Take lots of pictures is about the only advice I could give. Take lots of pictures and if you’re good or lucky one out of ten will be acceptable. I just went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago and most of the pictures I took were disappointing but I did get a few fairly good ones.

A favourite trick of mine is to try to take candid pictures of people laughing.  It can be tricky to get the timing right, and candid pictures are hard to get from particularly camera shy people (a proper photographer SLR with a long lens and powerful flash helps), but the results are worth the effort.  You end up with lots of pictures of just how much fun everyone is having.

For presentation, check out the photo books at http://www.photobox.co.uk.  The hardback one with a white cover makes an excellent wedding gift.

“million89”—the 89th million of the billion monkeys

Rob

Thanks just the kind of thing I was thinking of.  Don’t forget people having fun!

Such photos can be good even if they ARE a bit blurry.

Are in any sense “officially” photographing? I.e., have the couple asked you to do so? If so, make sure to shoot *everybody*. It’s essential for the couple to have at least one half-decent pic of everybody present, and (1) most photographers except hired professionals shoot almost exclusively only the guests they already know, (2) there’s always somebody who shrinks into the background and almost completely evades even the hired professional.

If any part of the reception is outdoors and the weather is good, use flash. This might sound like odd advice, but the light from the flash evens out what would otherwise be deep shadows on people’s faces - especially under the ladies’ hats. (I can’t remember if you are DSLR-armed these days. If so, there mght be a few other points worth noting. But those will do for now)

Heavy flash use of course means: batteries, batteries, batteries. And cards, cards, cards as already mentioned.

(I’ve photographed a few weddings “officially”, i.e. as guest-plus-designated-photographer. It’s hard work, but it has its benefits. At one of them I met my now-wife, who I probably wouldn’t otherwise have had the nerve to chat up. Good luck)

Oh, and even if you normally do, don’t shoot raw. As Lynn said, you need to be shooting *lots*, and believe me you don’t have the time to faff about processing everything afterwards. Get your jpeg setting right and shoot pegs.

(And if that was just sanskrit to you, then don’t worry about it)