A few tips & tricks to get your images published.
If you dream of seeing your gorgeous wedding images printed in a glamorous wedding magazine read by all your potential clients, read on to learn how to do it. Our studio has been published in over 70 magazines and wedding blogs, and I have learned a thing or two along the way. Here’s my best tips on how to approach the process.
Where to Start
The first thing to focus on is learning how to get “magazine quality” images. By this I mean images that are well-lit, clean, bright and illustrate the wedding theme by capturing all the details of the day.
If you’ve already got this covered, great. If not, here are a few pointers:
- Take a moment to stylize details when necessary-arrange the details in a visually pleasing way, remove clutter, make sure there isn’t any random items in your shot like plastic bags or other distracting elements.
- Make sure you have great lighting-magazines can’t use images that are too dark as they simply won’t print well.
- Shoot details with the lowest f-stop possible (2.8 or lower) to spotlight certain elements while blowing out the background.
Advance Planning Goes a Long Way
Planning is key so that you have a good understanding of how the day will unfold and exactly where you need to be to capture certain details. If a wedding is detail heavy, you’re going to need some extra time prior to the ceremony and reception to capture all those beautiful details the bride has planned for many months.
Speak with the planner and florist before the wedding so you can understand the scope of décor and make notes about what you’ll want to capture. Contact the venue in advance and ask them to have the reception room set prior to the guests being let in, and most importantly, to hold the doors closed to make sure the room is not cluttered with purses, jackets and half empty glasses placed to hold a seat. We always offer to give the venue with these shots if they will help us clear the room of waiters and such for a few moments.
Plan to arrive early at a wedding so you have plenty of time to capture all the little details available in the bride’s room, plan in your timeline to capture the ceremony details prior to guests arrival if possible, and finally to have some time in the reception room prior to the guests coming in. This time for details doesn’t automatically happen without advance planning.
Coordinating this in advance is key, as you may otherwise get caught up with cocktail hour family photos and forget to take a few moments in the reception room, which is typically where you will find the bulk of décor. It really only takes a few minutes, and sometimes the catering staff will even hold the doors closed for a few extra moments while you capture those details. As a last resort, you can always run in while the guests are finding their seats, and move quickly to capture tables in the back corner of the room that guests haven’t found yet. From there, make your way to the head table, as the bridal party is not announced until the guests are seated.
Put together a solid game plan to ensure you will be where you need to, so you can capture those gorgeous magazine quality images.
Next week Lara will go over the submission process so all the beautiful images you’ve taken will see the light of a magazine!
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Andy Bondurant is the former director of Senior Portrait Artists. He current owns and operates The Collective, contributing 4-5 times per week on photography, business or life.
