Brenda Bergreen

Wedding photography is a fast-paced high-stakes environment, kind of like football or poker, except without all the hitting or sunglasses and hats. It’s actually really hard to shoot with sunglasses on and tackling would damage our gear so try to avoid that too. Luckily, after over a decade of photographing weddings, I’ve picked up a few survival tips that might just help you get through your first wedding season unscathed.

It’s fascinating to look back over my 10+ years as a wedding photographer and see the evolution the industry has gone through. That’s not to mention all the drastic changes that happened before my time. It makes one wonder what it will be like to be a wedding photographer in the future.

When you look at your wedding photos, do they tell a story both individually and collectively? Can you feel like you’re back in that moment? Does the image help you remember not only what it looked like but how it felt?

Want to know the key to finding your ideal wedding photography clients? Be true to yourself. I know, it doesn’t seem like it can be that simple but it really is.

Creating your first contract as a wedding photographer? My first tip is to hire a law professional to review your contract. While over a decade of experience in the wedding industry allows me to give you some tips based on my experience, a wedding photography contract is a legal document between you and your clients that outlines expectations, responsibilities, and deliverables.

Outdoor engagement photography is one of my favorite aspects of being a wedding photographer. I get to shoot environmental portraits in beautiful places without the constraints of a wedding day. Additionally, I get to spend time with my couple getting to know them and their interests in a low-pressure environment.

Let’s talk about gear, I know some of you are obsessed with it and the act of photography is just an excuse for acquiring more gear. I can kind of relate because chips are just delivery devices for salsas. But for me, it’s actually the other way around, photography gear is all about making my job easier so that I can do it better, anything else is just in the way.

Being a professional creative means that you don’t always (ever) have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to strike. It means you have to create your work, on demand, regardless of the circumstances. Building practices to help reduce your stress and increase your creativity before a photoshoot will make creativity less illusive.

Using flash in your wedding photography can take your work to the next level. It can look more professional and dynamic. Additionally, there are a variety of scenarios when flash makes certain things possible that wouldn’t be if you’re relying on natural light.

I remember when I first became a professional photographer and I was devouring advice from those further along in the path than me. People talked about personal photography projects and how important they were. They were important for developing your skills and getting noticed and setting yourself apart, but in my experience, there’s something more important.

Just like most things in life, success can depend on location, location, location. I know that I’m coming from a state where there are a lot of beautiful backdrops so I’ll do my best to give tips that will apply to you wherever you happen to be. I’ve shot sessions in a variety of locations and while I have my locations and preferences, of course, I think it’s possible to make the best of whatever you have to work with.

Wedding photography is arguably one of the most important parts of a wedding, of course (though I’m biased being a wedding photographer and all). But at the end of the day when the music stops, the cake is eaten, and the honeymoon begins, the photos are what helps our couples relive the magic of their wedding day. This is why it’s important that you know how to make a wedding photo album your clients will love.

Normally when I write articles about photography, I’m not very polemic -- I try to stay neutral and give advice that photographers can apply to their own personal wedding photography style even if it differs from my own. I care more about giving people solid advice than worrying about clickbait.

Family and bridal party pictures at a wedding are important, every couple wants them but none of their families want to be patient and present to take them. Meanwhile, there’s a lot of pressure from mothers and grandmothers to get all the important combinations while at the same time, there’s always a cousin that disappeared to the bar.

If you’re interested in photography and are trying to figure out where to start or how to grow, you’ve come to the right place. There’s a lot of information out there, how do you even determine what to focus on? Sometimes in trying to do too much we find ourselves accomplishing nothing.

Before you start your photography business, there are a few essential things you need to have in place. Utilize this as a checklist to tell yourself that you’re ready to launch.

I thought it would be fun to walk you through the day in the life of a wedding photographer. Every wedding is a little different but weddings are also fairly predictable. In fact, wedding days are more predictable than the rest of my work days.

For some reason wedding photography isn’t a well-respected genre in the photography industry. I have no idea why that is when it’s so physically, creatively, and technically demanding. But I do have a lot of ideas about why wedding photography should garner more respect.

Your bride still hasn’t put her dress on and you’ve reminded her three times. You see all the breathing room you created into your wedding day schedule slowly disappearing. And, the worst part, you know that you’ll be the one that has to make up for lost time or else get blamed for screwing up the wedding day schedule.

