Nowadays, people demand a high-quality camera to capture some of the best moments of the wedding day. Cameramen only have to spend a lot of time behind the camera settings to make the day memorable. As you may know, every wedding venue has a different setup and design. This means that the lighting, shadow, environment, layout, and background cannot be the same for certain camera settings. Also, you need to retouching your wedding image to make attractive. However, in this article, we will show you simply what the best camera settings for wedding photography are that you need to know. These will make your basic knowledge on the required field.
How to set your camera while taking Wedding Photos:
Here is the step by step guideline to set your camera while wedding:-
1. First, you have to set it manually:
- If you plan on capturing some amazing shots, you need to enter manual settings. Key manual settings include shutter priority mode and aperture priority mode. All camera models have these primary options for wedding shooting.
- In shutter priority mode, you need to adjust the shutter speed to 1 / 500th of a second to allow moments for the couple to settle. These settings can be tweeted to capture laughter, walking, dancing and other moments.
- Aperture’s priority mode settings work on the aperture you select for the shot. We suggest you choose between f / 1.4 to f / 2.8 for a couple of portraits. But you can use a higher aperture value for venue or guest landscape shots.
2. Depth of the Field:
- At wedding ceremonies, you need to focus on the couple as the first priority and cover them together in the background on many photos. It has a depth of field, but without shot practice, it is not possible to master it.
- Basically there are three key points for managing the depth of the field of the image. The focal length of the camera lens, the aperture, and space between you and the camera.
- Since the results for each image are different, therefore, you need to adjust your camera settings based on the surroundings for the best results.
- Your client may like photos with a vague background. You need to know how to find shallow field areas in your photos with your camera settings so you can take a perfect shot.
3. Flash Must be Used Properly:
- Each camera has a basic flash option that you can use to illuminate your wedding picture. Although it is necessary to learn the proper use of Flash.
- Photography is a major consideration in lighting. So you need to be clear, how to lighten up wedding photography without measuring the situation or with a flash.
- In outdoor shooting, you need to learn the best use of natural light. But you can take advantage of venue lights or camera flashes in indoor wedding photography.
- Keep in consideration that, the flash mechanism may works differently in daylight or dark night. You have to control the photography over light to capture some incredible shot in the lessen click!
4. Choose the Right Lens:
- When you want to capture a wedding ceremony shooting or wedding photography, it is important to first consider what quality lens you are using in the program.
- You can use a short, effective telephoto lens when you need to sharpen the subject of the photo. Some good choices we can recommend may be on your list between 85-100mm. If you want to use a full-frame camera, try using a 135-150mm lens to increase image quality.
- A telephoto that can do what the lens does – helps you narrow the viewpoint, keep the background out of focus, and at the same time not distort the subject’s face.
- Using a wide-angle lens is not necessarily bad. But it may distort your subject and make them look strangely proportional and lose their appearance.
- Usually, the pictures you want may not be as smooth.
- If you want to do an environmental portrait, a full-length posture, or a group photo-shoot, using a slightly wide-angle for a common lens might be a good choice.
5. Setting the Focus Mode:
- A single point focus should be used when photographing a wedding, not multiple points. One thing to keep in mind, do not to let the camera choose what you will focus on.
- Always take a close look at the subject’s eye while taking pictures. If one eye is closer to the camera than the other, focus closely and prepare yourself for an amazing shot.
- In the Focus settings, select Single shot, not continuous. You want the autofocus locked on the subject, you don’t want the tracking focus.
- Plus, learn how to set up your camera to focus the back button. Basically this is a custom setting where you remove the function of autofocus from the shutter release button and set it on the back of the camera.
- The biggest benefit of doing this is that you do not have to focus even when the subject is not running. If you can lock the focus on them, then leave it there. If you move something or move them around, simply refocus and lock it again the same way.
Final Word:
Photography techniques such as; camera settings, lens changes, image requirements, etc. will continue to evolve over time. It is the regular learning process that makes photography so rewarding for any photographer. You need to prepare each marriage for the next marriage, and as you have, this evolution will be your best learning tool and developer of confidence. Once you learn the camera settings of wedding photography, you will easily catch up-to-date trends and future evolution with great credence.