Part 4
Weekend Wedding Photographer
My guess is that you’re not a full-time wedding photographer. Yet!
For those of you just starting out, the information in this chapter will help you understand how to capture a wedding for brides and grooms who want candid photographs.
These tips—illustrated with Canada-based photographer Davide Greene’s work—prove that you don’t need fancy gear or techniques to get the kind of shots you and your clients will love.
But you do need a positive attitude and a penchant for fun.
Quick Tips
Shoot Candid and Formal Photographs
As you can tell from the photographs in this section, Davide Green is not big on posed shots. Neither are his clients. That's because he mostly shoots like a photojournalist, capturing what he sees without a lot of set up.
That said, Davide does take posed shots, as illustrated by the image on the left. But when he has his choice, he sticks to shooting candid photographs. He believes they capture the real fun, excitement and emotion of a wedding.
His advice is to learn how to shoot like a photojournalist as well as a portrait photographer. Watch for artfully posed photographs throughout this book; they represent both types of photography. Each style has an important role in wedding photography.
For candid photographs, you must think quickly. Your camera must be set up and ready to go. There's just no time to fuss with camera settings on the spot.
For portraits, you need to pay close attention to the light and, of course, the subject's pose and body motion.
In both situations, be sure to take more than a few shots. Vary your angle as well as the crop and composition of the scene. And have fun! If you enjoy the process, your couple will, too.
When Color is Preferred
This is one of Davide's most colorful images. As you'll see throughout this section, Davide loves black-and-white photographs. However, when color is a key component of a scene, it's important to show it.
To get good color, Davide suggests setting your white balance to the lighting conditions for the scene ... even if you shoot RAW. Of course, you can tweak the color of an image in Camera RAW, but if you start out with the correct white-balance setting, you'll have a better chance of getting it right in camera. This will save you time in post processing.
If you shoot JPEGs, remember that when the image files come out of your camera, they will already be sharpened with an increase in saturation and contrast. These factors can affect color and detail. Also keep in mind that if you shoot JPEGs, you can open them and work with them in Camera RAW if you have CS3 or CS4 or Canon's Digital Photo Professional.
Envision the Black-and-White Image
This is one of Davide’s favorite black-and-white photographs. If you have ever wondered why black-and-white photography is so captivating, consider this: When you remove color from a scene, you remove some of the reality. And when you remove some reality, your image becomes more artistic.
Black-and-white photographs convey a sense of lasting importance. Wedding couples like black-and-white images for these same reasons.
Yet as much as Davide likes black-and-white photography, he shoots all his images in color. This gives the bride and groom options.
When you photograph, always shoot with shades of gray in mind, and try to pre-visualize how a scene will look in blackand-white.
What’s the best way to create a black-and-white in Photoshop? Check out the Photoshop section of this book for some ideas.
Shooting Head Shots
The most important portraits you’ll take on the wedding day are the bride’s headshot and her headand-shoulders shot.
Before you set out to photograph the bride, consider this philosophy: The closer you are to the subject, the more intimate the photograph becomes. So, rather than using massive telephoto lenses, try photographing with a 24-70 zoom at about a 70mm setting. This lets you work just a few feet away from your subject.
Also try shooting at a wide aperture, f/2.8 to f/4.5, to throw the background out of focus. This draws more attention to the subject.
Sometimes, shoot eye-to-eye, which is a time-proven tip in portraiture. But don’t neglect an attempt at shooting above eye-level, as illustrated in the picture on the left. It will result in a photograph with a creative angle and effect.
Usually, photographers like to light the eyes or have enough natural light illuminating the eyes to get some catch light. This is illustrated in the photograph on the left. But, as you can see in the photograph on the right, sometimes not seeing the eyes works. Even having the bride’s eyes closed works, too…as if the bride is in deep thought.
The idea is to take enough pictures from enough angles to please your client with your results.
Here is another important tip for when you photograph a subject: Silence is Deadly. Throughout the portrait session, constantly talk to your subjects; it keeps them from feeling self-conscious and bored. Plus, when chatting, a person’s natural expressions show on his/ her face.
Get the Three-Quarters Shot
The main tip here, as funny as it may sound, is to try not to amputate your subjects at the knees or ankles. Actually, it's a good tip for other joints as well. You don't want to amputate a subject at the wrist or elbows either.
As long as there is space on this page for photo advice, here is another tip: When composing a photograph, try not to place the subject dead center in the frame. Dead center is deadly.
When you place a subject off center, the viewer of your photograph will look around for other interesting stuff in the scene. Therefore, this type of image holds attention a bit longer.
Brides Love the Full-Length Shot
Hey, the bride spent big bucks on that gown, and it's important to her—from head to toe. And what about all those new shoes that the bridesmaids bought for the special occasion? They are important, too!
Don’t miss these shots.
And remember to carefully check the bottom of your viewfinder, especially if you wear glasses, to make sure that you get just what the wedding party ordered.
Get Good Color Indoors
Good color is different from accurate color. Go for both when you photograph.
In the picture on the left, the couple looks a bit pink. This is a result of the pink spotlight that is illuminating the dance floor. Sure, the color is not right if you are looking for 100% accurate skin tones, but it was accurate for this situation. What's more, the pink tone of the image helps to capture the mood and feeling of the moment.
