Photographer: Dave and Quin Cheung
Dave and Quin Cheung point out that compositional rules are important—but when they’re shooting, it’s not rules that are on their minds. They tend to approach composition as more of an instinctual process than a conscious effort.
Cropping
The couple also knows that the image may not be “done” right out of the camera. To them, cropping is an important but often overlooked part of finishing an image. Whether for removing a distraction from the edge of the frame or simply correcting for a slightly skewed horizon, mindful cropping can transform a great image into an even greater one.
Clients as Part of the Art
One of Dave and Quin’s goals has always been to document not only the couple and their love, but also to include their environment. Instead of close-up head-and-shoulders shots, this means that many of their images are composed more broadly. This is a style that developed organically from their taste for creatively lit environmental portraiture, but it also lends itself well to large wall art—images in which their clients appear as an element in the larger, artistically envisioned frame.
Quin shot through a chair back to get this wonderful framing. Surprisingly, she didn’t have to adjust the groomsmen’s positions. There’s an extra bit of humor in the composition as well: the behind-bars groom is a police officer!
For this Maui wedding, Dave and Quin’s super-assistant, Logan, shadowed the couple with a light as Quin shot from the dance floor. This allowed Dave to perch on a chair with his arms raised toward a chandelier. Although he was unsure if the stars would align, he waited for the couple to turn and dance right under the light when both Quin and Logan were out of frame. This shot is the result.
Having two shooters means that one of them can often shoot from far away and still rely on the other to light the couple (here, with rim light) and keep them engaged. The composition? Dave jokes that it’s “symmetree.”
The power of this composition is in the repetition of red elements—the dress, the brick, and the lamp post. Dave lit the couple from behind. The man in the red shirt walking his dog was perfectly timed—and totally serendipitous!
