Truly, I believe that the most anticipated celebration in the life of a man and woman is definitely the day of their wedding. Professional wedding videographers will always be the top choice to cover the special event, however, anyone attending a wedding can capture that special event for themselves with flip cameras, video phones and a host of other great, affordable, high definition video cameras. I'm about to give you a few tips on how you can shoot a wedding that will make a huge difference in quality.
TAKE YOUR TIME - When I was a kid, my dad bought us a cool Bell and Howell Super 8 mm film camera. We took that baby everywhere; on our vacations, during Christmas, New Years, Easter, special events, and games.
Once we finished the reels, and delivered them to Walgreen's, we waited anxiously during the week to get the developed reel back. Joy came when we had those little reels finally in our hands. We spooled up the projector, rolled up the six foot projection screen, plopped ourselves onto the couch and waited in anticipation as we turned off the lights and rolled the projector. I would sit there with the smile of the Cheshire cat, but then it would gradually fade like that of a depressed Charlie Brown.
You see my dad was a very impatient man, and this was obvious when he took on the role as camera man. His shots would go from one spot, pan to another, to another, to another, to another in neck snapping pace. I remember getting really nauseated from all the movement that was going on in the frame. I've noticed that same style of shooting with the vast majority of people that shoot videos.
So, take your time... In fact, pretend that you're going in slow motion. It may seem weird to you, but when you finally see it on whatever screen you use, you'll be glad you did. You should also check to see if your camera has some form of stabilizer setting. This helps with smoothing out the shakiness that your hands may experience while shooting.
DON'T BE SHY - When you're shooting video footage, some people may get annoyed by you pointing the lens at them, or getting in the way of their view. However, my experience had always been that when they watch the video later on, they're entertained, and love the great moments you were able to capture. So don't be shy or feel like you're being a distraction. Later on they will be praising you for getting those great looking money shots.
TO ZOOM OR NOT TO ZOOM - Zooms on video cameras have come a long way when it comes to getting that smooth motion. The biggest problem is when you first touch the trigger. There is a tendency to press a little too hard and the zoom shoots out a few feet before you finally get a smooth flow towards your target. I've always enjoyed the ability to actually physically move towards the subject. Of course that's if the subject is less then fifteen feet away. The move is very smooth and it has really cool hand held feel to it. Try it and watch the difference. I think you'll be very impressed.
NOT AGAINST THE WALL - One of my worst pet peeves when taking wedding videos, and pictures of friends and family is how everyone suddenly looks for a wall to plaster themselves against. The wall is a photographer and videographer's worst enemy. We love it when there's a ton of space behind. If you have no choice, and are up against a wall.
A general rule is to have the people stand at least ten feet from the wall, so that the camera lights don't cause those ugly shadows. If you have no other choice than try filling the wall up with a small table and place some flowers on top. Anything to break up the flat wall.
Just following these simple tips will help your videos tremendously, so enjoy yourself and watch the difference these tips will make in your videos.
To check out some really cool wedding videos shot by Al Matin go to http://www.evpvideos.com/
Al Matin is a chicago wedding videographer located in Lincolnwood, Illinois.
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