Behind the Scenes of a Wedding Photo & Video Team | The Duo Weddings

When you look at a finished wedding gallery or watch a wedding film, you usually see the final product. The beautiful portraits, the emotional moments, the details, the ceremony, the dancing, and everything in between.

But what you don’t always see is everything happening behind the camera.

As a wedding photographer and videographer team, our job isn’t just to show up, take pictures, and record video. We’re constantly moving, watching, communicating, adjusting, and looking for the next moment before it happens.

So for Lily and John’s wedding at TPC Sugarloaf in Georgia, we decided to bring you along for a little bit of what the day actually looks like from our side of the cameras.

The Day Starts Before the Wedding Does

Long before the ceremony begins, we’re already working.

There are batteries to charge, cameras and lenses to check, memory cards to prepare, audio equipment to set up, and a timeline to go over. Since we’re handling both photography and videography ourselves, we have to think about the entire day from both perspectives.

We’re not just thinking about where we need to be for photos. We’re thinking about where we need to be for video, what audio we need to capture, what moments are coming next, and how we can move around the day without becoming a distraction.

And once everything starts, there isn’t really a pause button.

Working as a Photo + Video Team

One of the biggest advantages of having both your photographer and videographer working together is that we’re constantly communicating with each other.

We know what the other person is trying to capture.

If Zack is looking for a cinematic video angle, I’m thinking about where I can photograph the same moment without getting in his shot. If I’m setting up a portrait, Zack knows where he can move to get video without interrupting what I’m doing.

We’re constantly making those little adjustments throughout the day.

It’s something that probably isn’t noticeable to the couple, which is exactly what we want.

The Moments You Don’t See

Some of our favorite images from a wedding day aren’t necessarily the big planned moments.

They’re the little things happening around them.

A bride laughing with her bridesmaids while she’s getting ready. A groom talking with his friends before the ceremony. A quick glance between a couple when they think nobody is watching.

Those moments can happen in a matter of seconds.

That’s why we’re always watching, even when it might look like we’re just standing around.

Sometimes we’re waiting for the right expression. Sometimes we’re looking for better light. Sometimes we’re moving across the room because we know something is about to happen.

And sometimes we really are just trying to stay out of everyone’s way.

Photographing and Filming the Same Wedding

Shooting both photo and video gives us a different perspective on the wedding day.

Photography allows us to freeze a single moment. Video allows us to capture the movement, voices, sounds, and emotion surrounding it.

We love being able to tell the same story in both formats.

During Lily and John’s wedding at TPC Sugarloaf, we were constantly switching between those two ways of looking at the day.

We’re thinking about the frame, the light, the background, the movement, the audio, and the story all at once.

And somehow, we’re also trying to remember to eat.

Behind the Scenes at TPC Sugarloaf

TPC Sugarloaf gave us so many opportunities to move around and create different looks throughout the day.

From getting ready to the ceremony, portraits, reception, and everything in between, there are so many different environments and lighting situations to work with.

The finished photos and film might make everything look effortless, but there is a lot of movement happening behind the scenes.

So here’s a look at what you normally don’t get to see.

These are the photos of us working, moving around, setting up shots, filming moments, and doing all the little things that eventually become the finished gallery and wedding film.

It’s More Than Just Taking Pictures

One of our favorite parts of being a wedding photo and video team is that we’re there for the entire story.

We’re not just looking for the perfect photo.

We’re watching the way a couple interacts, listening for the little comments that might make it into the film, looking for reactions from family and friends, and paying attention to everything happening around the couple.

That’s what makes every wedding different.

Lily and John’s wedding was one day, but there were hundreds of little moments happening throughout it. Our job was to notice as many of them as we could and turn them into something they can look back on for years to come.

What You See Is Only Part of the Story

The next time you look through a wedding gallery or watch a wedding film, remember that there is a whole lot happening behind the scenes.

There are cameras being changed, lenses being switched, batteries being replaced, locations being scouted, shots being adjusted, and two people constantly trying to stay in the right place at the right time.

And honestly, that’s one of our favorite parts.

We’re lucky that we get to spend our weekends running around Georgia with cameras in our hands, documenting one of the biggest days in people’s lives.

Lily and John, thank you for letting us be there to capture yours.

And if you’ve ever wondered what it actually looks like behind the camera, hopefully these photos give you a little peek into our world.

Photo Credits: https://www.instagram.com/jonnyrodriguezmedia/