The Secrets of Spectacular Wedding Photography: An Inside Guide to Perfect Wedding Photography

By Robert Evans

Celebrity photographer Robert Evans shares his secrets to securing spectacular wedding photography, from engagement to happily ever after.

Award-winning photographer Robert Evans has photographed some of the biggest weddings of the past two decades and counts A-list celebrities and CEOs among his personal client list. With his first book, he takes engaged couples behind the lens and shares his advice learned from 25 years of photographing weddings all around the world. His practical tips are designed to help couples find the right photographer and work with them to create a seamless wedding-day experience that ends with unique images that reflect their love story and this important day in their lives.

Robert has spent 25 years photographing weddings and events around the world, for some of the biggest names in film, music, and business. His work has been featured in magazines including People, US Weekly, and Martha Stewart Weddings, and has been shown on television outlets from The Oprah Winfrey Show to CNN. He is a Sony-sponsored photographer and the creator and host of the YouTube show, The Pixel Show. After years of hearing stores of frustration from wedding couples who were unhappy with their photography experience, he decided to write a book aimed to help them and the photographers they work with.

Robert's advice touches all aspects of the process, from finding and hiring the right artist to dealing with family members, posing like a pro for maximum elegance, and creating and committing to a timeline that keeps the entire experience seamless and stress-free. He also delves into behind-the-scenes terms and issues, so the client can better understand the workflow and get the experience they want. The result is a practical, easy to follow guide that will help couples enjoy a seamless, stress-free wedding photography experience from start to finish, and end up with beautiful, meaningful photographs that will last for generations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098321130

Robert Evans

Robert Evans is a Sony-sponsored photographer and one of the most highly acclaimed wedding photographers in the world. His personal humility, positivity, and dedication to his craft sets him apart as a once-in-a-generation photographer. Over the last 30 years, Robert has documented over 1,000 weddings worldwide and created iconic imagery that has graced the covers of countless national and international publications across the globe. The growing list of recognizable personalities in the film, music and business worlds who have sought out Robert to photograph their weddings and private events include Jason Aldean, Trent Reznor, Blake Shelton, and Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer, Tom Cruise, and Katie Holmes, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy, Christina Aguilera and Google's Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer Omid Kordestani. Robert's work has been showcased in television on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, MTV, CNN, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, amongst others. His photos graced the covers and been featured in the content of publications including USA Today, People magazine, Us Weekly magazine, HELLO! magazine, Playboy magazine, OK! magazine, Life&Style Weekly, In Touch magazine, Martha Stewart Living magazine, Inside Weddings, and Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine. Robert has had the honor of being selected to give a TED Talk. and speaks regularly at tradeshows for Sony and other photographic industry companies. Robert hosts his own YouTube show, "The Pixel Show," where he educates other photographers and helps them to grow their passion for photography. Susan has worked in publishing for more than two decades. Editorial: Copy editor, Woman's Day; travel editor, Conde Nast's Modern Bride & Elegant Bride; executive editor, Parenting; senior editor, ISLANDS; editor in chief, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, SPA, Florida Travel & Life. Contributing editor, Modern Luxury and WedLuxe Writing/editing: CruiseCritic.com, airbnb, USA Today, Destination I Do, Jetsetter, BRIDES, Style Me Pretty, Sherman's Travel, WedLuxe, Orlando, ISLANDS, Caribbean Travel & Life, AnnapolisDiscovered.com

Book preview

cover.jpg

The Secrets of Spectacular Wedding Photography:

An Inside Guide to Perfect Wedding Photography

©2021 Robert Evans

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written

permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

All images in this book are the copyright of Robert Evans, with the exception of the ones listed below.

You can find more of Robert’s work at RobertEvans.com.