When shooting in situations like this, set your white balance to automatic; this will help you navigate variable lighting conditions. You may also need to set your ISO high, sometimes as high as 800. This will give you a shutter speed of around 1/125 of a second, which is fast enough to hand hold the shot and blur subject movement while preventing a blurry picture caused by camera shake.
A flash was used to take the picture on the left. As you can see, the skin tones look more natural. The couple loved the shot, because it shows them clearly. However, the harsh flash takes away from the mood of the setting.
When using a flash indoors (as well as outdoors), try to balance light from the flash to available light. This helps to reduce shadows. See page 68 for more on this topic.
Choose the Best Background
One of the greatest challenges of wedding photography is finding a good background for group photos. It's why it's so important to scout the location in advance.
The background must be plain and simple, and large enough to accommodate the entire group.
Carefully choose … and watch the background. It will result in images that show your subjects standing out, as illustrated in both of these photographs.
If you do find yourself in a situation where the only background is a busy scene, use a telephoto lens set at a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus. Just make sure that, in doing so, you don't throw any of the subjects out of focus,, too.
Blur and Blowout the Background
You’ve seen this technique in fashion and beauty magazines. It’s where the photographer uses a telephoto lens set at a wide aperture to put a background out of focus. It’s an effective technique for drawing interest to the subject.
You can make a photograph like this even more interesting and creative if the background is overexposed. To do that, simply position your subjects in a darker area than the background, and set your metering for the subjects.
Be careful when using this technique. It does not always work, because the background can become so overexposed that it looks as though you made a mistake.
Consider the Bride's Feelings
Check out these two pictures. One is a formal shot and one is a candid photograph. Both capture the mood and feeling of the bride, and this should always be a priority for you.
It’s essential that you are tuned in to how the bride is feeling throughout the wedding day. You never want to intrude, and sometimes you need to back off.
After all, the bride is letting you into one of the most important days of her life. You have to honor it as a privilege so she can be herself. And when she feels natural, she lets you capture genuine feelings and emotions. This definitely comes through in photographs.
Before the Big Event
Hang Out
Okay, so you got the job. You—and your clients—want to get the best pictures ever. How you approach this isn't necessarily obvious.
The technical stuff is the same from job to job; that's relatively easy to master. The challenge is to capture the personalities of the soon-to-be newlyweds and to thrill them with your pictures. In addition to the obvious reason for this, you want them to gush about you to their friends and family.
To get familiar with the couple, if you can work it out, try to spend a few hours with them, hanging out and taking snapshots—several weeks before the wedding. Take a few shots and show them to the couple. Ask them what they like and don't like about the pictures, and shoot them again. You may find that they prefer loosely cropped pictures over tightly cropped pictures, or vice versa, as just one example.
This effort on your part shows the couple that you are interested in pleasing them, and it makes the entire process more fun and interactive. It also helps a couple feel comfortable in your presence, which improves the chances that they'll relax in front of the camera on their wedding day—and allow you to capture authentic moments.
When hanging out, try to shoot in lighting conditions that are similar to those you expect for the wedding day. And be sure to build the session into your price.
Remember to give the couple these fun shots that precede the day they tie the knot.
Hit the Ground Running
On W-Day, you must hit the ground running—and not stop until the very end of the day. This means you have to start documenting the day from the moment you are welcomed into the bride's house. That is not the time to fumble around with camera settings and gear.
Keep it simple and travel light. Many wedding shooters use a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens on one camera body and a 50mm f/1.2 on a second camera. Both are typically strung over a shoulder so the photographer is ready to shoot a variety of subjects in a range of lighting conditions. And many use a zoom lens for most shots. They use the 50mm lens set at a wide aperture for low-light shots and to blur the background.
For weddings, it's generally a good idea to set your camera on the Av mode (aperture priority), because depth-of-field is so important for this type of setting. A general guideline is to have the ISO set to 400, or even 800, so you can shoot hand-held pictures in natural light. Also, be sure to set your flash for automatic exposures.
Of course, you also need your back-up gear—batteries, memory cards, etc.—in your camera bag, but keep it simple.
Join the Fun
That's photographer Davide Greene next to the soon-to-be bride. He took this shot for fun, but the bride loved it because it captures a fun memory of an important part of her special day.
When you join in the fun, you become part of the wedding “party,” rather than isolating yourself as a hired hand.
This is a hand-held shot with no flash. Davide's ISO was set to 800, and he used his 24-70mm lens set to 24mm to capture as much of the scene as possible in a small area. Keep in mind that you may be working in small spaces. Prepare for shots like this by carrying a wide-angle zoom or wide-angle lens.
Create a Mood
The bride in these photographs loved these images, even though we can’t see her face clearly in either of them. It’s because the back lighting created a mood.
Photography is all about light. It’s light that makes a picture look flat or vibrant or moody. So it’s important to learn how to see the light. Look for the contrast in a scene and consider the color and direction and quality of the light.
The message here is that every picture you take does not have to show an evenly illuminated face.
Work with the light and play with the light, and you’ll get creative pictures. Also remember this photo adage: Light illuminates; shadows define.
