How to Photograph a Wedding
Five articles by
Bobby Jonnes
For the other articles click here:
During The Service and Signing Register
Always be discreet and non disruptive in the church. If you
have been given permission try to capture the exchange of rings but be very
discreet. Any shots you miss at this point can be posed after the service. . In
the majority of cases the Minster will wish to allow a proper signing and then
allow you to pose a shot. Congratulate the couple using their new name, this
will raise a smile.
You should now leave quickly and go to the bottom of the
aisle.
There are two ways of capturing the aisle shot, either
pre-focus on a chosen spot and take the shot as the couple reach it or, ask the
couple to stop. If you get them to stop, focus quickly then ask them to start
walking again, at this point take the shot.
Outside the Church
You should now (weather permitting) go outside, check
exposure and stop the Bride and Groom in the doorway, take a minimum two shots,
one full length and one three-quarter length.
Posing the Bride and Groom
Turn their bodies inward toward each other and ask them to
lean their heads toward each other too. As mentioned in the portraiture
session, this is about illustrating and capturing the intimacy of the day; to
do this effectively you need to exaggerate some of the poses.
The groom should stand on the right of the bride. Ask them
to hold each other’s right hands. This technique will pull their bodies
naturally closer. The bride should then hold the bouquet in her left hand using
it to cover the clasped right hands. The groom should have his left hand gently
on the brides back, ensuring the fingers are not protruding from her side.
Start with the Biggest Groups and Work Downward
You should start with the biggest group and reduce it for
subsequent shots, this way people do not have the chance to wander off. This
approach also allows the Bride and Groom to relax during a few group shots in
preparation for their own photo session nearer the end of the day.
The Bridal Party
With all the large group shots taken you should now
concentrate on the Bridal party, anyone who has been missed can be taken later
at the reception.
Taking the Bridal party somewhere away from the other guests
is advantageous. It allows you to work undisturbed by large numbers of guests
all wanting to congratulate and photograph the Bride and Groom. It will also
allow the Bridal party to relax into the photo shoot.
At the New Location
On arrival at your chosen location your first sequence of
shots should be those, which include the parents of the Bride and Groom. Next
you should shoot the Bride and Groom with both sets of parents and then with
each of their parents in turn.
If you did not visit the Bride’s house earlier then you
should take a shot of both sets of parents on their own. It is probably a long
time since the parents had a photograph of themselves together and looking so
smart, this shot is usually a good seller.
Regards
Bobby
Wedding Photography resource to help you pursue a
photography career or hobby. Bobby Jonnes has been a photographer for over 25
years. He has an in depth knowledge of the subject, specialising in wedding
photography. You can access his site for more information to help improve your
photography at http://www.photobiz4u.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_Jonnes
Posing and Photographing the Bride
By Bobby Jonnes
Photographing The Bride
Your wedding photography technique will improve dramatically
if you pay particular attention throughout the day to the Brides appearance.
She is the most important person in your photographs. Before firing the shutter
always check that she is looking her best. Pay specific attention to the stance
of the Bride. She should be posed by asking her to stand at a slight angle to
the camera. The foot nearest to the camera should be extended forward three or
four inches towards the camera with the knee slightly bent. Now ask her to
transfer her weight to the foot farthest away from the camera.
Her head should be turned towards the camera and tilted
slightly. Avoid straight limbs, for example arms and wrists should always
suggest a gentle curving, almost flowing movement.
Flowing Lines
When you are composing a full-length portrait of the bride,
make sure that you position the bouquet where you would a fig leaf! When you
place the bouquet in this position the arms will look more graceful. Ensure a gentle curvature of the elbows. If
you allow the bride to hold the bouquet higher than this, you cover the detail
in the waistline and body of the dress, and you put harsh angles into the arms.
Not graceful or pleasing to the eye. The most important single thing to remember
when photographing women at any event is that they must look graceful. Also remember to keep the bride at a slight
angle to the camera, never directly face on. Approximately 30 degrees is
flattering. You can get away with less of an angle with thinner brides. Elevate her index finger slightly above the
others for a graceful hand and be sure to show the side or edge of the hand and
not the palm or back of the hand. When photographing the bride and groom
together, or the bride with any male, angle the shoulders so that the male is
wider to the camera than the bride. The last thing you want to do is make the
bride look bigger than the groom.
Tilting the Head
Head tilts are another important subject when photographing
the bride. Your goal is always flatter the subject to the best of your ability.
There are two basic head tilts, masculine and feminine. Masculine head tilts
place the head leaning down toward the front of the body while feminine head
tilts have the head tilting down over the shoulder toward the back of the
person. Feminine head tilts look best on thinner brides.
The Heavier Bride
If you are photographing a heavier bride try to avoid any
shots in sitting positions, they always look better standing.
