Simplifying composition with a fast telephoto zoom
If you can create a good photograph out of seemingly "nowhere", then you can bring a variety to your images that is out of the league of photographers who have to rely on picture-perfect scenery. This is especially true with wedding portraits. We're under pressure for time, and on top of that we can't always control where we shoot. We have to make it work wherever we are.
One of the basic techniques I rely on heavily with my wedding photography, is to eliminate distracting elements by shooting with a fast telephoto zoom. The Read more inside...
Shooting wedding photos in the mid-day sun with off-camera flash
Shooting under the mid-day sun is always a tough scenario we face as photographers. Recent topics here have included photographing wedding portraits in bright sunlight, as well as generally taking photos in hard sunlight. These techniques mostly revolve around adapting to the harsh light. We can often sidestep having to work in the hard sunlight by positioning our subject so the light is more flattering.
Sometimes though, these alternatives are out of our hands, and decisions are made for us. Then we have to deal Read more inside...
After you're done noticing the decorated candles that the bride is holding while dancing with the groom (a tradition in Palestinian weddings), you may well notice how evenly lit this photograph is - from foreground to background.
The people visible in the background seen there between the bride and the groom, are nearly as well lit as the bride and groom. Because this was on-camera bounce flash, the background will be brighter than may have been anticipated. If I had used direct flash, or flash with a diffuser cup or bounce Read more inside...
Too often there's the desire for us to bring the detail in our backgrounds back in by adding flash. But there are times when the image will be stronger if we just allow the background to completely blow out. It especially works in our favor if the background is cluttered, because then by letting the background completely over-expose, we can simplify our composition.
The key here then is to expose for your subject with careful exposure metering. Read more inside...
When working with a couple during the romantic portrait session, there's the need to bring variety to the images - not just in posing and composition, but also in terms of light & lighting. For this reason I use a variety - available light; video light; off-camera flash and on-camera bounce flash. I really like using on-camera bounce flash since it is such an easy light source to use, always at hand. There was a recent article on using bounce flash outdoors, but I'd like to add another example where I used bounce flash outside a Read more inside...
The latest Fusion clip where we blend video and stills to give a short form overview of the wedding day, is of Alli & Scott – their wedding day – Temple Israel of Lawrence, NY . They were also the couple in the recent article on photographing the bride & groom's portraits with video light.
The Fusion clip was edited in iMovie, with the soundtrack from Triple Scoop Music.
[ For more videos, follow me on Vimeo / YouTube ]
More interesting is the thought-process that went into choosing the camera settings for the Canon Read more inside...
You're a photographer, but at a wedding as a guest?
A recent article on the Off-Beat Bride blog, dealt with the topic of the unplugged wedding. They mention some brides now request guests switch off their cameras, and rather be in the moment and enjoy the wedding. I truly want every photographer, whether professional, amateur, or at any level, to read that article and take it to heart.
If you've been to a wedding and observed the people there, you will surely have noticed the barrage of cameras. It is especially prevalent during key moments such as the bride entering the ceremony Read more inside...
I've been mulling a while now over a question someone asked me about how long I think it took to develop a personal style in photography.
"What does it take, and how many years do you think it generally takes a photographer to develop their own personal style, meaning, you can look at a photograph and know who took it. Not everyone would know, but some people could tell it's your style. I think very few photographers actually have their own style and I'm curious what you think it took to get there."
How long do I think it takes? Read more inside...
Romantic wedding portraits - more than just the kiss
More frequently than not, when looking at the work of other photographers, I see that the romantic portraits of the couple are just of them kissing. Having worked with a number of photographers over the years, I've also seen how the instruction "and now, kiss", becomes reflexive. Pose the couple; have them look at each other ... *snap* ... and now kiss ... *snap*. And then the photographer takes no other photos of the couple at that specific place. Yet, there are more (and perhaps even better) ways to show intimacy in the romantic Read more inside...
Wedding photography - Tips for detail shots of the wedding rings
In photographing the detail images of the wedding rings, there are a few things to aim for:
- context within which to place the rings,
- a few images with different angles,
- great lighting which is easily achievable.
Then we also have to take care of the depth-of-field and the tricky focusing ... Read more inside...
