There is a great divide among photographers when it comes to wedding photography. On one hand, it is a great chance to capture some intimate moments and candid stills of someone’s family, friends and ceremony, and on the other hand, it is a chance to ruin a bride’s big day.

You have to have guts to be a wedding photographer, and experience is essential for success. Some of the best wedding photographers can charge up to $5,000-$6000 for a wedding (sometimes more), but in order to charge so much, you have to be a proven photographer among the harshest of critics: a stressed-out bride and her family!

Many photographers admit that wedding photography is essentially easy, in that, you know what shots you “need” to get (formal pictures) and you know what shots are great candids. Aside from that, a wedding photographer needs to be pleasant even when the snotty flower girl is tugging at your pant leg while  taking a portrait of the bride and her in-laws. Wedding photography is not for everyone.

Some companies today use digital cameras to get the pictures and spend more time on an editing program to create images that are more artistic. Some still rely on film for the quality, but the editing tricks on a computer give a photographer a great range of possibilities to “wow” a family that knows nothing about photography.

Being a great wedding photographer usually means you are a great communicator – you have to ensure a pair of families that you are best suited to document such an important day. Unlike most other kinds of photography that require you to sit, watch and “let things happen”, wedding photography is much different. When it comes to taking formal group photos, you have to act quickly and be a director for your shot.

Once again, wedding photography is not for everyone. It can be difficult and painstaking, especially if you’ve ever had to deal with a picky bride or family. For many the headache is too much and realistically so, since your reputation is based on the opinions of people who don’t know the first thing about taking a picture. It can hard, but if you are successful, love a challenge, enjoy dealing with people and truly love weddings, you can find great success in the field. Just don’t say nobody warned you!