So you’ve been asked to take the photos at your friend’s wedding. You’ve tried to persuade them to hire a professional, but they are happy with you. Don’t panic, they asked you because they like your style. Wedding digital photography is no different from other photography, but there are a few things you need to consider when planning for the big day.

A simple start to make the best of the day is to ensure your camera is silent. No electronic beep in the middle of the ceremony will make any picture better. You just need to turn the beeps off on your camera.

Take as many photos as possible. The beauty of digital is that you are only limited to the size of your storage media. This is a once in a lifetime occasion, capture as much of it as you can. And don’t automatically delete pictures you don’t think are good. Review them all after the event. With a little cropping or manipulation you may find a perfect shot that you didn’t know you had.

Be prepared! Make sure you have spare batteries and multiple memory cards. Know the wedding venues and times. Check out places where you will be able to stand during the ceremony. Think about the shots the bride and groom will want of their big occasion and how you can move between them during the proceedings. The same applies to the reception venue. It is important to know where the speeches will be given and where the dancing will take place. When checking for locations for posed shots think about the background and places you can get good group shots of the entire wedding party.

Be comfortable with the operation of your camera. A wedding is a busy event and at times a quite stressful one. There will be little opportunity to repose or re-shoot if you hesitate with a shot. One option to reduce stress on you the photographer is to have an assistant. This could be someone nominated from the happy couple or someone you organise yourself. This person can spend time rustling people into groups, setting up shots and generally keeping things moving. This will leave you free to concentrate on the wonderful and flexible shots that come from wedding digital photography.

Practice using continuous shooting mode. This allows you to capture scenes in a series of shots. You’ll increase your chance of getting a proper group photo where everyone has their eyes open at the same time.

Using your digital camera at a wedding to capture the memories of the day is a stressful duty. Be prepared and know your camera and your pictures will become treasured memories for the bride and groom.

Read more about wedding portrait photography. Vince also shows you how to to make money in photography