#457 In today's episode of the podcast, I chat with Documentary Wedding Photographer Ben Chrisman who shares his approach to capturing authentic moments at weddings. He talks about his transition from newsroom photographer to shooting weddings and you'll learn to approach photography creatively, understand the challenges faced during weddings, and forge lifelong relationships with clients.

THE BIG IDEAS

• Creativity comes from knowing what you like and subtracting what's unnecessary.
• Challenging yourself is crucial. Safe shots are important, but creativity pushes your limits.
• Build lifelong relationships with your clients. Understand and empathize with their challenges.
• Push yourself to create photos that you like and find personal satisfaction in your work.

BEST PRACTICES

1. Capture Authentic Moments: Focus on real emotions and personalities, rather than staged photos, to tell a unique and artistic story of the wedding day.
2. Stay Creative: Challenge yourself to think outside the box, experiment with different angles, shadows, silhouettes, and abstract shots to create visually interesting and extraordinary photos.
3. Understand and Empathize: Be sensitive to the challenges brides face, and show care and concern for the couple, especially in tense situations, to build lasting relationships and create a positive experience.
4. Prioritize Comfort: When taking portraits, aim to make people feel at ease and forget the camera’s presence to capture genuine and natural expressions.
5. Embrace Limitations: Using prime lenses and minimal gear can enhance creativity by forcing you to focus on what's important and subtracting the unnecessary.
6. Strive for Personal Satisfaction: Judge your work based on your own sense of creative achievement and focus on creating photos that align with your personal style and preferences.

Resources:
Check out Ben Chrismans Website - https://www.chrismanstudios.com/
Follow Ben on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrismanstudios/

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Thanks for listening & keep shooting!