forum!

Photography Trends

In today’s economic times, I’m sure many of us are searching for new ways to market ourselves and expand our photography businesses. One of the major growth markets for photographers these days is consumer event photography, more specifically sports photography. Think about how many of us have children in organized sports and how many other parents would love to have the types of photographs that we can provide of their own children. If you are primarily a natural-light photographer this will definitely work to your advantage since you’ll already have an understanding of lighting in uncontrolled environments such as outdoors or in sports arenas. Often event photographers are equipped to print and sell photos on-site however if you don’t have funds or resources to do this but do have a website or blog with a shopping cart, this would also work as a way for potetial clients to see the images. Sometimes all it takes is other parents seeing you at work with your photography equipment at the events to spark conversation about your business which allows you the pefect opportunity to promote yourself, this has happened to me several times. Just ask if they would like for you to take some shots of their child and hopefully the excellent action shots you provide will lead to other portrait work for them as well. Once the word gets out, event photography could also lead to other local events such as school dances, proms, pageants, conventions, parties & festivals. We’re fast approaching an active part of the school year and sports calendar so consider adding this type of photography to your business and see where it takes you!