Understanding the camera settings necessary for a properly exposed image is vital to becoming a strong wedding photographer. Weddings present unique shooting situations, and you must know how to interpret existing light and be able to rapidly adjust your camera, ensuring that no moments are missed. Your adjustments should be second-nature. Your knowledge of camera settings will let you focus on capturing precious moments that only happen during a wedding.
Basic Settings for Proper Exposures
Before beginning any photography shoot -- particularly a wedding event, where lost moments can't be retrieved -- take the time to understand how the camera uses all the settings to make a balanced exposure. To create a properly exposed photograph, you must balance the aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings. The aperture controls the amount of light allowed in through the lens and ranges from f/1.0 to f/32, depending on the quality of the lens. The aperture also controls the depth of field, giving an image a clarity that reaches to infinity or blurring the background to focus on the subject. The shutter speed, measured in fractions of a second, controls exposure -- the amount of time light is allowed to strike the negative or the digital image sensor. The ISO, referred to as "film speed" in analog cameras, tells you and your camera's light meter how sensitive your film is to light, or tells the digital sensor how to interpret light. It ranges in sensitivity from ISO 100 (slow film) for sunny days to ISO 3200 (extremely fast film) for low-light situations. All three of these settings must be coordinated at the instant of exposure to create a properly exposed image.
Portraits and Formal Images
Portraits and formal images are a necessity in wedding photography. The settings will vary based on the light present in the shooting situation, and you should choose a location without harsh light sources, such as direct sunlight or fluorescent lighting. A strong portrait usually has a shallow depth of field which creates a blurred background and causes the person in the image to stand out from the surroundings. This is achieved by using an aperture setting around f/1.8. Such a large aperture opening will allow a decent amount of light into the camera, so you will need to adjust the shutter speed accordingly. A flash may also be necessary to create an image with a balanced light source, and you will need a diffuser attached to the flash to soften the light source. Direct flash without a diffusion device should never be utilized in any professional capacity, as it casts harsh and unflattering light onto the subject.
Action Shots
Moments happen quickly during a wedding. Keeping your camera ready for the action will ensure vital events are not missed. For most action shots, make shutter speed the priority. This setting controls the light within the camera and stops action on the image frame. For example, a moving car needs a shutter speed of at least 1/250th of a second to freeze the car's image. A stationary subject can be captured with a shutter speed 1/60th of a second or less, but you risk capturing camera shake. For any setting below 1/60th of a second, it's best to use a stabilization device such as a tripod. Remember that a fast shutter speed will require appropriate aperture and ISO settings to admit sufficient light.
Photojournalistic Style Settings
Many brides will request photojournalistic or documentary-style wedding images. A famous saying for photojournalists is "F/8 and be there." The f/8 aperture setting generally allows you to capture a clear foreground, middle and background, thus creating an image that tells the story of the moment. Another excellent technique for this style of shooting is to use a wide-angle lens (28 to 35 mm) and ensure that the entire frame contains only necessary elements of the moment. Shooting a wedding event with a wide-angle lens will allow you to catch many moments that you might otherwise overlook.
Understanding the camera settings necessary for a properly exposed image is vital to becoming a strong wedding photographer. Weddings present unique shooting situations, and you must know how to interpret existing light and be able to rapidly adjust your camera, ensuring that no moments are missed. Your adjustments should be second-nature. Your knowledge of camera settings will let you focus on capturing precious moments that only happen during a wedding.
Basic Settings for Proper Exposures
Before beginning any photography shoot -- particularly a wedding event, where lost moments can't be retrieved -- take the time to understand how the camera uses all the settings to make a balanced exposure. To create a properly exposed photograph, you must balance the aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings. The aperture controls the amount of light allowed in through the lens and ranges from f/1.0 to f/32, depending on the quality of the lens. The aperture also controls the depth of field, giving an image a clarity that reaches to infinity or blurring the background to focus on the subject. The shutter speed, measured in fractions of a second, controls exposure -- the amount of time light is allowed to strike the negative or the digital image sensor. The ISO, referred to as "film speed" in analog cameras, tells you and your camera's light meter how sensitive your film is to light, or tells the digital sensor how to interpret light. It ranges in sensitivity from ISO 100 (slow film) for sunny days to ISO 3200 (extremely fast film) for low-light situations. All three of these settings must be coordinated at the instant of exposure to create a properly exposed image.
Portraits and Formal Images
Portraits and formal images are a necessity in wedding photography. The settings will vary based on the light present in the shooting situation, and you should choose a location without harsh light sources, such as direct sunlight or fluorescent lighting. A strong portrait usually has a shallow depth of field which creates a blurred background and causes the person in the image to stand out from the surroundings. This is achieved by using an aperture setting around f/1.8. Such a large aperture opening will allow a decent amount of light into the camera, so you will need to adjust the shutter speed accordingly. A flash may also be necessary to create an image with a balanced light source, and you will need a diffuser attached to the flash to soften the light source. Direct flash without a diffusion device should never be utilized in any professional capacity, as it casts harsh and unflattering light onto the subject.
Action Shots
Moments happen quickly during a wedding. Keeping your camera ready for the action will ensure vital events are not missed. For most action shots, make shutter speed the priority. This setting controls the light within the camera and stops action on the image frame. For example, a moving car needs a shutter speed of at least 1/250th of a second to freeze the car's image. A stationary subject can be captured with a shutter speed 1/60th of a second or less, but you risk capturing camera shake. For any setting below 1/60th of a second, it's best to use a stabilization device such as a tripod. Remember that a fast shutter speed will require appropriate aperture and ISO settings to admit sufficient light.
Photojournalistic Style Settings
Many brides will request photojournalistic or documentary-style wedding images. A famous saying for photojournalists is "F/8 and be there." The f/8 aperture setting generally allows you to capture a clear foreground, middle and background, thus creating an image that tells the story of the moment. Another excellent technique for this style of shooting is to use a wide-angle lens (28 to 35 mm) and ensure that the entire frame contains only necessary elements of the moment. Shooting a wedding event with a wide-angle lens will allow you to catch many moments that you might otherwise overlook.
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