For these two shots, the camera was set on Av (aperture priority) without any exposure compensation. Stopping down (i.e., setting a small aperture) in this type of situation would have darkened the light coming through the window for a “correct” exposure. So sometimes it’s good to break the rules.
That said, if you want to darken the window here (which will also darken the subject), stop down by an f-stop or two.
Go for Rembrandt Lighting
All these photographs have something in common: Rembrandt lighting.
Rembrandt, the famous Dutch painter and printmaker, had a beautiful studio with a huge window that cast exquisite light onto his subjects. He painted many subjects in that light, which generally illuminated one side of their face, and the style has come to be known as Rembrandt lighting.
Wedding photographers use Rembrandt's idea often. To do it, you first need to find a nice setting with plenty of window light. Then you need to position the subject in a flattering pose. Before you take the shot, set your exposure compensation to -1/2 EV so the side of the bride's face that is facing the window is not overexposed. If it is, stop down even more.
When using this technique, check your histogram to make sure you don't lose those all-important highlights on the bride's face. You're due for overexposure if you see a spike on the right side of the histogram.
Capture that Beautiful Catch Light
Look at this bride’s eyes, and also those of the bride in the Here Doggie Doggie section on page 64. Then, go to the trio of pictures on the second-to-last page in this chapter.
The eyes in all these photographs have what’s called catch light. It’s the sparkle in a subject’s eyes. The catch light here is created by an open door, while the catch light in the other photographs is created by a flash. You can also create catch light with a reflector.
Hey, check out the picture of a bride opening a door earlier in this chapter (p. 57). Yep! It's the catch light in her eyes that boosts the energy and excitement of the photograph. Look for catch light or create it often.
Make the Most of Mirrors
Sure, they're a bit cliché, but mirror shots are winners when it comes to the kind of photographs that sell. So make a point of scouting out mirrors as soon as you walk into the bride's house.
Look for even lighting and nice settings. Look, too, for background and foreground elements that might be distracting or could complement a photograph. Move around to find the best possible angle, because it may not be your first choice. It's usually worth the time it takes to explore your options.
Oh yeah, one more important tip here. Make sure the mirror in your photograph is clean and does not have any finger marks or smudges on it. If it does, wipe it clean before you shoot.
Photograph What’s Important to the Bride
Most brides envision their wedding photographs as they plan the event, and all certainly have priorities. Find out what they are.
In the meantime, you can assume that shoes are important to a bride—and to the bridesmaids. So take the time to photograph the shoes that each of these women carefully selected for this occasion, and do it as thoughtfully as you photograph other important subjects on the wedding day.
No real technical photo tip here …just a philosophical one: Know the importance of photographing what the bride likes. And since few of even the best photographers can Make the Most of Mirrors read minds, be sure to ask her what she likes before the event.
Here Doggie Doggie
Many brides have pets—often dogs … with “member of the family” status. So be sure to take at least two shots that include Fido: one of the bride with her pet and a portrait.
When photographing pets, you need to watch out for pet eye. This is the animal equivalent of red eye in people photography. You can reduce the pet-eye effect by holding or otherwise positioning your flash off camera, as illustrated by the picture on the left. You could also shoot a natural-light picture, like the photograph on the right.
Either way, just know that the pet picture will likely be a favorite of the bride.
Create an Intimate Portrait
When you photograph a person, the closer you are to him/ her, the more personal and intimate the picture becomes. That’s why many wedding photographers like to shoot close to their subjects when possible, often using a 24-70mm zoom or 50mm f/2.8 lens.
Similarly, if you shoot at eye level, viewers will relate more to your subject than if you shoot above or below eye level.
Compare these two pictures. Considering the aforementioned points, you can see why the picture on the right is more intimate than the picture on the left.
And getting back to the 50mm f/1.2 lens ... Wedding photographers love it for two reasons. The first: It lets you shoot in low light at shutter speeds that allow for hand-held photography without requiring a dramatic ISO boost. Secondly, at the wide apertures, the background is blown out of focus, which draws attention directly to the subject.
If you are serious about portraiture, get that lens—or another fast 50mm lens.
The Head-and-Shoulders Shot
You can be as creative as you like on the wedding day, but make sure you go for the shot that the groom is likely to cherish most: a head-and-shoulders shot of the bride. This is a photograph he will keep in his wallet, frame for his desk or tape to the top of the lunchbox he takes to a job site.
Photograph the bride veiled and unveiled. Take natural-light images for a soft look (as shown in the image on the right) and flash shots for super crisp images with enhanced sharpness, contrast and color. Just remember to shoot close for an intimate portrait, as suggested on the previous page.
Show the bride a shot on your camera's monitor from time to time to make sure she likes what she is doing. Also be sure to talk to the bride during the photo session. It will help her feel—and look—more relaxed and natural.
Finally, remember the adage: The camera looks both ways. This means that when you photograph a person, you reveal an image of yourself. In other words, your mood, energy and emotions are reflected on your subject's face. So, as a photographer, you function as a living mirror.
The Wedding Ceremony
Getting the Standard Limo Shots
Okay. So you've left the bride's house and have arrived at the wedding site. Now all you have to do is wait for the bride to arrive in her limo, so you can get the standard bride-in-limo shot.
You'll use the same techniques for the bride-and-groom-in-limo shot after the wedding.
