Photo Live Expo 2016 - Wedding Bells Are Ringing

So who doesn't love a wedding? The spiritual experience - the colour - the romance and spectacle - the family connections - the buffet table...

I'll tell you who doesn't love it - the photographer who has been asked to shoot the occasion and hasn't figured out how to do it. Short of skydiving with an anvil, there are few more daunting prospects.

Well, help is at hand. Hie on over to the Photo Live Expo 2016 section of the Camera Electronic website and book yourself in for the talk about wedding photography by Kirsten Graham of Compose Photography. It's part of the Speakers Series. You can get a pre-book ticket for $ 11 as versus $16 on the day... and remember that if all the tickets sell out, you miss out.

Many photographers who are comfortable with other subjects and occasions freeze or panic when asked to take pictures at a wedding. They can be overwhelmed by the idea, by the unaccustomed environment, and by what they see as the responsibility. Kirsten can help by explaining some of the ways that professionals get through this. Remember it is better hearing this from someone who does it very, very well then trying to read it out of a book - or even off a weblog column...

Note for the timid re. responsibility. If you are taking pictures at a wedding you are not responsible for the ritual of the ceremony, the legal aspects, the catering, the flowers, the flower girls, the crazy uncle, or the wedding speeches. You are not responsible for the success of the day or the success of the marriage.

You are just responsible for showing what it looked like. And you can do that with focus, shutter speed, and aperture.

Keep some spare batteries and cards and a long sharp stick to poke the bridegroom awake in case it is a long ceremony.

PS: Kirsten may have better ideas - go along and hear her. You can buy tickets here. Remember that the writer of this weblog column has a secondary job as crazy uncle at weddings and may be biased...