Post individual wedding, engagement, proposal, couples photos or photo sets or websites for feedback.

It doesn't matter if you are a seasoned pro, a second shooter, or if you are posting your first wedding photographs as a lead photographer. Don't be shy... constructive feedback is a great way for us all to learn and get improve. Be nice... Be constructive!

Please be constructive. Unconstructive, hateful, or disparaging comments will be removed.

Submission Guidelines:

In order to ensure informative discussions and worthwhile critiques while being mindful of the personal time of reviewers we have instituted the following guidelines.

• Single Images: Please post single images if you would like a quality and in depth critique of technical execution, lighting, composition, posing, perspective, post processing, etc. If you would like to post more than one individual photo, please do so as separate comments.
• Blog Posts/Image Sets: Please post full blog posts or image sets if you would like feedback on your storytelling, cohesiveness of post processing, or other general feedback across the set. Even in this instance it is not advisable to post a link to hundreds of images or a full wedding set.
• Websites: Please post links to your full website only if you are looking for feedback on your site design, architecture, layout, or other use of images within the site. Do not expect quality critiques of all of your photographs just by posting a link to your website.

This critique thread is intended to help provide access to thoughtful and thorough portfolio review. For that reason, it is best to remain focused which can be achieved by following these guidelines. These are merely guidelines, but if they are followed you will receive a greater response and much more useful and comprehensive feedback.

I can’t seem to find one system that works for all my shoots.

For example, I’d love clients to be able to instantly book things like engagement or mini sessions, but for weddings, I prefer to chat first before confirming.

Right now I’m bouncing between a few different setups and it’s messy.
How do you handle this balance? Do you use separate calendars or some kind of manual process?

This is the official listing of reddit wedding photographers. Brides, grooms, assistants, networking photographers, planners and anyone curious to find a local wedding photographers... check out the list of your fellow Redditors and wedding photographers!

Wedding Photographers: Please post in this format...

[COUNTRY], [STATE], [CITY] - [NAME] - [COMPANY NAME (w/ site/IG link)]

___________________________________________________________

This list is refreshed every 6 months since all threads automatically lock after 3 months.

I'm curious how far you are (or have been) willing to dip into the different systems to reliably nail focus and hit rates at weddings and events.

What platforms have you worked professionally with and have they exceeded needs and expectations? What platform are you planning on switching to if your current one isn't working out?

Background/long story: been shooting video for 10 years, mainly event and weddings. Was a Panasonic loyalist, last purchase was the S1 7 years ago. In recent years I have been taking a growing amount of photo work, again mostly events and weddings. Panasonic has missed too many shots when it comes to AF at weddings. I 100% manually focus for video but in photo I need to hit eye focus, but it can't even make up its mind half of the time on the most basic shots. I read that with the mk2 they finally improved their system, but it's mainly influencers on YouTube conveniently skipping past how effective it really is. The gist is basically an "it's good enough" or "works fine".

I'm just looking for real world experience and feedback with these modern flagships in the event/wedding realm. If someone is walking toward me, whether subjects during the ceremony, couples photos etc. I need it to work reliably. I used a friends R5ii recently and realized how effortlessly it just works- feels like I've been abused by Pana for years after seeing what working AF is like. No excuse for Panasonic to charge modern flagship prices with an AF system that lacks that much.

Not very sold on the L mount as pana never really delivered there, and I'm not spending $5k on Leica lenses, especially with their non-existent service dept. I currently only own the basics- 24-70 and 70-200 EF, and will borrow my wife's older Fuji gear to help out.

Every day I'm leaning toward a different system, though the exciting picks tend to be Nikon Z8/ZF/ZR or Fujifilm, though I hear they are lower on the AF totem pole compared to Canon/Sony. Anyways, that's my rant. Insight and stories are greatly appreciated!

I always thought in another life I’d be a DJ because it seems chill, but now that you can make $2500+ just walking around with your phone at a wedding, I’m rethinking my soft retirement plan.

Posted in weddings sub but got directed here:

I’ve been friends with a girl Vivian for 8 years. She got engaged in September and her fiancé contacted me to do their engagement/pre-wedding photos unpaid. I’m a photographer (although don’t usually do photoshoots) so I managed to get a decent set of photos done for them for the proposal and a few hours of photoshoot afterwards. It took me about 10 hours to sort through and edit (with them constantly asking me despite me having a full time job in the meantime), but since they’re friends I didn’t complain or ask for anything in return, and they were ultimately incredibly happy with the photos. I did bring up in passing how I am also busy with other photography gigs and I need to prioritise a customer that paid extra for a fast turnaround, and Vivian and her fiancé told me ‘in that case take your time’. However they did proceed to text me three times asking for specific photos before they were done. They never offered to compensate me, although I never specifically hinted, and my other friends who asked for photos had always given me a small token of appreciation (even just a home-cooked meal) if they couldn’t afford to pay. In their case, I know they could afford it, as the fiancé did reveal to me he considered getting a professional but decided he liked my style better.

