An elopement is not just a wedding in which the bride and groom simply walk off into the sunset together to begin their marriage. They generally require much less planning and can take place in much shorter time frames than traditional weddings. In order to ensure that your elopement photography session goes as smoothly as possible, here are five top tips from the experts! Elopements are weddings without all the fanfare, and they’re quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to get married these days. If you’re looking to get paid to photograph an elopement, it’s important to make sure you do it right, or your clients may not hire you again (or at least won’t recommend you to their friends). Take note of these elopement photography tips before booking your next elopement gig.

1. Before the Elopement

You have to get ready for it by preparing your photography equipment. Since elopements are small weddings, there are only a few requirements for photographing them. The first one is that you should test all of your equipment to make sure everything works properly. Ensure that all lenses are clean and that batteries are charged. Make sure any extra equipment you need is at hand (like tripods or filters). You may not be able to go home before starting your session, so make sure you have everything arranged beforehand.

Before you arrive at your destination wedding location, it’s essential to scope out potential shooting locations. If possible, check it out even before the day off. Location scouting is one of your biggest responsibilities as a photographer! Once you’ve done that, consult your couples about their wishes for elopement photography. It’s important to not only talk about how they want to be photographed, but also make sure you understand any other wishes they may have (such as bringing their dog or having specific photo opportunities). When it comes time for your trip, make sure you pack plenty of camera batteries and memory cards; there’s nothing worse than running out of battery power when you’re on an adventure trip like an elopement. Another top tip is bringing a travel tripod with you; not only can it help steady your camera shots, but it can also act as a makeshift seat.

2. During the Elopement

If you’re capturing an elopement, here are a few tips:

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• Shoot with your heart and take your time to connect with each person. Give them space and don’t crowd their moment.

• Be humble and ask how you can help—there is no right or wrong way to create photographs during an elopement; it’s all about what makes sense for each couple.

• Think about where you stand (literally). Avoid shooting from a higher elevation if possible; lower angles can make everyone look larger than life, which works great in documentary-style wedding photography, but not so much for elopements.

While you’re taking photographs, make sure to take breaks. Photographs are not one-size-fits-all, so remember that you’ll have to go through many poses before finding your couple’s favorites. Take your time and create a memorable experience for your couple that will be well worth it when they look back on their photos years from now. It also helps keep everyone relaxed throughout the elopement process. If you find yourself trying too hard during an elopement, it may be a good idea to take a break until you calm down again. You don’t want to miss out on great pictures because of stress!

3. After the Elopement

Capturing a couple’s elopement is one of my favorite things to do as a photographer. It doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy a traditional wedding, but there is something really special about being able to capture an intimate moment without any pressures from others. However, after your clients have returned from their magical day, there are some things you can do to help them preserve those memories and show off their wedding photos!

Once you’ve taken those beautiful photos, there are a few simple things you can do to make sure they turn out as good as possible. Here are a few tips for post-elopement photography: Prepare images immediately after your shoot: You should never leave film or digital memory cards exposed to light for long periods of time. This will cause fading over time that cannot be undone once it happens. After taking pictures of your elopement, immediately put them on a computer and upload them onto an external hard drive where you can easily retrieve them later on.

Once you’ve captured your elopement, there are still plenty of things to do to ensure that it’s preserved in its best possible form. First, never edit or tweak any photos on your phone; instead, use an actual photo-editing program like Photoshop. Don’t just rely on social media either—print physical copies of your favorite shots so that you can carry them with you everywhere. Share these with friends and family or hang them around your home as a fun reminder of your wedding. And once you start feeling less emotional about it, think about selling some of these prints online to earn extra money for yourself or donate some to charity! It might not seem important now but one day down the road, it will be.

How do you follow up with your newlywed couple? Send them a nice letter. It doesn’t have to be long or even fancy, but it will mean so much more than any receipt or invoice ever could. They just became your newest friends. Be sure to remind them of that fact by including a few lines about how excited you are for their future together. After all, they just trusted you enough to spend their most special day with you and there isn’t anything better than that.