- Format all memory cards (I use Hoodman RAW) and place them in the holder logo side out
- Reset the camera to defaults
- Put in the camera settings most likely to want first thing*
- Clean sensors, lenses, filters
- Double-check your kit (check battery status, fire up your strobes, etc) (Use a Kit Checklist)*
At the wedding:
- Double-check camera settings:
- Set date and time on camera
- RAW capture a few images, look and check everything
- Check white balance (I start with AUTO, and switch when needed for a specific shot)
- Set Lenses & Camera to Auto-Focus
- Aperture Priority (I start here, and switch to manual when needed for a specific shot)
- shoot in RAW
- As you shoot and fill up a card, place it back into the holder with the label side now out
While shooting, make sure to get the following shots:
- close-ups of flowers
- perfume bottle
- jewelry
- garter and veil
- hanging dress
- shoes
- bride having makeup applied
- bride relaxing
- rings together
- invitation
- flowers
- ambience
- buttoning up the rear of the dress
- putting on jewelry (mother or bridesmaid to put on bracelet/necklace etc.)
- applying perfume
- putting in earrings
- brides portraits – with/without flowers, veil up/down etc.
- photos with parents individually, adjusting Dad’s tie, pinning on flowers etc.
- photos with both parents
- popping champagne bottle with parents and bridesmaids
- formal portrait of bride with all bridesmaids and bride with each bridesmaid individually
- groom portraiture
- gazing at boxed rings
- details of attire, close ups of cufflinks perhaps.
- interacting with groomsmen
- portrait of groom with groomsmen in the background
- formal portrait of groom with each groomsman
- groom pinning flowers on groomsmen
- mother of groom pinning flower on, brushing lint off groom’s shoulders etc
- groom with mother
- groom with father
- groom with both parents
- photos of each bridesmaid and bride walking down the aisle
- flower girl & Ring Boy
- photo after bride passes you of her and father with train down the aisle
- bride being presented to the groom
- officiant
- any people giving readings
- ring exchange
- kiss
- marriage certificate signing
- congratulations
- always take at least two shots of each group. Someone will always be blinking.
- remember to leave room at the sides of the shot for cropping to 8×10 size.
- ask people with spectacles to remove them if possible.
- get men to put their forward hand in their trouser pocket
- ask ladies to put their bags down
- If anyone is carrying a camera or anything else ask them to put it down.
- shoot at at least f/5.6+ for more depth of field and make sure everyone’s eyes are sharp
- the setting/area
- cake
- table settings
- toasts
- cutting the cake
- cake feeding couple
- first dance
- garter toss
- bouquet toss
- look for shots of grandmas, family members all during this time
After shoot, before leaving
Back up each memory card to a
HyperDrive (ideally as you are working but definitely before you leave!)
After shoot, at studio (next day)
- Import all the images from the memory cards to Apple’s software Aperture
- Import the entire shoot to a new Project under the appropriate folder (Weddings).
- On IMPORT, Change filenames to <weddingname><number><date>.
- Add copyright, location info, basic keywords
- Quickly click through the images, and make sure you see what you expect
- Initiate system backup (I use BackBlaze.com)
- Re-format all the memory cards, and place them back in the wallet, logo side out again now
- After all files are backed up to offsite backup, reformat HyperDrive
Basic editing in Aperture (2 days after wedding)
- Ensure the search filter is set to “unrated or better”. Go one photograph at a time in full screen and assign either a reject (9) or one star for “pick” (1)
- Your main goal here is to get rid of the obvious crap shots and pick the obvious decent ones), and make sure you have at least the # of images they paid for. Ideally you will have almost double or even triple the # needed at this point.
- Add generic keywords that apply to the entire shoot. Do this by selecting all photographs (Command-A), opening the Keywords HUD (Shift-H) and dragging keywords onto a photograph. Ensure you don’t have the primary only button selected so keywords apply to all images.
- Add group keywords that apply to groups of photos. For example, select all FORMALS and apply the keyword “FORMAL” to those, (other examples: getting ready, ceremony, reception, toast, first dance, etc).
- If you standardize these in your workflow you will be much more efficient shooting and post-production
- Add individual keywords as needed
Wait a few days … then:
- Do a 2nd selection pass to select the ones good enough to spend some time editing.
- To do this: Change the Search field to “1 star or better” so you only see the picks. Go one image at a time in full screen and promote the best ones to 2 stars. These will be the only ones you do any further work on, so try to be as ruthless and unemotional as possible. At the end of this you should have exactly the # of images they paid for (plus maybe 15-20 extras).
- Do basic editing on all these 2 star images.
- I have a “style/editing” guide I wrote for my style, and I do this exact same set of steps on all images.*
- Upload as JPG so client can make choices for album (I use Zenfolio.com)
- Backup these RAW files to DVD, label, archive the DVD in vault
Wait for client approval … then:
- Promote client choices to 3 stars
- Do final editing on client choices
- Aperture-based editing (I have a specific set of steps I do on all these images, all inside Aperture, that produces my “style”)*
- If there any outstanding shots you could use in your portfolio, promote those to 4 stars
- Pick the best one of the couple and promote that one to 5 stars – this will be their “key” piece (album cover, etc)
- Go nuts on the key piece – photoshop the heck out of it of you want – whatever makes it special for your style
- Make their album (I use Couture Book, and their Aperture plug-in for layout and direct upload)
NOTES ON APERTURE STARS
- 0 Stars – All photographs are “unrated” on import. Leave unrated any average shots, those not bad enough to delete (YET)
- REJECT – Ones you will actually delete
- 1 Star – Picks on First pass.
- Basically any shot you consider decent.
- 2 Stars – Picks to Edit.
- Do a second pass of the 1 stars and give an extra star to the best of the shoot. These are the ones to spend some time editing.
- 3 Stars – Have been through basic editing, and been chosen by client.
- 4 Stars – Portfolio Shots.
- Things you could showcase for your portfolio
- 5 Stars – Result in physical pieces (album covers, art pieces, etc)
* I am debating whether or not to post my Kit Checklist, my complete Nikon D700 settings file, and my “style” guides, and a description of my Aperture editing steps. If you want these, or think it would be helpful, let me know.
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