How to Get Good Wedding Photography in Hawaii

It would be difficult to NOT get good wedding photography in Hawaii because everywhere you look, outside of downtown Honolulu, you see beauty. Backgrounds of breathtaking verdant mountains and cliffs laced with distant waterfalls, broad sandy beaches splashed with world famous surf from an azure sea, and an abundance of lush tropical forest settings bursting with colorful aromatic Hawaiian flowers. In other words, there are locations, locations, locations.

Of course, one way to get good wedding photography in Hawaii is to hire a local professional photographer who specializes in weddings. Because Hawaii is a photographers dream situation, the local phone books and especially the internet are full to bursting with photographers. With the internet you can at least see some of the photogs best work and get an idea of their style and, more importantly, prices. If you want some formal, studio portraits only a professional can provide them, so unless you have a cousin in the business and want to fly him over and put him up in a hotel, find a local photographer.

Another advantage to hiring a local photographer is they will know where the really great locations are; the best ones are often remote or not on the regular tourist maps. One more consideration is the weather. Hawaii is beautiful because it rains a lot. A local professional will know about seasonal weather patterns on various islands and the likeliness of rain in the area where the celebration will be held. For instance, north shores get more rain than south shores, but have more lush green locations. Again, it all depends on the season as well.

There is also another possibility to getting good wedding photography in Hawaii. By following a few guidelines someone in the wedding party can get adequate, maybe even surprisingly memorable photos of the wedding. Perhaps you, the reader of this article, have been called by the bride and groom because you have a good camera and love to shoot.

With a digital camera, be sure to bring an extra memory card or your laptop to download and show the photos. A good flash unit is also highly recommended even if it is very sunny so you can fill in harsh shadows.

With a 35mm film camera, again bring a good flash and plenty of batteries. Have three different types of film because the weather and lighting can change rapidly; 100 ASA for bright cloudless sun, 200 ASA for partly cloudy or shade, and 400 ASA for overcast, indoor or evening shooting.

One more thing, and this will make a big difference whether you shoot film or digital; get a circular polarizing filter for all outdoor shooting. This filter can be rotated to eliminate glare off the water and bring out the most spectacular blue in the sky.

Have fun getting some great wedding photography in Hawaii.