If you are photographing a group, including a heavy bride,
keep her standing, turned at an angle to reduce her width, bouquet lowered and
if possible, place her slightly behind another person so that one arm and one
leg are hidden. This is the only exception to my earlier direction of always
having the bride and groom at the front and unobscured!
In conclusion, your wedding photography technique must
include a good repertoire of shots and poses for the bride. You must practise
and experiment with your posing technique. As with all posing techniques you must
practise them before using them on a practical basis.
I hope this brief article gives you the information you need
to improve your wedding photography technique.
Regards
Bobby
Bobby provides Wedding Photography resources to help you
pursue a photography career or hobby. Bobby Jonnes has been a photographer for
over 25 years. He has an in depth knowledge of the subject, specialising in
wedding photography. You can access his site for more information to help
improve your photography at http://www.photobiz4u.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_Jonnes
Always Keep the Bride and Groom to the Front
Remember,
the Bride and Groom should be most prominently portrayed in every shot.
When posing groups you should try to avoid placing anyone directly in
front of or behind the Bride and Groom. The only exception to this is
when using steps to compose very large groups.
Height Difference
Another
potential problem with groups is height difference. Use the potential
problem of height difference to your advantage. If there are steps
available you can use them to elevate the smaller people, if not then
you must arrange the group in a composition which pleases the eye.
You
can however often use height difference to your advantage, use it by
carefully positioning subjects so that their faces, when viewed
together run in a smooth flowing composition. Do not be afraid to use
the ground as a starting point for posing Bridal party group shots.
Bridesmaids
are often asked to pose on the ground in front of the rest of the
group. You can then build up the composition by placing any smaller
children next to the Bridesmaids and eventually working upwards using
smooth flowing lines toward adults in a standing position.
Some
photographers will always position taller people near the centre and
taper off to smaller people at the ends. I prefer to work on a flexible
basis and treat each situation independently sometimes using smaller
people near the Bride and Groom and working towards the edges with
taller people. This approach can give more emphasis and prominence to
the Bride and Groom.
Positioning
the smaller of the two nearest the camera can compensate for height
difference between the Bride and Groom. This technique, in the Brides
case, will not be required too often; society readily accepts that on
average females are smaller than males. However you may encounter, as I
once did, a couple where the Bride was taller and had specifically
asked to be made to look smaller, even if it meant posing her husband
on a step!
The Bride
Pay
particular attention throughout the day to the Brides appearance. She
is the most important person in your photographs. Before firing the
shutter always check that she is looking her best.
Pay
specific attention to the stance of the Bride. She should be posed by
asking her to stand at a slight angle to the camera. The foot nearest
to the camera should be extended forward three or four inches towards
the camera with the knee slightly bent. Now ask her to transfer her
weight to the foot farthest away from the camera.
Her
head should be turned towards the camera and tilted slightly. Avoid
straight limbs, for example arms and wrists should always suggest a
gentle curving, almost flowing movement.
Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have written a comprehensive guide on wedding and group photography.
Visit my site for more information Wedding and Group Photography Guide
Photographing the
Wedding Cake Cutting Ceremony
By Bobby Jonnes
When photographing a wedding one of the most important shots
is the cutting of the cake. You must take care with this shot, it will be one
of the most popular shots of the day. This should be posed with the groom
between and a little to the back of the cake and the bride.
Aim to get the bride on the same plane as the cake and not
standing behind as that makes the cake look bigger and you may also have
trouble with depth of field. I would normally place the knife on the base tier
of the cake, the bride holding the knife with her right hand, resting her left
hand on top and the groom placing his right hand gently below the bride's,
while his left arm should be placed behind the bride not around her, with
fingers sticking out!
If feasible, use available light for this shot, particularly
if there is daylight coming into the room. This may mean an exposure in the
order of 1/ 15th of a second at f2.8 or f4. This is another reason it is
essential that the couple are as near as possible in the same plane as the
cake.
If it is not possible to use available light, use bounced
flash, provided the walls or ceiling are of a neutral light colour. If they are
brightly coloured, bounce the flash off a white reflector. Only as a last
resort should direct flash be used as it burns out detail in the cake. Always
try to use a slow shutter speed so as to pick up ambient light in the room. One
fifteenth of a second at around f4 or comparable will capture the room lighting
beyond the couple.
Occasionally the couple may need to lean slightly over the
table to cut the cake. In this case you need to work at an angle to the table
to get them both at the same distance from the camera.
The cake cutting ceremony is a vital part of every wedding,
even the smallest registry office wedding. It will soon be consumed, so a good
record is a must and will be a readily sought photograph by all guests and
relations. This shot depicts the last paragraph of the first chapter in the
story of their marriage.