The bride arrives, and you have just a few seconds to get the shot—which you can't miss because it's on your shot list. Here are several techniques you can use to capture that moment.
Have the bride lean as close as possible to the open door or window, so she is not hidden in the shadows. Then, shoot tight to eliminate the outside of the car and the surrounding area, which is much brighter and would be grossly overexposed when the exposure is set for the bride. Set the exposure by zooming in on the bride, locking the exposure and then zooming out.
When working with an assistant, ask him or her hold a reflector to bounce light onto the bride, who is basically in the shade. Then, finally, use a flash for what's called fill-flash photography. This is discussed in more detail on the next page.
Be mindful of the bride's time and ask her to “hold it” for just a few shots. Shoot quickly and then get the heck out of her way.
Master Fill Flash
All these photographs are flash shots. However, they don’t have the signature harsh shadows of typical flash photographs, because light from the flash is balanced with available light.
Achieving this takes some preparation. Before the wedding actually starts, put your camera on manual-exposure mode and set the exposure for existing lighting conditions. Take a shot and test your exposure. Then turn on your flash and set it to TTL, which stands for “through the lens” (or automatic exposure).
Start by setting the exposure compensation to –1 to avoid blasting the subject with light. Then, if the subject is too dark, increase the exposure from the –1 setting; if the subject is too light, decrease the exposure from –1.
Now, that may sound like a lot of work, but if you master this technique, you can make the adjustments…well, in a flash.
Another option is to set your camera on the Av mode and your flash on TTL—and hope for the best. You may get some good shots, but the fill-flash technique will give you much more control over your exposure.
When using this technique, you control the subject’s illumination with your f-stop and the background illumination with your shutter speed—independently.
Note that a diffuser on the flash softens the light for an even more natural-looking picture. Using a diffuser means you lose some of the flash’s power.
Direct Flash
On the previous page we talked about fill flash, and how, when properly adjusted, it eliminates the harsh shadows associated with direct-flash photography. Well, pictured here is an example of direct-flash shooting.
Moving on…
Did you know you can increase the flash range (distance) of your flash? It’s easy. As you increase the ISO setting, you make the sensor more responsive to light, including the effective light from your flash. Therefore, if the maximum range of your flash is, say, 20 feet at ISO 100, then boosting the ISO to 200 or 400 will increase that flash range to maybe 30 or 40 feet.
Knowing that you can increase the flash range is also important when you are bouncing light from the flash off a ceiling for more diffused light, as this increases the flash-to-subject distance.
Respect the Subjects and Situation
Before the service, always ask the following questions of the wedding officiator: May I use a flash? How close can I get? And how can I minimize disruptions?
You will find that asking these questions helps to build rapport with the wedding officiator. It also helps you plan shots and remain as unobtrusive as possible. Remember, the guests are there to see the ceremony—not you running around taking pictures.
Whenever possible, take natural-light photographs. Boost your ISO up so you can get hand-held shots. Sure, in low light, out-ofthe-camera pictures may have a bit of digital noise, but would you rather have a picture with some digital noise or a shaky shot? You can always reduce the noise in the digital darkroom, if so desired.
Capture the Key Shots
Earlier, we talked about the importance of making a shot list, for yourself and the couple. Well, during the wedding, you can’t miss the agreed-upon shots—two of which are always the exchange of rings and the first kiss.
Simply put, you have to get into position to get these shots. You also must have your camera set up so that your work basically becomes point-and-shoot photography. There is just no time here to experiment with camera settings.
Another thing to consider, at this and other important times during a wedding, is that you may be competing with other photographers and videographers for the best shooting positions. Be aware of your “competition” and get to the right spots first.
Tell the Whole Story
When you cover a wedding, try to “tell the whole story.” Keep that phrase in mind throughout the event and you’ll end up with a collection of photographs that, indeed, tell the whole story of the wedding day.
One technique for telling the whole story is to shoot both wide-angle and telephoto pictures as well as close ups, as you have seen throughout this book.
Taking candid and posed photographs is another. Be sure to photograph from standard shooting positions as well as from creative angles. You don’t want to end up with a bunch of pictures that all look the same. That’s boring.
Look for Creative Angles
Beginner photographers take most of their pictures while standing straight up. Ho Hum! Try to vary your shooting positions and angles for pictures that not every photographer would take.
For the picture on the left, the camera was set on the floor, and the self-timer was activated to get a shot that the bride and groom loved. They loved the architecture of the church, which is why they selected it.
For the picture on the right, a zoom lens was set to a wide view and a wide f-stop (f/4.5 or f/5.6) was selected. That produced an image in which the flowers are in sharp focus while the background is blurred.
You will be under a lot of pressure on the wedding day to get the standard shots, but think creatively and you’ll get shots that really spice up a wedding album.
Don’t Overlook the Details
Here are some detail shots. These are not tight micro-type shots, but they do show some important details of the wedding: hands, ring, flowers and the wedding ring.
The point here is that you can focus on capturing the details even when you are shooting with a wide-angle lens or with your zoom set to a wide-angle.
When you shoot a wedding, try to envision how a movie director would cover the event. This would include cutting to close-ups like the scenes you see here.
Frame Your Subjects
We see the world in three dimensions: height, width and depth. Cameras see only two: height and width. Therefore, part of a photographer’s job is to create a sense of depth in the pictures (s)he creates.