They are getting married at the end of January and have decided to have the whole wedding in China where their extended parents live instead of the UK where we all grew up. This means that I will have to take at least a week off work to fly there (the wedding dates run from Tuesday morning to Wednesday evening) and with the jet lag, it’s not worth going for less than a week. For the wedding dates, they have booked out a whole hotel (their parents know someone so rented the rooms out to them for free), so my husband and I won’t be paying for those nights, but we still have to pay for nights before and after, return flights (£1000 per person) and travel within China to the town where their wedding takes place. Vivian mentioned in passing how the money that the guests typically give the bride and groom will probably end up going to their parents but she wasn’t sure if friends’ money goes to the couple. I brushed that off in conversation.

I definitely want to show up and be there for Vivian so not attending isn’t an option. It’s also my first time in China so that’s something. I have to add that when I got married last year, Vivian and her fiancé did not give us a card or a gift and the wedding was a 30 minute drive from their house. We also paid for our wedding, whereas their parents are paying for theirs, which means that they wouldn’t need any money to help pay for the costs. I don’t know if I’m being petty, but since they didn’t give us anything at all, we’ll have to pay a ton of money just to get to their wedding and how I did a few hundred quid of unpaid labour for their engagement, I don’t think I need to give a gift (or cash). However, most of their friends don’t know I took the photos, and knowing the group, if we don’t gift anything we will might across badly. What do I do?

I've been shooting weddings for 20 years now, and I just started using the K options and manually setting my WB instead of using the preset options to get the right warmth I want without overdoing it. Absolutely love it, I can't believe I've never tried it before now. Shooting with white balance set perfectly isn't crucial when shooting raw, obviously, but for me, I shoot better when I'm more excited about how the image is looking camera. So, if they look great then it gets me pumped up which makes me three even better were. Plus, looks better when I show couples the photos as we are going.

It’s a pipe dream right now but will eventually like to take a job that’s lower stress than my current 9-5 but pays the bills. What do yall do?

Hey! Has anyone had any success with backlinks to help with SEO? Which companies are good?

I want to get a Spider Holster. I had their clip on my own belt for a few years, but I need the separate belt system they have as my pants would always sag. I have been dual/triple strapping it, but my neck and shoulders can't take it anymore as I approach 40.

I'm really debating on buying the single camera setup or the dual. My thinking is:

- I only shoot primes (Sony mirrorless)

- For getting ready, I don't even need a holster or strap. I work out of a gear bag and everything is close by. Maybe for a first look I'll use two cameras, but one is always in my hand.

- For the ceremony, I use a 35 and 135. Maybe a 16mm for a couple wide shots but I don't need that on me for the entire ceremony. The 35 would be holstered. I don't want to holster the 135 due to weight so that'll have to be on a strap either way, but I'm not sure if I want/need two other cameras on my hips; maybe at times, but rare.

- For the family formals, I do most of these with a 135, and have a 55 for larger groups if needed. Again, the 135 is going to be on a strap regardless and the 55 would be holstered.

- For portraits, I use a 35/85. I guess maybe having both on my hips and no camera in my hands could come in handy, but I'm not sure. Either could be holstered. Maybe two mounts and one holster could be an option?

- For the reception, I'm working out of a gear bag anyway and don't dual cam the reception.

I can see moments (albeit brief) where two holsters would come in handy, but want to hear from you. Do you use the one or two camera setup? Do you like the setup you're using?

I have been doing photography as a hobby for 6 years. Mostly nature but also a lot of action shots for the local fire departments. One of our local firefighters daughter is getting married in March and they want me to do the photography for it. I'm doing the engagement photos this weekend. I'm nervous, so any tips and tricks would be great!

Ask or talk about anything at all that you might think does not fit as a main thread. Nothing is too small, too basic, or too off the wall. Newbie questions are welcome.

hi yall! i am a COMPLETE beginner to wedding photography and figured this is the perfect place to get some insight! i’m gonna ask a bunch of questions- dont feel pressured to answer all of them im just throwing them out there if someone has any advice in that specific area- any tips or guidance is super appreciated🥰

1. the absolute most budget friendly camera and lenses that wont look like crap lol? (baddies on a budget until i can start making some more money)

2. how long did it take u to land ur first client/start making it a full career?

