Camera settings for wedding photography.

Learn more about wedding photography, plus some valuable tips for capturing creative and captivating photos.

Even if you’re not a professional wedding photographer, weddings are a great place to practice your photography skills for fun. There’s a ton of action, and you might even end up with some nice shots to share with the couple. If you want to snap some photos at the next wedding you attend, consider these four creative techniques to try.

Capture wedding portrait silhouettes.

Shadows and light can add dramatic flair, which is perfect for wedding portraits. If your camera has an HDR setting, it’s best to turn it off when you want high-contrast images. Otherwise, your camera may pick up unwanted details in the shadows and that will lessen the dramatic effect.

Bump up your shutter speed.

Candid shots can capture emotion through motion. Look for movement throughout the day, such as a flower girl twirling her dress, and do your best to capture the motion without blur. This means you’ll want to set your camera at a high shutter speed.

Shoot with a low f-stop.

From table decorations to cupcake tiers, there are plenty of stationary objects you can use to play around with your depth of field. When you shoot with a low f-stop, also known as shallow depth of field, you create a photo where your object is clear and its surroundings are out of focus. Experiment with this intentional blurring to add beauty and impact to your photos.

Try out some Japanese bokeh effects.

The bokeh technique results in out-of-focus points of light, which can create some pretty spectacular wedding photos. Working with a low f-stop is key here, ideally 1.2 or 1.4. Shutter speed is also important, because you’ll want to let enough light in while still keeping your subject in focus. Practice ahead of the big day by experimenting with both to get comfortable with the technique.

For even more inspiration, discover additional photo tips and techniques to try.

Explore what more you can do with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom as you start shooting wedding photographs.