Framing the subjects can do that. In the picture on the left, the bride and her father are framed with a glass door. On the right, the bride and groom are framed with the pews and ceiling lights.
Shadows also create a sense of depth in a picture, as do foreground elements. Take advantage of them whenever possible.
When you shoot, try to see in three dimensions to create a picture with spatial depth. Sure, it is not always possible, but thinking that way helps you avoid an album full of flat pictures.
Use the Disequilibrium Effect
Two simple techniques for making a picture more interesting are 1) placing the subject off center, and 2) tilting your camera down to the left or right for what’s called the disequilibrium effect.
Placing the subject off center makes for an interesting picture because the viewer looks for other components in the scene. Similarly, tilting the camera sets the viewer’s visual balance off center and encourages him or her to examine the image more closely.
Like all techniques, if you overuse these, your pictures will look the same. It’s a good idea to use several techniques for key shots and then let the couple choose which version they like best.
Master the Art of Walking Backward
This is not a photography technique tip. Rather, it’s important advice about being a wedding photographer.
In addition to all the other things you must master, it’s important to master the art of walking (sometimes running) backward, especially as the bride or the bride and groom walk toward you.
You can practice this technique, with your camera in hand, in your house and in your driveway.
On site, from time to time, you must remember to look behind you to make sure you do not bump into someone, knock into a pew or worse.
Working with an assistant makes the art of working backward easier. (S)he can walk behind you with a hand on your shoulder to guide you along.
Master this ancient art form (ha ha) and you will not miss shots like this.
Compress the Brightness Range
Our eyes can see a dynamic range of about 11 f-stops. Our digital SLR sees five or six. Therefore, in many situations we need to compress that brightness range to avoid a picture with overexposed highlights or blocked-up shadows, which show little or no detail. Controlling light also helps you avoid spending a lot of time in the digital darkroom trying to salvage an important picture.
Noticing and then controlling the light as much as possible is an important part of being a wedding photographer—and a photographer in general. You can reduce the dynamic range (the contrast range) by using a reflector, a diffuser or a flash … or by positioning the subjects in the shade.
In camera, a good way to avoid poor exposure is to check your histogram, which you should do religiously. When you see a spike on the right, it means your highlights will be washed out; when you see a spike on the left, it means your shadows will be blocked up. In both cases, you can quickly and easily adjust your exposure with the +/- exposure control.
If, however, you end up with overexposed highlights and underexposed shadows, you can try fixing it in the digital darkroom with the Shadow/ Highlight adjustment. This tool is available in Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Aperture.
Separate the Subjects
Earlier in this chapter we talked about seeing the world in three dimensions. That's especially important when photographing groups. Because pictures are flat, lacking real depth, we need to separate subjects so they don't blend together.
The top picture has an added sense of depth and separation because the groom is closer, by about six feet, to the camera than his friend in the middle. Note that for the top shot you must use an aperture that gets not only the groom in focus, but also his groomsmen. A lot has been said of using f/1.4 or f/2.8, and while those are great settings for creating separation by blurring the background, used here they will result in a groom in focus with four blurry friends.
In the bottom photograph, there is enough separation between the subjects' heads that they all stand out prominently. This underscores the importance of positioning your subjects well.
Don't overlook the importance of thinking and seeing in 3D. It's why it's mentioned here more than once…wink.
Outdoor Weddings
Pray. That's my best advice for covering an outdoor wedding.
For what am I praying, you might ask. Good weather, of course!
Good wedding weather, as far as most wedding photographers are concerned, is a slightly overcast sky during the ceremony and reception. When the sky is overcast, the light is perfect for people pictures, because the light is diffused. In this situation, you don't have to worry about harsh shadows from direct sunlight ruining your pictures. This also means you don't need to use a flash, reflectors and/ or diffusers to reduce the contrast range we addressed a few pages back.
If your overcast-sky pictures look a bit flat, you can easily enhance them in the digital darkroom by boosting the contrast and increasing the color saturation. Here is a neat trick to brighten dull photographs: Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) has a cool plug-in called Color Efex Pro that features a sunshine filter. This does a nice job of brightening flat pictures.
As long as you are praying (or at least hoping) for good weather, include a request for the sky to clear up so you can shoot a spectacular sunset. There is no better way to end a wedding album than with a photograph of the bride and groom silhouetted at sunset.
Take Advantage of the Situation
Hey, shooting on an overcast day is nice; but when it rains, that’s a different story. You can actually take advantage of the situation though and use umbrellas as props for fun shots, as illustrated by these pictures.
When a subject is under an umbrella, (s)he is darker than the surrounding area. Therefore, you usually need to use a flash for what's called fill-flash photography, as illustrated in the top picture. Otherwise, you may want to increase the exposure by half an f-stop, as shown in the bottom picture.
If you forget to use these techniques, try using Photoshop's Shadows/ Highlights tool (which lets you adjust the shadows and highlights independently) in the digital darkroom to open the shadow areas. It works quite well if the subjects are not underexposed by more than an f-stop.
Whatever technique you use, keep in mind that you, and your clients, usually want to see faces in a photograph.
As far as your camera is concerned, you must protect it from the elements. Rain covers are available in camera stores, and they will protect your camera while still offering full access to its control and function.
