Wedding Day Slideshow

First off, I wanted to remind you that if you haven’t commented on the last post yet that you should go do so before tomorrow at noon to enter into the drawing for the $20 iTunes gift card drawing! Go do it now!

I’ve recently been asked a few times how I do a slideshow during the wedding reception with some of the photos that I took that day. This is something I was curious about when I was new to the industry so I thought I’d tell you my process and actually show the photos that I used for the wedding that I did yesterday. Keep in mind that while I have my way that I do it, that there may be better methods out there and that everyone does it a bit differently. And of course, please leave me a comment if you’d like to share your own techniques especially if it’s faster :).

I usually start this conversation with my clients during my Scheduling meeting (which occurs a couple of months before the wedding) by explaining what my slideshow is and if they even want one. I also make sure that they understand that if there is not a dinner or if for whatever reason we do not have time, that it is not guaranteed in their package. It’s a little something extra for instant gratification. I like that a bride and groom can get a sneak peek during the wedding so that they can go away on their honeymoon excited about what they saw.

I will also admit (and I tell this to the clients), that it’s a great marketing technique for my business. I’m not going to beat around the bush and pretend that it’s not. Sure people see me during the wedding and then much later they get to see my work, but this is the one moment that we as photographers can show ourselves both in person and through our work at the same time. We don’t get to do that all too often.

My ideal time to work on the photos is during dinner. When the reception starts, I hang around and make sure I’m there through introductions and anything else before dinner service. As soon as that has begun, I’m out the door. I usually have a spot planned before hand that I find when I’m checking out the venue a couple weeks before the wedding. A lot of venues will also have a place for vendors to eat and many times I just work from there. I’ve even been known to plop myself on the floor of a hallway right outside of a reception hall.

This is where I depend on my second shooter or assistant for a bit, which is usually my husband, Derrick. I leave it up to him to get me dinner (which we usually instruct our dinners to be delivered after the wedding party and before everyone else) and to keep an eye on the timing and pace of everyone else. He’s even been known to feed me my dinner :). I swear that I don’t ask my other shooters to do this if it’s not my husband shooting with me! If for whatever reason I don’t finish before they are done, which was the case last night, then it is up to my second shooter to take photos of whatever is afterwards. In last night’s case it was toasts and I was okay with letting a second shooter take those over. If it is anything like the first dance, cake cutting or any other scheduled event, then done or not I make it back in and then finish up later.

Once I’ve found my spot to work, I dig out my computer, superfast cardreader and memory cards and quickly get to work. A lot of times I will have the programs I need to work on already ready and instead of turning off my computer before the wedding, I leave it on hibernate so that I don’t have to wait on my start up.

The programs I use to work on are Adobe Bridge and Lightroom. I like Bridge because my RAW files pop up quickly and I don’t have to wait for them to upload to Lightroom. I just LOOK through what is on my card and select a few that I want to take into Lightroom.  My selection process is fast. Fast. The biggest piece of advice I can give is Idon’t second guess your choices. If you like it, pick it. If you hate it when it’s up in Lightroom delete it then.  Here is my process for what I want to show and the appoximate number that I look for:

-Details (2 or 3)

-Getting ready (just a couple)

-Bridal Portraits (5 or so)

–Maybe some of the bridal party if I really really like them

-Groom Portraits ( 3 or so)

-Bride and Groom (5-10ish)

-Ceremony (only if I have time)

The main thing is that I focus on the bride and groom. I usually have an idea from when I shot what I want and I just have to find it. In the end, I can end up with 15 to 35. It all depends on time.

I then take these over to Lightroom and do quick edits if I need them. The better you shoot straight out of the camera, the less time it will take on edits. I usually do basic adjustments (exposure, contrast, adjust the whit balance, etc.).

I then take my computer to a spot that I’ve designated with the bride and groom prior to the wedding. I tend to like areas that are off to the side and don’t draw too much attention, but that will still get some kind of foot traffic. The bar area is always a great or near a sign in table or the cake. It just depends on the set up. It’s not meant to be the spotlight, just an add on. It also has to be somewhere with an outlet, although I’ve had to depend on battery power before.

I also like to leave my business cards near the computer (see above paragraph about promoting my business). Sometimes I use just my business card and other times I’ve printed cards at Moo with the photos from the couples engagement and add information for how to see the B+G’s online viewing gallery and when it will be available.

All of the photos in this post are from the slideshow of the wedding I did last night, just as I edited them only without the watermark. The photo above is making me cringe (the light people, not the subject) because I really want to fix the over exposure at the top of the right photo. But I told you I’d show you just like last night..

I will admit that I often come home from the wedding and completely re-edit the photos that I used. I admit this still owning up to the work that I show that day (even the one above), but also knowing that I literally make split second decisions that I may or may not make when I’m culling through and editing the final photos for the bride and groom. You’ll see when I post their photos for the blog again, which I’ll do. Here’s the rest of the photos from the slideshow:

Please share any other questions you have. I’d love to share! And I really would love to know what others are doing!

By the way, this lovely and amazing couple is Tori and Kyle :). Your wedding rocked you guys! We had such a blast and are so completely happy for the two of you!