I try to approach wedding photography from a slightly different angle when I shoot a new couple. Very important to me is becoming friends with the bride and the groom, this is probably as important to be as getting the job in the first.

Standard is the pre-wedding shoot which allows me to bond with my new couple, it gives them the opportunity to be comfortable with my shooting style and also for me to fully get their trust. The pre-wedding shoot gives us a lot of bonding time, allowing them to access my character and get to know me a lot better.

Asides from the pre-wedding shoot which is pretty much standard with all Xsightn wedding packages, I also ensure I get to meet and hangout with them at least twice before the big day, during this period we not only talk about the coming wedding but also other stuff, how they met, what movies they enjoy, fun stuff really. Trust me when I say this bonding works wonders for my photography.

From the moment they see me on the day of the wedding I can see the relaxation in them; I always get a friendly hug from the bride. When you shoot a wedding in Nigeria, you can be sure you won’t be the only photographer covering the event, if you are lucky you will probably just get 2 other photographers, not to mention the video guys and their “halogen lights” (It’s standard practice in Nigeria for parents of the couple to also get their own photographers and video guys to cover the day). So there is always a lot to contend with. It becomes a battle of the strongest, if you are not fast and strong, you will lose the shot, at the end of the day it usually balls down to just getting “a” shot , rather than getting “the” shot.

“The” shot is what Xsightn is all about, this is were being friends with the couple begins to pay up really quickly, they always acknowledge your camera and you always get your shots. When the posed shots are composed, they are always looking out for your camera. When they smile towards you, the smile always feels more genuine. Why am I writing this now? Well am actually chatting with a bride I shot that year on google talk right now and she and her husband want to host me to lunch or dinner one of these days. It’s important we remain friends after the wedding too. I love what I do (wedding photography) and wouldn’t change it for the world

Tags: bride, groom, nigeria, photography, Wedding