To make a shot list or not is the question…..I asked a few photographers that I admire (including the one I hired for my wedding) to talk about shot lists. I got a bunch of varied responses and I am sure happy that I asked. As someone that’s shot a wedding, I think you’ll find this post super helpful.
From Diana Rothery (my wedding photographer, yes, the one I found on Craigslist) -
-Tell your photographer about your priorities for the photos beforehand. What do you want to see when they turn the images over to you?
- Couple portraits – is there a certain type of photo that you like more than another? Diana said she likes to give her clients a healthy balance of tight shots (to show emotion) and wide shots (to document the surroundings), but if I want one type more than another – I have to tell her.
- Ceremony
- Dancing at the reception
- DIY projects – this one is super important to me because our wedding will have so many DIY projects that I want documented. I can also use these photos for the series of blog posts I’ll be doing for SYE after my big day.
- Physical details – floral arrangements, jewelry, favors, etc..
-Is there anyone attending the wedding that I need to make sure that my photographer gets a candid shot of? If so, please advise. For me, I’m going to ask Diana to get a few shots of my father reacting to me all dressed up like a bride, yeah!
-For family photographs, you should create a list of combinations (in the order you’d like them to go) and family members’ names is extremely important to make the process quick and easy. Put you and your partner in the middle of each pairing and have people move in and out. You shouldn’t be going anywhere during this part of the day. I would also add that you should task someone very loud and kind of bossy to help the photographer wrangle your family. As someone who has shot a few weddings – having the additional help was awesome. My largest family shot was 20+ people!
-Diana tries not to have too much structure because it can stifle her as an artist, but she does need to know what I want, so that she can properly document the day. She promises that she will cover every part of the event in the greatest detail she can, but it’s always nice to have a list of her client’s ‘musts’ as well.
Next, I asked the lovely and talented Kelly Prizel, one of the founders of SYE.
From Kelly -
“I’ve honestly never gotten a more extensive list than that from any of the couples I’ve worked with. It’s an issue of trust in your photographer…if you’re hiring them, I think you should be confident in their ability in knowing what needs to be shot. So other than group shots I never get a list, and most of my close-photog-friends don’t either. In my welcome kit, I tell my clients to trust my expertise. I always ask if they have something out of the ordinary happening on the wedding day and I do a timeline consult so I know what’s happening but I never get a shot list.”
And finally, I decided to ask my newest photographer crush, Morgan Trinker. I believe I saw one of her photo shoots on a blog somewhere and I went to her website, whoa, she is a super talented lady. I love the energy and color of her photographs. She is also very generous with her advice – love that!
From Morgan –
“First of all, I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of the long, generic shot lists that are provided in most wedding magazines and planners. As a photographer, I feel like I risk missing important moments if I’m constantly checking off boxes on a long piece of paper. Most photographers who have shot multiple weddings and who keep up with blogs and magazines will know the kinds of shots they need to get and will have somewhat of a routine that they follow. They will know to shoot the bouquet, and your with your parents, and reception details, and the first kiss… all of the important stuff. When you are looking at photographers, ask to see the entire collection of images from several different weddings (instead of just the handful of best shots they will show on their portfolio site). Look for the kinds of shots you think are important. Did they shoot a lot details? Did they catch important candid moments? Did they do a satisfactory job of getting the traditional family photos? Then you can trust them to know what they need to get.
However, as a photographer, I also ask all of my couples for a list of five must-have shots. Not the standard shots that are included in most shot lists (unless there is one or two that you can’t live without and want me to know about), but some things that are unique to you and your wedding. For example, if you are carrying a locket with a photograph of your grandmother, or if you are having an uncle who helped raise you say a special prayer or blessing before you walk down the aisle… those are the kinds of things I want to know about and be sure not to miss, because no generic shot list will tell me those things.”
So, will you (or have you already) done your shot list?? Did this post change your mind?
SD
I generally ask couples for any special shots to keep in mind (and I write them down) but the only real shot list I use is for family formals. I think sharing your wants is important but definitely no generic internet print outs! All weddings are different anyway.
I agree, with family photos it’s a must. Otherwise most of my couples trust that I’ll get the shots as they happen. A candid photo of true life is always better than trying to stage it.
I love you!! Lol thank you for this!!! You rock!!!
Thank you so much for asking me to share! Hopefully this will help some brides and grooms out there. Always good to have different perspectives! You rock Sarah!
As a wedding photographer I started out using a shot list, but as my experience and style grew I soon dispensed with the list. The only time I use a list is for the family formals. Invariably these are the “must have” shots for the happy couple and for that reason alone I have a list for that purpose. Weddings always have their own uniqueness. It never ceases to amaze me how many different ways people celebrate their unity.