Tinydot Photography is made up of four photographers – Yu Hsin, Jerald, Donn and Timothy. These storytellers strive to step away from cookie-cutter wedding photography, and seek inspiration from their clients as much as inspiring them through their work. Their ethos is simple: be bold and different; make every moment a visual canvas; keep an eye out for the little nuances of unique stories; and impact your life with their gifts of documenting yours.

EOS R, RF35mm f/1.8 MACRO IS STM lens, f/1.8, 35mm, 1/1250 sec, ISO 2000

What makes a good wedding photographer?

Yu Hsin: Be a good photographer first. Having a camera doesn’t make you a wedding photographer.

Jerald: Become an apprentice and learn from your favourite photographer.

Donn: Practise and patience.It takes time to become a wedding photographer, so never ever give up.

Timothy: Shoot weddings. Tadah!

What’s your top tip for wedding photography?

Yu Hsin: Have a good heart. Always be willing to work hard and create something meaningful and special for your clients.

Jerald: Practice makes perfect. The more you shoot, the more you learn.

EOS 5D Mark IV, EF50mm f/1.2L USM lens, f/2.0, 50mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 1600

How does a photographer 'capture the moment'?

At Tinydot, we believe strongly in documenting, rather than creating or engineering the moment. This takes a lot of patience and anticipation. It also involves a lot of pre-visualising of a shot. Couple that with experience to find yourself in the right place and at the right time helps in capturing the moment in a raw, genuine way. With today’s technology, many people can “capture moments”, but it takes another level of hard work, perseverance and practice to tell stories with your pictures.

EOS 5D Mark IV, EF50mm f/1.2L USM lens, f/1.8, 50mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 1600

How should one go about starting a wedding photography business?

A wedding photography business is just that – a business. The contradiction is always that photographers see themselves as artists/creators first. The reality is that in order to survive in this extremely competitive industry, one needs to run their photography business with sound fundamentals. That would include understanding the costs of running a business, sustainability, marketing and sales.

It is not difficult to start a photography business, since barriers to entry are low. But to keep it going for the long haul requires good acumen and planning. The usual route to starting a photography business is getting work to build portfolio. That could be through helping friends with their weddings, or working alongside another wedding photographer. From there, it is about making yourself and your work known – through various marketing channels. Work does not sell by itself. Your work needs to be able to stand out among the crowd in order to increase your chance of success. Understanding and selling your value proposition is extremely important.

EOS 5D Mark III, EF50mm f/1.2L USM lens, f/1.4, 50mm, 1/200 sec, ISO 100

“Be humble at every level you’re at. There’s always something to learn and you can always get better if you keep your head down and accept criticism to improve yourself.” – Timothy, Tinydot Photography

Snapshot Tips: How to Shoot a Cultural Wedding

EOS 5D Mark III, EF24mm f/1.4L USM lens, f/1.4, 24mm, 1/125 sec, ISO 160

1. Look out for details
   Whether it is a Chinese, Malay, Latino or Scottish wedding, a good wedding photographer should always be on the lookout for details – is there an auspicious colour; are there objects that are peculiar to the culture; or something that characterises the family tradition? 
    
2. Research
   Do your homework before a pre-wedding/wedding shoot. Will there be a special tikka worn by the Indian bride? Or what are some of the betrothal gifts in a Chinese wedding? These details will help guide you along and create a more relatable and intimate series of wedding shots. 
    
3. Don't be shy to ask for help
   Ask the people present at the wedding for help if you are unsure which objects are more important/defining than the others.

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