Page 21, 95, 97, 149 and 151: Envato Elements | EnvatoElements.com

print ISBN: 978-1-09832-112-3

ebook ISBN: 978-1-09832-113-0

Don’t let your grandmother find out you didn’t listen to Robert Evans…

Thank you for your interest in this book, which is truly a project from my heart. I enjoy the privilege of continuing to maintain a prolonged, successful career as a wedding photographer. Over the years, I have encountered stories from couples who have had a negative experience related to their wedding photography. It is my hope that by sharing some of the wisdom I have collected along the way during my career, it will not only help head off any photography mishaps, but assist you in experiencing a perfect wedding day, captured with beautiful photographs that will last for generations. The best of luck to you as you journey toward tying your knot.

Sincerely,

Robert

Contents

My Photography Story

The Planning Stage

At the very start of the planning process, envision looking back at your wedding day years from now.

Research and identify your preferred style of wedding photography.

Find a wedding photographer who is passionate.

Find a wedding photographer who is also a storyteller.

Meet with potential photographers in person to see if there’s chemistry.

Friends don’t let friends photograph their wedding.

Spend time getting to know your photographer, and let them get to know you too.

Share ideas with your photographer via online galleries such as Pinterest, Dropbox or a shared Google drive.

Hire your photographer and videographer as a team.

Hire the best vendors you can, and make sure they have true wedding experience.

Do your engagement shoot with the same photographer who is photographing your wedding.

Hold your engagement session in a location that has meaning to you both.

Hire a wedding planner.

Discuss appropriate dress with your photographer well in advance.

Communicating your expectations with your photographer in advance is key.

Create a shot list in advance.

Build excitement by making your extended family feel special before the photo shoot.

At your rehearsal dinner, remind your extended family about their arrival time for photographs.

Take your family wedding pictures before the ceremony, including a first-look shot of you and your love.

The Wedding Day

Make your own rules on your wedding day.

Let the little things go and let your wedding day unfold.

Utilize a photography timeline to make sure everything runs smoothly and on time.

Sample timeline #1: When first-look and family photos are taken prior to the ceremony.

Sample timeline #2: When the couple does not want to see each other pre-ceremony.

Keep your wedding dress and accessories with you at all times.

When it comes to beauty, the bride always goes first...and she needs her own transportation as well.

In order to stay on time for pictures, fudge the timeline with your hair and makeup team.

Fudge the timeline for family photos, too.

Plan extra time for traffic delays.

Keep your wedding photography locations manageable.

Be yourselves and pretend your photographer is not there.

Have your wedding photographer spend the last 20 minutes with you before you walk down the aisle.

Request no photography during your ceremony—especially no cell phones!

The first look shot isn’t just for the wedding couple.

Awkward is awesome...really.

Don’t worry if it rains, or worse; inclement weather lends itself to incredible imagery.

Loosen up your loved ones by giving them a big hug.

Include special friends and other important people in your lives in your family pictures.

Ask your photographer to capture candid images of your grandparents.

After you kiss and say I do, walk down the aisle and keep on going.

For late afternoon weddings, steal away for sunset pictures and take advantage of the magic hour.

Beware of your Uncle Bob, aka the overzealous amateur shutterbug.

Put a social media embargo on your guests.

Feed your vendors at the same time you feed your guests.

Relieve stress by exercising on the morning of wedding (and don’t drink too much the night before).

Be authentic for your photographer.

Use some posing pointers to make your arms look great.

A veil lends itself to beautiful wedding images.

Position your hands correctly to get flattering images.

Connect your photographer with your emcee before the event and again on your actual wedding day.

Encourage your photographer to shoot lots of photographs of your wedding guests.

If you want to get published, make sure to get lots of details and decor pictures.

For great reception shots, consider adding up-lights and accent lighting.

Add a little extra flair to your reception room photos by putting yourselves in them.

After the Wedding

Understand the other side of the aisle: your photographer’s post-wedding workflow.

Make a plan for how to post the best wedding selects on social media.

Back up your wedding photographs and digital files on multiple hard drives.

Back up your wedding digital files to the cloud as well.

Keep up with technology and reevaluate your backup systems every 3 to 5 years.

A wedding album (not a diamond) is a girl or guy’s best friend.

Industry Insights

Understand the difference between RAW and JPG files, and why it matters.

Budget rule #1: You get what you pay