LATEST ADDITIONS

What I want to capture in my photography can be expressed as the character of a place. I have to aim for images beyond “this is what it looks like here” because in my business photos have to tell stories, have to illuminate, even educate; my images should always reveal something of the culture, the history, and, most important, the lives of the people.

With over 35 years as a top professional wedding photographer, Steve Sint knows exactly what it takes to make it in this competitive, high-pressure field. This book is a thorough guide for every part of the process, from getting the job, to taking the right shots, to selling the albums, to making a profit, and most importantly, keeping everyone happy in the process. His book, Digital Wedding Photography (ISBN 13: 978-1-600595-65-3, 272 pages, $29.95, pixiq, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co.) brings that experience to bear on every aspect of the art and craft of wedding work, including an excellent shooting script, lighting, posing and business tips, all told from a veteran photographer’s point of view. This is one book those getting started in this field should own, and serves as an excellent refresher course even for those who have been shooting weddings for years. In this excerpt we highlight the author’s recommended packing list and organizational method, and how he ensures that his gear is working from job to job.—Editor

The compact Olympus E-PL3 has a retro body design and is available in different colors. The camera has a large swivel LCD on the back which allows the user to flip the monitor up and down. This is handy but is not as flexible as a swivel monitor that allows side-to-side movement. The LCD screen is a standard TFT screen instead of the OLED system used by the Olympus E-P3.

The majority of articles written (and classes taken) about wedding photography focus on taking better pictures of the bride and groom. By now, every photographer knows at least 20 poses they can compose in 5 minutes or less, plus several clever ways to make a plus-size bride look slimmer and her mother younger. But what about the rest of the wedding, such as taking better cake-cutting, bouquet-tossing, first-dancing, or champagne-toasting photos? It is at the reception where a photographer’s technical—and anticipatory—skills are most likely to come into play. Working in banquet rooms with poor lighting and questionable architecture are just two of the many challenges photographers face. With that in mind we talked with three top pros, Lisa Lefkowitz (www.lisalefkowitz.com), Cliff Mautner (www.cmphotography.com), and Kate McElwee (www.katemcelweephotography.com), who offer their experience in helping you make great wedding reception shots.