How to shoot candids at weddings

Some of the most successful wedding photos are taken when the bride, groom or guest are not aware. Here are some tips to make your candids a success.
Words and photo Mike Upstone

Gently encourage everyone to have fun - the clients will supply the material for candids and everyone will enjoy the day more. M. Upstone 2002

Candid photography
The camera set-up suggested permits quality candids to be taken and means the photographer is not committed to using a tripod and setting-up each shot. The metering prism (which creates a 'right way round' image, unlike the waist level finder) and the winder CW grip are essential to achieve this. Some photographers take candids on 35mm for ease of use and some use a second photographer for candid work instead.

Successful candids are more difficult to produce with long lenses due to a progressively more limited depth of field and increased risk of shutter shake. We recommend using the standard lens (80mm on medium format, 50mm on 35mm format) or a moderate wide-angle lens for the task. Timing is essential - it isn't just a case of clicking at anything that moves. Good opportunities are usually presented by the brides preparations at home before departure, before she enters the church (capturing the tension) and on exit from the church - when being congratulated by friends and relatives. Children are excellent candid subjects.

Normally the best selling photographs are those which include the main wedding 'cast' - the bride and groom, their friends and immediate relatives. Candids on 120mm offer easy presentation by keeping the format uniform throughout - but if you are proofing via a 'pro-lab' they can prove expensive. If you use video proofing, consistent square negatives present fewer production issues than mixing film formats, particularly when rotating between landscape and upright images.

Currently candids are more popular than ever with young and 'informal' couples and offer extra sales opportunities. Video proofing makes the extra costs involved minimal and can be used to claim the budget for videography to boost the photographers profits - and save the client money from the video budget.

NB Video proofing eliminates print proofing and creates a new and highly cost-effective product. Unlike trans proofing it makes a product on which the client retains a copy of every image of the wedding day - for which more money can be charged. The equipment costs from 3,500 to 6,500 depending on the quality of scanner and processing power you choose, and whether you need a VCR. There is a whole section available on video here http://www.alienideas.com/training/extended.htm#E.

About the Author
Mike Upstone Ba (Hons.) CrGWP, LBIPP, LMPA won the Sinar 50th anniversary calendar competition in 1997 with a digital image. Mike is Managing Director of alienideas and created Procedures for Professional Imaging (PPI), the first complete training manual of professional imaging techniques. The manual has already been described by industry insiders as 'the industry standard for digital imaging' and is available as PDF files on CD, and as online downloads from the www.alienideas.com web site.
This article is part four in our series and kindly reproduced from the Procedures for Professional Imaging manual. It is from the A02 Professional techniques - weddings module. There are another 440 or so pages with loads of essential information for photographers wanting to turn pro. See our review here or go to alienideas to view the contents of the manual http://www.alienideas.com/training/training.htm