One more thing: Rain is actually considered good luck on a wedding day…or so they say.
Watch and Fix the Background
Check out the bottom photograph. It looks as though the groom has horns growing out of his head. Davide took this shot to illustrate the importance of watching the background.
Simply put, the background can make or break a photograph. That's why it's important pay special attention to background elements. Sometimes, avoiding bad background elements is impossible. That's where Photoshop Clone Stamp comes in; it enables you to remove those bad background elements, as illustrated in the top photograph.
In camera, you can reduce or eliminate bad background elements by using a telephoto lens set at a wide aperture to blur the background.
Speaking of the background: Be especially mindful of it at the reception. “Uncle Buddy”—standing in the background after having a few too many drinks with his shirt open—could ruin a beautiful shot of the bride and groom's first dance.
The Reception
Zoom-Lens Advantage
Flexibility. That is the name of the game when it comes to wedding photography. You must be flexible when it comes to just about every part of it—including how close you get to the subjects and how much … or how little … of the frame you fill.
Zoom lenses give you flexibility. Zoom with your feet … and you become even more flexible!
A versatile zoom lens for wedding photography is the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens. In addition to helping you get everything from headshots to full-length shots, it's super sharp and relatively fast (so you can take hand-held natural-light photographs in relatively low-light conditions).
Another versatile zoom is the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. It lets you get close shots even when the camera-to-subject distance is too great for a 24-70mm lens.
Before the Cake is Cut
Wedding cakes are an important part of the wedding tradition, and they’re an important part of wedding photographs. They may not make it into the final wedding album, but it’s a sure bet that the bride and groom (okay, at least the bride) wants the shot.
Fortunately, these are easy shots to take and they’re appropriate for some of the lighting and composing techniques previously discussed. One thing to keep in mind is that you want accurate color in your wedding cake photographs, as opposed to nice color. Therefore, set your white balance to existing lighting conditions before you take these shots.
And be sure to photograph the cake from different angles so that you please the bride.
The main tip here, from a non-photographic standpoint, is to get the shots before the cake is cut. It’s actually one of the first shots you should take when you arrive at the reception.
Combining Techniques
Wedding photography, as with all types of photography, is most successful when several techniques are used to create a pleasing array of pictures. The techniques we’ve described include balancing light from the flash to available light, positioning subjects with adequate separation, using the disequilibrium effect, lighting a subject’s face, considering the background and capturing a special moment.
If you had to refer to a checklist of all these techniques before you click, you’d miss the shot.
I like this next analogy about how a good photographer combines techniques: “Being a good photographer is like being a good jazz musician. The jazz player does not think about what note he just played, what note he is playing and what note he’ll play next; he just does it. He feels it. The same is true for a good photographer. It just has to happen naturally. That’s when the true magic of photography happens—when it’s not work and becomes fun.”
Group Shots
The reception is a great time and place to take group photographs. But plan ahead and “warn” the wedding party—which usually can’t wait to start the party, especially if it’s cocktail hour—that you want to take some pictures at the reception site soon upon arrival. That way, you’ll get a nice formal group shot like the top photograph here.
Sometime during the reception, ask to take the shot again … maybe with a smaller or larger group. This shot will capture some of the fun the bride and groom and their guests have at the reception.
From a technical standpoint, this pair of photographs illustrates two different flash techniques. For the top photograph, light from the flash was bounced off the ceiling for soft, flattering lighting. For the bottom photograph, direct flash was used. Whenever possible, go for softer illumination of people.
Getting a Good Flash Exposure
No matter how much fun you are having at the reception (because most of the pressure is off at this point), it’s still important to get the best possible in-camera flash exposures. To do this, you must know how a flash works.
Basically, when a flash fires, light travels to the subject and then bounces back through the lens and onto the image sensor. This is how through-the-lens flash metering came to be named.
So if a subject does not fill the frame, as in these two examples, light from the flash may travel past him/ her and attempt to illuminate the background, which may result in an overexposed subject. If this happens, simply reduce the flash exposure (either on the flash or in camera) until you get a good exposure.
Some cameras let you lock the flash to the focus point. And that sure makes things easy when it comes to on-the-move flash photography. So if you are looking for a new camera for wedding photography work, find one with that feature.
Envision the End Result
When you see a potential photograph, ask yourself a question: What do I like about the scene and what don't I like? This will help you think like a painter. Let me explain.
A painter looks at a scene and considers its translation to a blank canvass. (S)he decides what elements to include and what to omit in the painting. On the other hand, a photographer looks at a scene, but does not always have the luxury of excluding elements that are distracting or awkward.
Sometimes, of course, changing positions or using a long lens set to a wide aperture can blur the background and help create an appealing artistic image, but sometimes photographers have no choice other than to shoot what's actually in front of them.
That's where Photoshop and other digital image-editing programs come in. In the Photoshop section of this book, you'll find examples of how to blur a distracting background. You'll also see how effective it can be to crop out unwanted elements in a scene.
When you shoot, always keep in mind the end result and remember how quickly and easily a photograph can be improved, as shown in this cropped picture.
Environmental Portraits
Basically, there are two types of portraits: headshots, which show the subject cropped tight, and environmental portraits, which show the subject in context of a full setting.