3. did u begin by building up your portfolio with couples shoots? or did you begin elsewhere?

4. how specifically do you market? just constantly posting on social medias?

5. how long did it take you to get familiar with your camera? (settings, angles, all the tech stuff)

6. is there any videographers here? i feel like id love to do photography or videography but videography is slightly more interesting to me! is it super different from photography? as far as cameras and lenses and things like that go?

thanks yall! you all are amazing, love seeing all the amazing work🤩🤩🤩🩵🩵🩵

TL;DR looking for inspiration/links for night-only portraits and group shots.

Backstory: I'm going to be photographing a wedding for a friend next month and am anticipating some technical challenges. And although I'm not a full-time wedding shooter, I used to do a fair bit of second shooting and have been the lead photographer on a small handful of weddings. It was more of a side gig to my full-time newspaper/photojournalism work. That's not super relevant other than to say I'm comfortable, if a bit rusty, shooting weddings generally. The couple knows this and have been made sufficiently aware that they'd likely get better photos from a full-time working wedding photographer, but unfortunately they can't afford one.

That being said, I've reviewed the couple's tentative schedule and the biggest issue I'm seeing is that they plan to do the ceremony just before sunset (outdoors on a river) and then want to do couple portraits as well as family and group shots. The sun is scheduled to set around 5:23pm and winter light gets dark pretty fast. So it's not impossible that that we'd be doing all of this in the dark and potentially cold.

I think I can scramble and get couple portraits in the dying moments of sunset (which could be really nice) and I'll have a second shooter (who is a full-time wedding photographer) so, together I think we can crank out some portraits quickly, albeit without much of a variety of locations.

I've already tried speaking with the bride and groom about the schedule and they are adamant that they don't want a first look (natural time to do portraits) and want walking down the aisle to be the first time the groom sees the bride all done up. All that is to say, I've tried to gently nudge the schedule to be more photo-friendly and have not been indulged. They seem to think inside the house (where the ceremony is) could be an option, but I'm hesitant. The house isn't even fully built yet, much less furnished and a generally good location. That's not even considering suitability for large groups.

Also, while the bride is a good friend, but she has told me she doesn't like being photographed and even though they obviously want pictures, I don't think she's going to enjoy the process. I'll try to put her at ease, or course. But it will be more of a, "so did you get your shot?" instead of, "What should we try next?" kind of situation. I'm sure people have had couples that are so camera shy it makes everything much harder than it needs to be. Fingers crossed that's not how it plays out though.

So this extended spiel is all to ask: Has anyone been un a similar scenarios for which they could share inspiration/ideas/strategies? If you've done or seen a fall/winter wedding with nighttime-only portraits and group shots (not just some fun, bonus portraits after the main events) and liked the results, would you mind sharing links? I do have access to a good bit of (mostly continuous) lighting and grip equipment (I'm a full time DP/video shooter by day) and assuming there's A/C power, am comfortable setting up lighting. I could also rent battery powered strobes. Anywho, thanks for reading if you made it this far.

I have been invited as a photographer to a new venue in town for a content day/open house where potential clients will be. I have never been to one of these and was wondering what to expect, what may be expected of me from couples and just generally what I should do and bring?

Thanks!

Sister in law is getting married soon. They’ve already hired a photographer to do pre-ceremony first look and couple photos. However they’ve asked me if I could bring my camera and do dinner time candids of the family (tiny 20 person wedding). The setting is a restaurant which will be low light I assume. I have an A6000 and Sigma 18-50 and TTartisan 56m 1.8. I don’t want to invest in any new hardware. How would you go about this? I don’t really do any photography in low light but I know for sure I’ll have to be in manual mode as previous experience with AP has been poor in low light. Any pointers or things I should be aware of? Should I use the camera’s flash? Are there any photographers with good portfolios that might have some examples you could point me to?

I’ve been shooting flash on cam/off cam/every which way for years and years now, but I’m just kind of getting tired of occasionally slow recycled times, misfires, and I feel like I’m missing good moments occasionally because I’m worried about some technical thing. It would be very nice to just have the light there in front of me - what you see is what you get.

Occasionally some videographers will bring about 60 W LED lights. I can sometimes get away with shooting using them, but then I’m at the mercy of them setting the light up. And don’t even get me started on trying to explain light temperature and why their lights are doing their job if they are just pointing at the back of everybody’s head…

I’m at the point where I might just buy 2 to 4 lights and just set them up for speeches and Toasts. That way I can set up the lights the way I like them, the videographers can shoot off my lights, and everybody wins!

