Beginner Wedding Photography Mistakes: 03 Messy background
Most professional wedding photographers usually check out a wedding venue before the big day so that they can identify the perfect location for the essential shots of the couple and their families.
A nice, clean background can make a huge difference to a shot, but don't make the mistake of thinking that it needs to be plain or uninteresting.
Shooting the couple in the doorway of the church, for example, gives context as well a creating a frame around them and it looks much better than photographing them in front of the hedge in the churchyard.
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Beginner Wedding Photography Mistakes: 04 Couple squinting in the sun
If you are able to visit the venue before the wedding it's well worth doing so at the same time of day as the service as you'll be able to assess the position of the sun.
It's all very well identifying a nice background, but the couple won't thank you if they are squinting into the sun in every shot.
Look for a location that has a nice background and provides some shade - or rope in someone to hold a large diffuser.
As well as avoiding squinting, shooting in softer light produces more flattering shots with less harsh shadows.
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