2025. Pictures of You and I.
The best wedding photography of 2025 150 favourites from Cheshire Wedding Photographer ARJ Photography® Every year I...
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What makes a good wedding photographer? The short version!
– Epic camera skills
– A mega understanding of light and composition
– Being in the right place at the right time, so moments aren’t missed
– Showing respect for all the other suppliers at a wedding – it’s a team game
– Strong problem solving skills to deal with wedding curve balls
– The likeability factor – do you want them at your wedding?
– Impeccable empathy and listening skills – the foundation of storytelling
– A robust backup system (equipment and data)
– Passion for photography, weddings and people
A good wedding photographer has epic camera skills!
This I guess goes without saying but the best photographers know their cameras inside out, and are able to ride the camera settings to adapt to any and all situations and make great wedding photos whatever the conditions, lighting, weather, time of day and type of venue. Cameras can almost do a good job of basic photography by themselves nowadays, so the skill of a good wedding photographer is going above and beyond what the camera can do in the hands of an amateur or inexperienced photographer.
A good wedding photographer has a mega understanding of light and composition
The basics of good photography are light and composition. It takes years of dedication to learn how to read light and see compositions, and endless practice to use light and composition during the high octane job of wedding photography when the moments are happening rapidly and constantly. Waving round a good camera and taking a load of average snapshots is easy, but turning the iconic moments of a wedding into wall-worthy photographs is a whole other world of skills.
A good wedding photographer is in the right place at the right time, all the time, to make sure no iconic moments are missed!
The reason us photographers study light and composition is to make sure the moments look as good as possible when they happen. But being in the right place at the right time is vital, just because the moments that happen at weddings are so fleeting. This photo happened immediately after the speeches when ‘nothing was happening’ – but a good wedding photographer never stops looking for moments that may be iconic, even if nothing official is happening. You’ll never see me making my own content on my phone or sitting in a corner waiting for the next ‘thing’ to happen!
A good wedding photographer is a respectful member of the supplier team
They say it takes a village to put a wedding together and run it so that it all happens perfectly, and that means all the suppliers need to understand we are your team, and commit to work with and for each other on your wedding day. The best wedding photographers are great team members, committed to making sure your wedding is perfect above and beyond the photography. Yes to us the photography is the most important thing, but we know that doesn’t make other elements unimportant.
A good wedding photographer has strong problem solving skills to deal with wedding curve balls!
Weddings are predictably unpredictable. There are delays, and issues we face as wedding photographers and the job involves a lot of on-the-spot problem solving. An important skill of a good wedding photographer is to know this is the reality of wedding photography, be ready for it, and approach all so-called problems with a positive attitude so we’re always making the very best photos we can for you.
A good wedding photographer has the likeability factor!
Don’t underestimate the personal side of wedding photography… you won’t invite many outsiders to be a part of your day, in amongst the moments and rubbing shoulders with your family and friends. To get the very best photos you all need to like your wedding photographer as a person and enjoy having them around, although a good wedding photographer shouldn’t overstep because it’s important we’re there as an observer first and foremost and not forcing our own personality into your day. It’s a balance but the best photographers have it!
A good wedding photographer has impeccable empathy and listening skills
Wedding photography is a photography job of course, but we’re taking photos of people and moments and the really good wedding photographers listen as much as we look because that’s what unlocks the uniqueness of your wedding and stops your wedding photos looking like everyone elses. We also really care about everything that’s happening at your wedding just as much as you do, and we’re obsessed with making sure it’s captured impeccably so you remember it forever. Empathy and listening skills are the foundation of good storytelling so you get a collection of wedding photos which are unique because it’s your story and not just a generic set of cookie-cutter wedding photos.
A good wedding photographer is obsessed with backup!
When you’re searching for a wedding photographer, ask them if they have backup equipment. But also ask them how they will make sure they can’t lose your wedding photos. The best wedding photographers have backups of backups of backups of cameras, memory cards, batteries, lighting, etc etc. They’ll also have a meticulous data backup system to make sure your wedding photos are beyond safe and at zero risk of being lost.
A really good wedding photographer is passionate about photography, about weddings and about people
To sum it up, the best photographers aren’t doing this job to make money, we’re doing it because we absolutely love every element of it. We love to take and make wedding photos, we love weddings and everything that happens at weddings, and above all we love people and we want to make the very best wedding photos we can for our wedding couples. Everything I’ve mentioned above is a by-product of that passion.