Most wedding couples prefer the close-up type of portrait, but it’s a good idea to take environmental portraits, too, like the one you see here. They add variety to the wedding album. What’s more, environmental portraits have a greater sense of place than a tight headshot, which could have been taken in a studio, at the reception or on a cruise ship.
For environmental portraits, you want to use a wide-angle lens set at a relatively small f-stop so that most of the scene is in sharp focus.
Speaking of focus, one technique for focusing an environmental shot is to use a wide-angle lens, select a small f-stop, set the focus one-third into the scene, lock the focus with your camera's focus lock, and then reposition and shoot.
Don't Forget the Kids
These are two fun shots of kids at weddings.
To get shots like these, make sure your camera is all set for a good exposure and then get down to their level, seeing the kids eye-to-eye. Say something funny or tell a joke…and shoot fast.
If you miss the shot on the first or second take, move on and return later for another quick shoot. Don't overstay your welcome on a first encounter, or else the kids may begin to feel self-conscious and won't cooperate (which I can totally understand, being a kid at heart myself).
Here, too, zoom lens offers the advantage of quick framing for on-the-go photography.
Don't Rush Off
Hey, it's been a loooong day, and you are tired. You worked your butt off to get great shots for the bride and groom as well as their parents. And you may think you've put in your time and more, even if the reception is not over. You figure it's time for you to go home and download your images.
Don't leave. Stick around for an extra hour or so.
Not only might you get some unexpected shots, but the folks who hired you will know that you really care and want to do the best possible job.
For that reason alone, hanging out a bit longer than expected may get you unexpected new jobs.
Partytime
Shoot a Sequence
You know the old saying, “Every picture tells a story.” Well, that's true. It's also true that the more pictures you have, the more of a story you tell. That's why it's important to shoot sequences. Sure, not all of the sequence shots end up in the wedding album, but brides and grooms love them and often send some of the official “outtakes” to family and friends.
Shooting a story sequence is really only a matter of deciding what you want to say and then capturing enough moments to say it. Usually, three or four pictures is adequate.
This is one of my favorite sequences. It tells the story of a person drawing a heart in the sand—from start to finish.
If you have Photoshop, you can combine your sequence into a single image (as shown). Just increase the canvas size of one image (Image > Canvas Size) and then drop your other pictures into that file.
Three-in-one images like this are fun to create and give you yet another type of innovative photograph to sell.
Working with Reflectors
Compare these two photographs. In the picture on the left, the bride's face is beautifully illuminated, and we can clearly see her eyes. On the right, the bride's face is darker and looks a bit flat. The difference is that an assistant held a reflector off-camera to bounce sunlight onto the bride's face when shooting the picture on the left. No reflector was used for the image on the right.
Reflectors come in all sizes and shapes and usually have a gold side and silver side.
Want a portable and affordable reflector/ diffuser kit? Check out Rick Sammon's Portable Lighting Controller and Tote. It's described on the Bio page of www.ricksammon.com.
Because you will be shooting outdoors on occasion, never go on a job without a reflector and diffuser. Both compress the brightness range in a scene, thereby making it easier for you to get a good exposure.
Using Fill Flash Creatively
Fill flash was covered earlier and as explained then, the basic concept of this technique is to balance light from the flash to available light. This helps you avoid ending up with a picture that looks like a flash picture … with its hallmark harsh shadows. Check out that tip on page 68 before you read on.
Now, you can take that process to the next step for even more creative control.
Compare these two images. You can see that the background is darker in the left image, but the faces of the bride and groom are illuminated the same in both. Here’s how you achieve this.
First, set your camera to manual exposure control and dial in the correct exposure. Now, reduce that exposure by one f-stop. If you take the shot now, the background will be darker and the colors will be more saturated than if you hadn’t reduced the f-stop.
Next, turn on your flash and set it to TTL (automatic). Use your +/– flash exposure-compensation feature to dial in the correct exposure for your subjects.
The idea is that the flash illuminates the subjects, which you control with the f-stop, and you control the brightness of the background with your shutter speed.
How cool is that?! All with a single flash.
So full disclosure: This example was actually created in Photoshop, because we didn’t have an example on hand to illustrate this technique. Knowing that, try to create this effect in Photoshop, too, by simply darkening the background. It will make your subjects stand out more prominently in the scene.
Take Advantage of Lens Flare
Lens flare, which can make a picture look flat and create streaks in an image, occurs when direct light—from the sun or a light—falls on the front element of your lens (or the filter). To avoid lens flare, use a lens hood.
Lens flare, however, is not always a bad thing. In fact, some photographers use it for a creative effect, as illustrated in the picture on the left and in the center.
But the effect of lens flare in a photograph is as unpredictable as a bride’s emotions on her wedding day. So you have to play with the effect, shooting without a lens hood toward the sun, to see if you like the lens flare in your photograph. An example is illustrated in the picture on the right. There’s a strange-looking streak, and the image looks a bit flat. Even so, the couple liked the picture and included it in their wedding album—technical imperfections and all.
Here’s another tip on lens flare. The f-stop at which you shoot affects the effect of lens flare. Small f-stops produce sharper beams of flare, as illustrated in the center image. Vary your f-stop to fine-tune the effect. Keep in mind that varying the f-stop will also cause other elements of the image to be either in focus or blurred since you are changing the depth of field.
