Digital Wedding Photography

Shooting weddings is always nerve-wracking, because the couple and their families are depending on the professionalism and expertise of the photographer. Failure is not an option. So every wedding photographer using digital tools owes it to his or her clients to learn everything their is to know about this kind of photography, to better supply reliable, creative service. This book has the kind of information you need to do a good job, and plenty of ideas for producing better images that will please everyone in the wedding party.

There are two aspects to wedding photography. First is the technical, and since this book is on digital photography it talks about digital cameras and the digital image manipulation software to make the photographs stand out. Much more important is looking at the wedding scene from start to finish recognizing those instants of life that make the day memorable. Some of his photographs are simply stunning. Sometimes stunning in their simplicity. For instance his pictures of the hand of the bride with her engagement ring as a point of emphasis or the picture of the flower girl holding her basket tell stories of their own, each of which is easily worth the stories thousand words. Looking at the picture ideas is worth the price of the book by themselves. Here he is showing what only years of experience photographing weddings can teach. It is the recording of the human emotions of the day. Great book.

The first thing one notices about Paul Gero 's new book, Digital Wedding Photography, is the stunning photographs. It's not just that they are stunning; you'd expect a book about photography to have good photographs. These images have a certain quality: a freshness, they are real, exuberant. You know these moments are not staged, made to look romantic, like a fashion shoot or a pretend wedding. Yet, every photograph evokes beauty and emotion. It's more than composition, though that is impeccable, no unnecessary information but the essentials. They are about life, a real story. On the practical side the book is well organized starting with equipment, then discusses organizing your shoot and yourself to actually photograph a wedding. Gero talks about what makes a great photograph, the different styles and approaches. Chapter three and four goes over what events make up a wedding day and what to look for and organize your story around visually. He emphasizes the art of visual storytelling, discussing the broad strokes as well as the details. Sprinkled thorough out are technical tips and tricks that he has learned and developed over the years. As a long time photojournalist now doing wedding photography myself, Gero's first four chapters were an affirmation of the fine work being done in this growing field of documentary wedding photography. What I needed was a bit of technical help. I went digital two years ago and every day I learn something new. The second half of Digital Wedding Photography filled a HUGE bill on the technical side and I have poured over the advice and step-by-step walk-through techniques. With each new technique I found myself saying, "So that's how you do that!" It sure beats my trial and error method. I began using his tips immediately. In the last year or so I have bought at least 8 books and guides to wedding photography. Some good, others not so helpful. Paul Gero's book is most definitely number one on my list. Enthusiastically agree with reviewer DJL.

How is this? This is a great book...I've been a professional photographer for over 30 years....and just recently moved into shooting weddings....and I wish I had read this book before I shot my first wedding. Paul Gero covers everything in front of as well as behind the lens. From point and shoot cameras to state of the art digital SLR equipment. Mr. Gero shows you how to photograph the day from the bride getting ready to making your final prints. Lot's of examples and hands on tutorials. Two Thumbs Up!!

If ever there was a written manual on "how to cover weddings", then this is it! Very clear and easy to understand, I found this book to be extremely helpful as it made valid my existing approach and philosophy on covering photojournalism weddings digitally. Filled with "real moment" example photos, the author not only explains in written text, but also SHOWS exactly what he is talking about! The photos are beautiful and not at all tacky, as I have seen in MANY other books on wedding photography, which seem like they were written in 70's. I found the last section of the book, regarding the digital darkroom, to be the most beneficial as the author lets us in on his personal inside secrets for image prep and post production which is THE hardest part about shooting digitally! I totally recommend this book to all photographers from amateurs to accomplished professionals, who are interested in photographing weddings using today's popular photographic technology combined with today's popular photojournalism style!