Wedding receptions can be a lot of fun for the wedding photographer, but to achieve a distinctly professional look to the photos, they can demand just as much skill as the portrait shoot.

With the low light levels and fast-paced activities seen at wedding receptions, you need expert camera skills and professional equipment to achieve a good looking photojournalist style. While there are times when you need to use a flash on the camera because there just isn't any light to work with, we like to avoid the camera flash as much as possible, and here's why....

AVOID FLASH IF POSSIBLE: The two photos below use an on-camera flash. We try to avoid this where possible because it makes people's faces look two dimensional and the background becomes too dark.

BETTER RECEPTION PHOTOGRAPHY: Below are some examples of shooting without a flash, which is our preferred technique when possible. Many photographers don't go to the trouble of doing this so have a close look at your photographer's photo samples. The last photo in this set shows a woman and man in conversation, and the background is clearly visible. The photo looks very natural, as the eye would see it. You couldn't get this kind of photo if you had a flash pointed at them.

More wedding reception tips:

• When the bridal party and bride and groom are introduced into the reception hall and are walking in, partners should walk side-by-side as much as possible, this way we will get a shot of both people.
• During the speeches, ask the speakers to come up to a lecturn if possible, or if there isn't a lecturn available, just choose a spot where the speakers should stand. The preferred spot is immediately to one side of the bridal party's table.
• If the speakers are using a dynamic type microphone, the speakers will need to keep it right up to their chin so they can be heard clearly.
• Some reception venues turn out the lights during the first dance, and while this can sometimes looks nice, too often it can also mean you are dancing in the dark and nobody will see you. The reason is that almost no reception venues have a spot light aimed at the dance floor. When you go to a concert or other stage performance, the house lights go down, but they always use a spot light so you can see the performer, so why not at reception venues for the first dance? This is an issue that needs to be taken up with the functions manager at your reception venue.
• Photographers and videographers who are working past about 8pm should have a short meal break. We are happy to bring along our own food when necessary, but we have found that at most weddings our couples have organised a basic meal for us, which is usually just the main course, but occasionally we get all three which is fantastic! Reception venues usually need you to organise for those extra meals in advance.