You must ensure it is a good one.
Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have written
a comprehensive guide on wedding and group photography.
Visit my site for more information and a free flash
photography guide Wedding and Group Photography Guide
Bobby is a photographer and author. He has been commissioned
to shoot thousands of events, including weddings.
How to Photograph a Wedding - After the Ceremony
By Bobby Jonnes
When photographing a wedding you will cover the arrival, the
ceremony and then proceed to capture groups, guests and the bridal party.
After the ceremony in the church is over you should now
progress to photograph the groups. Weather permitting you should now leave the
church and go outside, test exposure and stop the Bride and Groom in the
doorway, take at least two shots, one full length and one three-quarter length.
You often find they will choose to buy the three-quarter length.
When posing the Bride and Groom twist their bodies inward
toward each other and request them to tilt their heads toward each other too.
This is about showing and capturing the closeness and intimacy of the couple;
to do this successfully you need to overstress a few of the poses.
With the groom standing on the right of the bride, ask them
to hold each other's right hand. This procedure will draw their bodies
physically closer. The bride should then hold the posy in her left hand using
it to cover up the clasped right hands. The groom should have his left hand
lightly on the brides back, ensuring the fingers are not obtruding from her
side.
When photographing the groups, work downward from the
biggest groups, this way you are more likely to be able to stop the guests
wandering away just when you need them. This procedure also allows the Bride
and Groom to relax in preparation for their own turn to spend time with you
nearer the end of the shoot.
After finishing the group shots group you should now
concentrate on the Bridal party, anyone who has been overlooked can be shot
later at the reception (if you excuse the expression!).
The Bridal party should now be taken somewhere away from the
other guests. This allows you to work without interruption by guests all
wanting to congratulate and photograph the Bride and Groom. It will also permit
the Bridal party to relax into the photo shoot.
On arrival at your preferred place your initial series of
shots should be those, which include the parents of the Bride and Groom. Next
you should capture the Bride and Groom together with both sets of parents and
then with each of their parents in turn.
If you did not call at the Bride's house in advance then you
should take a shot of both sets of parents on their own. It is almost certainly
a long time since the parents had a photograph of themselves together and
looking so elegant, this shot is generally an excellent seller.
I hope you have learned something about the sequence of
photographing a wedding by reading my article.
Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have written
a comprehensive guide on wedding and group photography.
Visit my site for more information Wedding and Group
Photography Guide
Bobby is a photographer and author. He has been commissioned
to shoot thousands of events, including weddings.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_Jonnes
How to Photograph a Wedding - After the Ceremony
By Bobby Jonnes
When photographing a wedding you will cover the arrival, the
ceremony and then proceed to capture groups, guests and the bridal party.
After the ceremony in the church is over you should now
progress to photograph the groups. Weather permitting you should now leave the
church and go outside, test exposure and stop the Bride and Groom in the
doorway, take at least two shots, one full length and one three-quarter length.
You often find they will choose to buy the three-quarter length.
When posing the Bride and Groom twist their bodies inward
toward each other and request them to tilt their heads toward each other too.
This is about showing and capturing the closeness and intimacy of the couple;
to do this successfully you need to overstress a few of the poses.
With the groom standing on the right of the bride, ask them
to hold each other's right hand. This procedure will draw their bodies
physically closer. The bride should then hold the posy in her left hand using
it to cover up the clasped right hands. The groom should have his left hand
lightly on the brides back, ensuring the fingers are not obtruding from her
side.
When photographing the groups, work downward from the
biggest groups, this way you are more likely to be able to stop the guests
wandering away just when you need them. This procedure also allows the Bride
and Groom to relax in preparation for their own turn to spend time with you
nearer the end of the shoot.
After finishing the group shots group you should now
concentrate on the Bridal party, anyone who has been overlooked can be shot
later at the reception (if you excuse the expression!).
The Bridal party should now be taken somewhere away from the
other guests. This allows you to work without interruption by guests all
wanting to congratulate and photograph the Bride and Groom. It will also permit
the Bridal party to relax into the photo shoot.
On arrival at your preferred place your initial series of
shots should be those, which include the parents of the Bride and Groom. Next
you should capture the Bride and Groom together with both sets of parents and
then with each of their parents in turn.
If you did not call at the Bride's house in advance then you
should take a shot of both sets of parents on their own. It is almost certainly
a long time since the parents had a photograph of themselves together and
looking so elegant, this shot is generally an excellent seller.
I hope you have learned something about the sequence of
photographing a wedding by reading my article.
Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have written
a comprehensive guide on wedding and group photography.
Visit my site for more information Wedding and Group
Photography Guide
Bobby is a photographer and author. He has been commissioned
to shoot thousands of events, including weddings.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_Jonnes
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