When a couple asked me to take the pictures for their wedding, I was very excited but also very nervous. But when it was all over, I was thrilled with my results. I wanted to share my photos with you here, and also explain some of the backstory behind them.
The first event of the day was the bride's makeup. This was a photographic challenge because the bride was facing a bank of mirrors, meaning that I had to take pictures from behind her and to the side. As you can see in the examples above, I focused on photographing the other people there, like the bride's daughter, capturing the bride's reflection in the mirror, or taking silhouetted profile shots like the one on the far right. A note about lighting. The room was very dark, but the mirrors had built-in lighting. Even though I had artificial lighting with me, the ambient light in the room was perfect for my purposes, so I stuck with using that. By simply repositioning my camera, I could create all different angles of lighting.
Part of my plan for the day was to focus on capturing not just the bride and groom, but all of their friends who were in attendance. While we were waiting for the bride to arrive, I worked on getting photos of the guests. This required that I always be on the lookout for groups to photograph. I also had to quickly adjust to a wide variety of different lighting conditions. I found a few spots in the backyard with suitable lighting conditions, and directed different groups into the same areas for photos. Even though the bride and groom weren't here yet, I think these photos are essential for telling the whole story of the wedding.
Now comes the actual ceremony. During the talk, I took a few photographs of the speaker and the couple, but largely tried not to disturb anyone. When it came time for the wedding vows and the exchange of rings, I moved to an area that was close to the couple, while still remaining largely out of the way of the audience. Instead of trying to show the whole scene, I focused on capturing the details. I think this approach worked really well, and I love how the photos capture the emotion and feel of the moment.
After the ceremony, we went down to a nearby beach to do some couples portraits. I had done some research beforehand about different poses for wedding photography, and I tried to get a wide variety of different poses and candid shots. To overcome natural shyness, I tried to build rapport with the couple, encouraging them to think about different things they love about each other. Eventually, they were getting more comfortable in front of the camera, and their naturalness combined with the amazing setting and perfect light resulted in a truly beautiful set of photos.
Back at the house, it was time for dinner. Much like at the beginning of the day, I let the actual unfold naturally around me and focused on capturing little moments...guests dancing, the cake, details around the table, etc. With these photos, even if they don't show everything, you get a real sense of the feel of the evening. A fitting conclusion to a wonderful day!
Comments