It looks like a glamorous job, taking photos in beautiful places and a dance party every night. Or maybe it looks like the worst job ever, dealing with high expectations and family drama. Wherever you stand on the subject, listen up because I’m going to share the best and worst parts of the job to help you decide if you should be a wedding photographer.

Customers form an impression of how you did before you even deliver a single photo. While we all hope our photography is one of a kind, it is either enhanced by a positive client experience or harmed by a bad one. And that’s just one of the many reasons customer service might be your most important photography skill.

Are you interested in photography and ready to learn skills to up your game? Do you want to evolve from iPhone snapshots to crafting something intentional? Today my plan is to drop some photography-for-beginners tips onto your shutter finger.

Photography is a competitive industry in which professional photographers are competing against anyone with an iPhone, which means pretty much everyone. How do you convince a client to pay you for your work when they can get something that’s ‘good enough’ from someone else for free?

Photography or any other creative pursuit requires us to be consistently creative, which means we need to tap into a reliable source of inspiration.

Portrait photography is about capturing the personality or identity of your subject. Therefore, these photography tips for portraits will unsurprisingly relate to the person you are photographing. How do you make them look their best, feel more comfortable, or even tell a story about them through your portrait?

One vital data point that you may not have considered when you started off on your photography journey is that success might not come down to how good of a photographer you are. The most successful photographers aren’t always the best photographers and the best photographers don’t necessarily get the work. This begs the question: is it more important to be a good photographer or a businessperson?

If you’re looking to make your photography stand out it’s time to get creative with light. The longer I’ve been a photographer, the more I’ve come to appreciate good light. Good light makes my job so much easier, but interesting light makes my job more creative.

I have one overarching tip for you today and it’s a big one. The only wrong way to learn photography is to stop learning. Whether you’re classically trained or self-taught, the key is to always be learning and growing.

You’ve been taking your camera everywhere, shooting photos of your experiences, and you love the way photography makes you see the world. Gradually, you’ve started to wonder what it would be like to turn your passion into a career. This guide will walk you through the process of how to become a photographer.

So you’ve decided you want to learn wedding photography but you want to learn it fast and for free. Luckily there’s no better way to learn than by diving in and making mistakes along the way. Additionally, with countless resources and inspiration sources, you’re bound to find someone to teach and inspire you even if they don’t know they’re doing it.

How much should photographers charge? I feel like that statement is as triggering as my toddler asking me about death or where babies come from. But unlike the age-appropriate answers we give our kids on hard topics, it’s important to do some adulting on the topic of money.

This is my jam: I love photographing people in nature. Give me a stunning landscape combined with a person enjoying the place and I’m camera happy. That’s why today I’m sharing some photography tips for landscapes with people in them.

Take the uniqueness of the numerous brides planning a wedding in a given year and the quantity of creative wedding photographer types and you’ll find a wide range of styles when it comes to both weddings and wedding photography. However, one thing remains reliable, predictable, and timeless inspiring me to share these 5 keys to documentary-style wedding photography. Couples want to remember the joy of their wedding day.

If you’re reading this article, you might be interested in testing out wedding photography or you might be trying to figure out how to build a sustainable career. When people find out we photograph weddings there are a wide variety of responses but one of them is, “I tried that once and I’ll never do it again.”

To be a wedding photographer you need to be able to consistently take good wedding photos. You need to be able to nail everything from the first kiss to the newlywed couple's sendoff in a way that delights your clients.

As a photographer, you know that your job is more than just crafting beautiful images. As with any job, you spend a lot of time on things outside of your main job description. One of the hardest but most important parts of photography is finishing the photos, which means culling and determining which and how many photos to give your clients.

Photographers learn to see light but creatives also find themselves trapped in the darkness of their doubt. If you’re stuck in your fear of starting a business, I’m going to help you break through some myths and mental blocks to remind you that another word for fear is excitement. At the end of the day, would you rather be someone who faced their fears or gave into them?

Today I’m going to answer the question that’s been burning on your heart. What oh what should I wear when photographing a wedding? It’s a more important question than you might realize but not for the reasons you think.

In my complete guide to wedding photography, I addressed 10 critical moments that a wedding photographer can’t miss. In this guide, I want to dial in and take a closer look at what photos should be taken at a wedding.

We can learn about photography composition techniques and we can learn about wedding photography, but how do we combine the two lessons into real world application?