It's all in the details.

Ring shots have got to be one of my favorite parts of a wedding day! If I'm being honest, capturing all the details, bride and groom's, is always a fun part part of my day. I'm sure most of us have been to a wedding before so we're aware of how crazy a wedding day can get. Being a wedding photographer means that even though wedding days are fun, there is also a lot of pressure that's involved. Capturing detail shots is usually early on in the day before all the chaos and madness begins to unfold. It's the time in the day where I get 15 minutes of peace and I have complete control on how my scene will look. It's a beautiful time, every time.

When I first started shooting, I felt very overwhelmed with the amount of photos that I knew were 'must haves' for my brides. As time went on, this process became second nature and I memorized the photos that are crucial to a wedding day. I say this all the time but practice whatever it is that you wish to become better at. I didn't just wake up one day and know all aspects of shooting a wedding. In fact, I'm still learning and I second very often! Shooting the rings on a wedding day may seem like a tedious task but there are a couple of ways around you feeling like this and it'll show in your work!

Tip #1 : Envision The Story You're Telling

This tip does not involve technique but relies heavily on theory. You're always going to meet different couples and because of that, you'll shoot a variety of wedding styles. As you're gathering the rings, think about the story that you're trying to tell. Your job is to document their day in a way that feels closest to the real wedding as possible. If your couple has decided to go for a simple and elegant aesthetic, that should be the way you photograph their wedding rings. If your couple decided to go for a more rustic feeling, think about the backgrounds and accents you can use to make their ring photos pop. Go in with a plan so that when it's time to shoot, you are prepared!

Tip #2 : Backgrounds & Accents

The background and accents that you decide to use for your wedding ring shots will make or break your photograph. Keep their story in mind when choosing the background and the objects that you'll place around the rings. I tend to use a lot greenery or flowers if there are any accessible on the wedding day. I like to take a stroll around the venue and find small pieces of leaves or flowers that I can incorporate into my shots. Use your environment to frame your shot! There may not be leaves available on the wedding day because you may be shooting in the desert but maybe there is a succulent. Find and envision the objects and backgrounds that are accessible to you and use them to aide you in telling your couples story.

Tip #3 : It's All About the Angles

Angles...they're so important! Get plenty of them when shooting rings because it's honestly never enough. It's better to begin your editing and have a larger selection of rings to choose from than to have one setup to pick from. The shots below are obviously from the same wedding but I really tried to play with my backgrounds and my surroundings. Think about where you're shooting from also. If getting up on a stair to get a lay flat shot means a better photo, do it! Shoot everything and in between so you have options.