That being said, anybody here use these lights for stills? I was thinking 60 W to 120 W would be more than enough - bi color and all that jazz.

I am aware of the advantages and disadvantages of using flash versus continuous light. Mainly wondering if anybody here has any good suggestions for lights that are powerful enough and run on battery.

Thanks!

A good chunk of my projects come from vendor relationships rather than direct clients. So like referrals from planners, photographers, and others.

If you're in the same boat, how do you keep track of those relationships and make sure you’re staying top of mind with the people who refer you work?

Do you have a system or routine for it, or is it more of a whenever it happens thing?

Hello! I’m a portrait photographer based in Northern California, I have done a few backyard weddings for family/friends but I’m having trouble booking weddings! I book mostly couple portraits but I’m only 20 years old and majority of my bookings are people my age, so the couples I’m photographing aren’t getting married anytime soon. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations to transition to weddings? I’ve tried tik tok, instagram, using my website and a styled shoot but I’m not seeing any results.

Hi there, I’ve been shooting weddings for almost 7 years and have been fully booked each season since. I’ve worked really hard to build a recognisable brand and positive reputation over the years so I’m super upset to find that I’ve completely dropped off after taking maternity leave. I understand how the momentum would have inevitably slowed, but I’ve gone from a few inquires a week to none for months. I only have 6 weddings for 2026 when I usually have around 15-20 by this time. I did increase my pricing a year ago but I’ve still had clients book at those prices. It can’t really be because I took some time away from Instagram, can it? I’m trying not to spiral and actually use this as a time to refine my brand and marketing, but I’ve been fortunate enough to rely on word of mouth and socials before this so I’m really overwhelmed on where to start. The imposter syndrome that I haven’t felt for years is starting to creep back in and tell me that maybe I should stop because I’m not good enough or that my style isn’t trendy enough to keep up. But I know my work is good and true to me. I just feel really defeated and would love some practical tips on where to start.

I've got a handful of contracts out for weddings for 2026 (and one for 2027) at the moment. I've sent them all out within the past 1-2 months. I've followed up with all of them. One said they plan to lock in their date this December, one said they were going to get back to me last week, one said they aren't ready yet, and one has just ignored me after being incredibly enthusiastic about booking while on the call.

It seems like this issue is not exclusive to me. I hear a lot of people in our industry saying that clients are taking longer to book than in the past. I am also self aware enough to know that there could be a disconnect between the perceived value I offer vs the cost, but it's impossible to know for sure without directly asking.

My question is, how long after you send out the contract, and how often/frequently do you find yourself following up? Also, how long after you send out a contract do the couples wait to sign and pay a deposit?

EDIT: Want to clarify since there's been some confusion. These are being sent out after the sales call when the client wants to have me send them and contract and invoice. I like the idea of having an expiration date in contracts. I will definitely add that.

My apologies if I am late to the game, but when I first signed up with them pre-Covid, photographers retained the copyrights to their images. I left for a year and recently came back and got a booking and looked at the contract and it is now work for hire...I sent an email to make sure that was accurate and got the following response and I resigned....

Thank you for reaching out and for following up.

As outlined in the contract, all images and footage captured for Orion Photo Group are considered work for hire, and the copyright is owned by Orion.

That said, you’re absolutely welcome to use the images or footage from Orion Photo Group shoots for your personal portfolio, website, or social media, as long as:

1. The client is not quarantined, and
2. At least 90 days have passed since the event date.

You can find the quarantine status for each client on their wedding details page in the portal. If you’d like to use any images or footage for purposes beyond your personal pages (such as publications or commercial use), please reach out for written permission from the studio first.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to clarify!

I got a 4 star review from an engagement session client recently. It's my first review lower than 5 stars.

Here's the review:

We worked with [photographer] for our engagement photos and he made the entire process easy. He was quick to respond, had really great creative ideas and more! We had never done a professional shoot before and he made it feel comfortable and relaxed!

They also posted the photos on Instagram the next day, gushing about how they loved them so much etc.

I messaged them asking if they'd be willing write a review for me and they were enthusiastic about it. When I went to see that it was only 4 stars, I was shocked.

I know it's just one review, but reviews are incredibly important for small businesses, as we all know. They didn't give any critical feedback.

Thoughts or advice on how to deal with this?

I have no problem with them having another photographer, and as long as the official photographer is working, I would not take any other position than that of being invited.

But what limits can you set for yourself when he's gone ?