In-demand Toronto wedding photographer Scarlet O’Neill is known for capturing those special moments that are packed with energy and feeling, be it a rowdy dance floor or quiet kiss between bride and groom. With wedding season now in full force, she took a moment out of her busy schedule to give us tips on how to capture both the fun and romance on your wedding day. Go beyond the family line-up:

  • Light: Always keep in mind what kind of light you are shooting in. If you are shooting in direct light, be aware of your shadows and expose properly for that. If you are shooting in backlit areas, be aware of how that affects your photo and subject. Keep things even so that you have consistent lighting in the whole shot. Natural lighting is your best friend and know when to turn off the lights in a room so you don’t have mixed lighting if shooting by a window inside. And, even though sunny days are so much fun (for real life things like playing, going to the beach, hanging outside, etc) shade really is great for when you are taking photos; so don’t be afraid of that!
  • Lines: Think about how the eye sees things. Keep things straight with true life. Look at building lines and use leading lines to position the focus of the photo. Draw your eye in to the focus of the photo by using the lines of what you are shooting.
  • Print with care: With the world moving more and more in a digital direction, you can snap shots like a pro from your phone for many occasions. But sometimes it feels like everything lives on our devices, and now it can be tough to find a great place to print favourite pictures. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to get high quality ink for your at-home printer, to bring your memories to life yourself! I love to use HP Original Ink because my images print exactly the way I shot them, and look beautiful framed and hanging on my walls.
  • K.I.S.S. : The keep it stupid simple theory. Don’t over complicate the image. Keep it simple. Make sure what the point of the image is, is actually the point. Clean and simple can sometimes showcase the most emotion and the most beauty in what’s being shot.
  • Straight shooter: Be on the same level as your subject, don’t shoot from below unless you are being really creative and no extra chins are being created. And even though most people love that selfie angle, when it isn’t a selfie try to keep people looking true to real life and not looking like a lollipop (all head no body).