How to Anticipate + Photograph Candid Moments

A few days ago, Valerie asked me a question on Facebook and while I was tempted to answer her in the comment section, I felt I should dedicate a full blog to it because there's something truly beautiful about candid and sentimental photos. I curate my online work to reflect a mix of the day, but it's not possible to share every pretty moment. Curating a wedding online is a SMALL sampling of what appears in my clients' wedding photo gallery (I showcase about 30 images on a blog post, but there'll be 800+ images in their gallery). So this is why I think Valerie asked the following…

I debated whether I should pull photos from various weddings to showcase candid wedding day photos, but I–instead–opted to post photos from one recent wedding to give better insight into a fuller picture of the day (<-- pun intended). A couple weeks ago, I shared photos from Kathryn and Corey's St. Regis Monarch Beach Wedding, so here are a few additional photos of purely candid moments, all of which will be special to the bride and groom for sentimental reasons.

JD captured this photo (most of his photos are entirely candid), just as Kathryn's dad kissed her moments after I took a formal portrait. While I'm orchestrating photos, JD is waiting for quiet, quick moments like this one…having a dependable second shooter is perfect for moments like this. The lesson: sit and wait for the moment you expect to happen…

Before the ceremony starts, I make it a point to capture candids of guests…this is a relatively easy moment to anticipate candid moments…

Just after I called for the flower girls and ring bearers, I refrained from setting a formal portrait. Instead, I waited for what would transpire naturally…I know Kathryn and Corey would want candid moments between their nieces and nephews…

After the posed photo, a few kids snuck around Kathryn for a private moment with her…love moments like this!

Another tip for candid photos is to stay one minute ahead of the bride and groom after their formal portraits are completed. JD ran ahead to get an overview photo of cocktail hour, while I split downstairs to capture a casual entrance of the bride and groom…

Since I knew they were coming down, I poised myself to capture guest reactions…

I positioned myself to be able to capture the above guest reactions, then simply turn my torso and document the following moments…

The goal is to plan where you position yourself in advance to actually taking the photos…you need to work fast, test your light, and know–exactly–how you will document the moment as it unfolds…

JD followed the couple from behind and captured this moment of their initial reactions…

Before the dance floor officially opened, the kids made the best of it…

During cake cutting, there are formal photos to be captured, but there's a verrrry good chance a candid moment will unfold. As a result, I repositioned myself after the couple posed for a photo, holding their cutting knife and cutting the cake. Once I knew I had the safe/traditional photo, I took the chance to get closer for a different angle, with the anticipation this fun couple would, well…have fun! 😉

…and I remained in the same position for the moments after as it documented a personal moment, up close…

Okay, so the photo below? The light isn't great, nor is the composition. But I know Kathryn and Corey will love it. Kathryn and her sisters tried getting the kids to pose for an iphone photo during the reception, but it wasn't really working. This perfectly imperfect moment will be memorable for a litany of reasons.

But let's talk about to approach it from a photographer perspective: When I saw someone holding an iphone from a distance, I ran to this corner of the room and stood a few feet from mobile photographer. I didn't want to draw attention, I just wanted things to unfold naturally and this is what resulted…

Approaching planned moments like the garter or bouquet toss is a little unpredictable. I always position myself to get the wide, straight-on perspective to create depth in the photo, but JD will roam to get a tight shot of the bride's reaction as well as reactions from onlookers. For this particular wedding, the wide angle worked best because, well, just look at those reactions! 😉

I hope this helped and if you have other questions, feel free to leave them in the comment box or on Facebook!