A day in the life of a photographer – a preparation guide

An experienced photographer is a person who, apart from taking pictures and processing them, has to arm himself with a set of features not theoretically related to the profession. Depending on the type of assignment these are obviously different skills. A photojournalist has to reckon with working under great stress and in the face of danger, e.g. while working in the area of armed conflict. A photographer trying to capture wild animals will certainly have to be patient. And finally, real commandos, who must be absolutely versatile – photographers at special events. See what a day in Marcin’s life looks like – a photographer on a wedding commission.

Phase one – battery charging

I’m starting preparations last night. The basic, most important thing is to recharge all necessary devices. Camera batteries are the key issue, but we don’t forget about other equipment – phone, laptop and power bank. Additionally, we prepare everything necessary in one place – camera, belt, lenses, memory cards and USB-C adapter for your laptop. Equipped with such a set we are prepared for virtually every surprise and we can be sure of the success of the mission 😉.

Phase two – equipment check and go!

Caution is never too much, so the next day I start by checking the inventory and making sure that all equipment is fully charged. Then, standard breakfast, coffee, morning press, social media check and I set off. Of course, I don’t really know where to go because the young couple dreamed of a lovely wooden church in the wilderness. It’s not a problem, though – I’m starting up the GPS and going. The morning internet browsing has already used up the battery in my phone a bit, so considering that the navigation will also use a lot, I connect my phone to the car charger. Batteries must be full before starting work.

Phase three – wedding photo shoot

Uff, church stage behind me. The low light wasn’t particularly good, but I managed somehow. Everyone is happily moving towards the wedding hall, and in the meantime the young couple asks me to quickly process a few pictures from the kiss so they can throw them on their Facebook and Instagram. I forgive the explanation that such work on my knee will not be very professional and I agree, it is their big day! I’m getting down to work right after the wedding broth is pulled in. MacBook to the table and get to work. It’s a fantastic piece of equipment, but it’s got a flaw. The only ports it has are USB-C, so I have to use a USB-C adapter to dump photos quickly.

I’m doing some photo editing and sending it to the young couple. While working, I try to ward off my aunt, who would also like to get a photo in their shotgun creation as soon as possible. I’m an assertive, steadfast as Leonidas and 300 Spartan. Despite this, I cannot resist her persuasions and she also gets her coveted photo. I spend the next 12 hours documenting the party meticulously. I know exactly what the wedding schedule is, so I’m on site at every key point of the program. I take pictures of the cake, the first dance, the illusionist’s show, the Kalashnikov ritual shooting and all the other fantasies the bride and groom decided to make real. It can be strange, but what to do.

All this time I’m struggling with the groom’s cousin, who despite my request also decided to become a party photographer and notoriously enters my frame. I finally win the battle because, unlike him, I don’t sit next to the groom’s father-in-law and drink with him. Less and less useful material is being created over and over again, until my work is finally over!

The final phase – returning and processing photos

I come home around 2 a.m. Of course, there’s no work to do when I come back, so I bite a piece of wedding cheesecake, take a bath and go to bed.

Exhausted from the previous day I sleep like a dead man, so I wake up only around 11-12. I flip through the photos to MacBook and get down to selection and processing. It was hard, they were wounded, but eventually the mission ended successfully.

All the devices mentioned in the text (and many others) can of course be found on our website – Battery Empire.

Author: Krzysztof Wołongiewicz