I see a lot of wedding photos on Facebook. We all do. I happen to be much more critical of them being a wedding photographer, so when I see friends and acquaintances posting disappointing work, it hurts me on a deep level. To know they had so many options for great photographers out there and chose someone who doesn't understand photography or what a bride wants, just upsets me. I'm not the only great photographer out there, I know that. There are thousands of us, fighting for work. So to see a terrible photographer hired, is a slap in the camera lens! Rim shot....

So I'm starting a GOOD vs. BAD section of this blog to show people the stunning differences between a good photographer and a bad one.

1. The group shot - a good group photo vs. a bad group photo.

BAD:

A bad night shot of a wedding bridal party

A bad group shot is taken far away, making everyone almost indistinguishable. The bride is the only thing recognizable because she's in white. That's about all the detail there is here. Photographers need to think outside of the box when it comes to large bridal parties or families. Instead of just lining them up like 11th grade prom, they should be looking for ways to get a nice, tight shot of everyone filling up the frame. This photo is poorly lit, poorly edited (was it edited at all?) and ultra wide. You can't see any facial expressions.

GOOD:

A good group photo highlights everyone in the party so you can see them all clearly. They are all placed in an interesting way to maximize all of their exposure and fill the image with their faces. Nobody cares about the location in a group shot - it's about seeing the bridal party as one coherent group. If it's a large group, try to get an interesting shot looking down or up at them, and space them as tightly as possible. Bodies aren't important, faces are - so some people can stand behind others. The photographer should use their surroundings to get the best possible shot, not just get lazy and throw them in a line in some pretty location.

I hope you see the difference. I hope this helps when deciding a photographer. Thanks for letting me rant! Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!