Wedding dress shots are some of my favorite ones to take throughout the wedding day. It’s one of the few times in the day when you have full control of almost everything, from the lighting to the background. You have the luxury to take your time and set up the perfect shot before the craziness of the day kicks in. Here are 10 tips to get better wedding dress photos.

All images are copyright Lin and Jirsa, Orange County Wedding Photography and most are post produced using the SLR Lounge Lightroom Presets.

10 Tips for Wedding Dress Photography

1) Find Symmetry – Most hotels have myriad options for symmetry, including the windows and curtains. This is a great spot for the wedding dress.

See more of this Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Wedding

2) Use a Nice Hanger – Sometimes you have no choice but to work with the white plastic hanger that comes with the wedding dress; but if you can, try to find or even consider bringing a better looking hanger.

Huntington Beach Hyatt Wedding

3) Take Dress Outside of Cluttered Room – I know weddings are rushed, but show up early and consider taking the dress outside of the cluttered room for some stunning shots.

Pelican Hill Wedding

4) Mind Your Backgrounds – Your backgrounds can make or break your image. Find awesome scenery, interesting textures, and other nice backgrounds.

Amalfi Italy Wedding

5) Try Unique Lighting – Sometimes you simply have to create something beautiful out of nothing by using unique lighting.

Surf and Sand Laguna Beach Wedding

6) Find Reflections – Unlike most of the wedding day, you have full control over your detail shots in the morning, allowing you to find reflections and unique angles for your dress shots.

Mission Basilica Wedding

7) Display as a Spread – When you’re displaying your dress shots on your blog or website, consider putting it in a complementary spread with other detail shots from the day.

Hotel 1000 Pravda Wedding

8) Photograph in Action – Some of your best dress shots will be in action, when it’s being moved or handled by the bride or her family members.

Church of the Angeles Los Angeles Wedding

9) Photograph on Bride – Some wedding dresses, like Indian Saris or Japanese Kimonos, are difficult to photograph off the body. Indian wedding dresses are typically two-pieced, and Japanese Kimonos don’t have any form until on the body. Instead of spending precious time finding a way to make them look good, consider simply waiting until they’re on the body.

Hakone Gardens Wedding

10) Use Negative Space – Negative space can add interest to the shot.

Hyatt Regency Orange County

Hope you enjoyed. Feel free to add more tips in the comments below.