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WHY SOME COUPLES GET BETTER PHOTOS

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Cara Garbarino and our own Robin Sloan have photographed over 1,000 weddings combined. They both agree on one thing – there’s a secret to why some couples get better pictures than others.

A photographer does not try harder for one couple than for another. So why do some weddings have that “photo magic” where every shot is a winner while others fall short?

It comes down to one thing – a happy bride is a beautiful bride.

In order for photographers to capture a genuine moment, couples must be present and truly enjoy their wedding day. When they are overly camera-aware and trying to recreate something they saw in the photographer’s portfolio or online, it always appears forced.

It’s important to give your photographer a shot list of photos you want (bridesmaids in robes, mom helping with dress…), but your photographer cannot recreate a photo you’ve seen. Cara so eloquently states “Be your own bride, not some fucking Instagram bride”.

Do you feel like you will be able to let go of your photo expectations and enjoy your day?

Who's in this video?

Cara Garbarino
Photographer & Owner,
The Atelier

Who's in this video?

Cara Garbarino
Photographer & Owner,
The Atelier

Cara Garbarino and our own Robin Sloan have photographed over 1,000 weddings combined. They both agree on one thing – there’s a secret to why some couples get better pictures than others.

A photographer does not try harder for one couple than for another. So why do some weddings have that “photo magic” where every shot is a winner while others fall short?

It comes down to one thing – a happy bride is a beautiful bride.

In order for photographers to capture a genuine moment, couples must be present and truly enjoy their wedding day. When they are overly camera-aware and trying to recreate something they saw in the photographer’s portfolio or online, it always appears forced.

It’s important to give your photographer a shot list of photos you want (bridesmaids in robes, mom helping with dress…), but your photographer cannot recreate a photo you’ve seen. Cara so eloquently states “Be your own bride, not some fucking Instagram bride”.

Do you feel like you will be able to let go of your photo expectations and enjoy your day?

1 comment

    Robin Sloan, The Uncorked ProjectVerifiedRobin Sloan, The Uncorked Project

    Here is something I noticed when photographing weddings...

    When clients would be very camera-aware and try to recreate a photo they saw in my portfolio or on Pinterest it came across fake and ... well, bad. An example is the first look moment - forcing the 'tears' just doesn't work. First looks are often weird and uncomfortable bc they are so planned. Most couples, in real life, start to laugh- the nervous energy letting out... and then hug, then look at me (photographer) and say "now what do we do?!"

    And that is where photo magic happens. The portfolio shots you want. But when it is forced to create those photo moments, it fails.

    Here is how to get the best photos: create a realistic timeline, have a real discussion about the photos you want, hire a photographer you trust, .... and then forget all the planning and be present in the moment.

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Featured Question

Q: Is there really a wedding mark up?

Do you feel like the industry charges more “because it’s a wedding” and they know it’s an emotional purchase?

Do companies think that they can charge more for weddings since the bride and groom may be willing to spend more on their dream wedding?

Hey wedding pros – is this higher price tag justified? Why? Do you charge more for your service if it is a wedding?

This is a taboo topic, whispered but not discussed… until now.

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2 comments

    Robin Sloan, The Uncorked ProjectVerifiedRobin Sloan, The Uncorked Project

    I have been asked this so many times... does the wedding industry inflate prices when they hear it's a wedding?

    Here is my honest answer (as a former wedding photographer)... NO. Did I charge more for a wedding than a 50th birthday party or a family portrait session? Yes, absolutely. I charged A LOT more for a wedding.

    Was I taking advantage of the emotional sell? Absolutely not.

    The main reasons I charged more for a wedding were: the unseen amount of work involved in the 12+ months leading up to the wedding, the skill level needed on the day, the INTENSE pressure to create perfect "portfolio level work" no matter what the reality of the situation- but mostly it is to compensate for the time AFTER the wedding in post production.

    Little known fact about wedding photography - the real job is sitting at a computer editing photos. Photographers spend many hours behind the computer carefully selecting and editing photos. They make adjustments, crop, and adjust colors to ensure each image it's best. Don't forget the time it takes for batching, renaming, importing, exporting and uploading the photos and preparing them for delivery.

    Do you think this justifies why photographers charge more for weddings than for other types of shoots?

    AvatarCody Pettengill

    Couldn’t agree more! And on the videography side its an absolute ton of data + editing discipline.

    Its a double sided coin- weddings are extremely high pressure but also high reward when we nail it.

    Our products (photo video) in particular are the only thing that genuinely will last forever . Having fun and ALSO nailing the product is worth the price of entry and frankly more.

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