Look for Pictures within Pictures
The center picture is the original, full-frame shot. The couple liked it. However, it's always good to look for pictures within pictures; it's how we got the images on the left and right.
After the shoot, when you're sitting at your computer listening to iTunes and editing your work, play around with the crop tool. Try to create new pictures from your originals.
One reason to shoot RAW files at the lowest possible ISO setting is that you get cleaner—and more—data to work with than if you shoot JPEGs.
But if you see a picture within a picture and don't have a high enough resolution to make it a print, upsize the file using Genuine Fractals, a Photoshop plug-in from onOne Software (www.ononesoftware.com).
What is a Good Exposure?
I bet you know where to get the best slice of pizza—and no doubt the best pizza ever made! Well guess what? I know where to get the best slice of pizza, too…as do all the readers of this book.
My point: The best slice of pizza is a very personal thing … just like an exposure. Some photographers like slightly darker images; others like photographs that are slightly lighter than “perfect.” The same is true for wedding couples.
The top couple prefers bright images, and the couple in the bottom image likes slightly darker, moody images.
Make sure you talk with your client couple about the type of pictures they prefer—before their big day. This will spare you the time and effort it takes to batch process a ton of shots to change the exposure … after you think all is said and done.
Choose a Creative Background
Cool or boring? The choice is yours when it comes to choosing a background for a portrait. That's it for this tip! Except … think creatively at all times!
Indoor Fill Flash
Flip back to page 59—the Create a Mood tip—and check out the pictures of the bride coming down the stairs. Then come back here.
Okay, as you saw in those pictures, the window was overexposed and washed out. Technically, that may not make for a perfect exposure, but it created a dreamy effect. And it was a success, according to the bride. She loved this photograph.
Here, the photographer wanted to create a more realistic image. Therefore, he used a proper exposure to capture both the couple and the area outside the window.
Fill flash is covered earlier, and this is just another example of how important it is to master this technique. With it, you can have fun creating pictures that will definitely make it into the wedding album.
Fun Group vs. Posed Group Shots
Compare these pictures. Which one has more life?
Which type of picture brings back the fun of the moment?
Which one looks more natural?
Which one suggests that the photographer is fun to work with?
Which one is more creative?
Which one has a better background?
That’s enough questions for now. Your answers will tell you which type of shot you simply can’t miss.
Capture Fleeting Moments
One thing we haven’t yet covered is shutter speed and how to freeze the action.
When the action you’re trying to capture is happening quickly, use a shutter speed of at least 1/500 of a second to freeze it. Look to capture the peak of action, as illustrated in the photograph on the left.
Also be sure to set your camera to rapid frame advance in situations like this.
When shooting RAW files for action sequences, make sure you have a fast write-speed memory card. Check your camera’s instruction manual for the maximum number of pictures you can take before your camera “locks up.” If your camera locks up, you may miss the most important shot in a sequence.
Creative Side Lighting
We’ve discussed Rembrandt lighting, which is side lighting that beautifully illuminates a subject’s face.
The picture on the left is an example of this type of lighting. However, the subject’s face is not visible here, because she is turned away from the sidelight. This is a creative technique that photographers can use for a creative picture.
The image on the right is another example of Photoshop handiwork. Shadows/ Highlight was used to open up the shadows so the bride’s face is a bit more discernible. It’s included here as an example of what you can do if your client does not fully appreciate your creativity.
Create a Private Moment
At sometime during the wedding reception, find a nice secluded spot and take a relaxed portrait of the newlyweds. Finally, the pressure is off—for them and you!
Find a location and determine the correct exposure before summoning the newlyweds. Then move the couple into position swiftly so you can shoot and scoot. Let them get back to celebrating.
Bend the Rules
Here is a very important tip: Bend the rules sometimes. When you do, you end up with more creative shots. Here is an example.
In the picture on the right, the couple looks great, and they are positioned somewhat in the middle of the frame. It’s an okay shot. There is technically nothing wrong with it.
But now check out the picture on the left. The subjects are way off center, creating a much more dynamic photograph. What’s more, the background is a bit out of focus, which is not the way we would actually see this scene in real life.
Sure, in a situation like this, you could put everything in focus by locking the focus one-third into the scene and using a smaller f-stop. That is technically the way to go. But creative photographers may want to play with the out-of-focus effect.
Whether it’s this one or others, bend rules. It’ll help you eventually develop a signature style for your work. Just make sure you practice your new techniques before the wedding, so you’re not surprised by the results you get when it’s over.
Shooting at Night
If you’ve read all the tips in this chapter, you know that this is a fill-flash shot.
In mixed-lighting situations like this, when you have available light and light from your flash, set the white balance to flash for accurate skin tones. This is what you want in this situation.
When shooting fill-flash pictures at night, be sure to boost your ISO to 400, or maybe even 800, to record the background light (if you don’t want to use a tripod for a steady shot at a lower ISO setting).
Speaking of tripods, they’re the ball and chain of photojournalist-style photography. They drastically reduce your flexibility to cover events, which involves running from here to there and back again to capture important scenes. That said, never leave home without a tripod, as you never know when you will need it.