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Wedding album in 48 shots- part 3/4

In this 4 part series I look at the 48 shots that I pretty much shoot on every wedding in one way or another. The shots are the back bone to the whole day and each of them can be developed into a short series or help develop further ideas or concepts to concentrate on for a short time during the day.

The wedding I have chosen is available to watch on The Photographer Academy website as it will allow you to see the flow and interaction to gaining the shot as well as how it then flows from one image to another.

The third 12 images cover the Bride and Groom images plus the group construction and variety.

25 – The Bride

As a pro photographer it is my job to ensure the bride looks better than she does in real life and by that I mean thinner, more radiant and overall like a princess. I like to shoot in a variety of location with a different backdrop to make sure I have variety to show the couple. To make sure I enhance the bride’s figure I always turn them to a 2/3rd profile, this loses at least a third of body mass visible to camera. I can also position the bride to full profile, as in this image, but only when her figure and dress suits the shot.

Lens 70-200 shot at 200mm, ISO 100 - F4 - 1/200
Lens 70-200 shot at 200mm, ISO 100 – F4 – 1/200

26 – The Groom
Shooting the groom is close to my heart as I only have sons, so when they get married I am interested in them of course more than their wives. I see so many wedding albums or coverage’s where there are hardly any images of the groom, so please never forget that there are two sets of parents and the bride will also buy images of her new husband.

Top light is always a problem with light hair but it is even worse with balding heads so it is even more important to redirect light with a reflector to increase eth exposure on the face, as with this image, or of course choose a location which can subtract light naturally of the head.

Lens 70-200 shot at 135mm, ISO 100 - F3.5 - 1/500
Lens 70-200 shot at 135mm, ISO 100 – F3.5 – 1/500

27 – The Venue

The wedding reception has been chosen for a reason, so make sure you show it off. I always try and shoot a variety of images to ensure that I show the story of the venue as well as its scale and structure.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 24mm, ISO 100 – F4 - 1/500
Lens 24 -105 shot at 24mm, ISO 100 – F4 – 1/500

28 – The Animation

Posing the bride and groom is not every photographers must do, but I find the ability to animate the couple naturally can ensure an image that will flatter as well as direct the viewer to the main subject. Composition can always play its part in adding an extra dynamic to a portrait as well as composition exaggeration by tilting the camera, which is called a Dutch tilt.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 105mm, ISO 100 – F4 - 1/500
Lens 24 -105 shot at 105mm, ISO 100 – F4 – 1/500

29 – The Close up

Metering in camera can be a nightmare for the inexperienced as well as the pro especially in a difficult scene that is why I always opt for using a meter to record for the tone I want which is nearly always the face. This image is of course a development of the last, but now I am shooting inside out. The animation of this image is an open style, where no limbs close to the camera are being used to block or distract the viewer and disguise the subject’s weight and pose.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 105mm, ISO 100 – F4 - 1/100
Lens 24 -105 shot at 105mm, ISO 100 – F4 – 1/100

30 – The Split group

By splitting the couple up and placing one or the other in the background a quick variety can be achieved. Even though many couples are not a fan of this style of image I usually shoot a few during the day and most of the time they are chosen for the album. The subject in the background is used as a secondary point of interest and by itself starts a new series of images to be taken.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 67mm, ISO 100 – F4 - 1/100
Lens 24 -105 shot at 67mm, ISO 100 – F4 – 1/100

31 – The Bridesmaids Details

What is it with girls and shoes? I don’t know and I don’t care I just need to remember to shoot them and at the same time try and make a fun feature out of the image to ensure that it is an image selected for the album.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 85mm, ISO 100 – F4 - 1/500
Lens 24 -105 shot at 85mm, ISO 100 – F4 – 1/500

32 – The Bridesmaids

The walk and talk of the bridesmaids is a simple but effective shot to set up. The natural gossip of the girls will create different photo opportunities especially if you shoot off the straight line to subject, to make it look like there is a second shooter on the wedding. These images are all about the expressions and interactivity.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 105mm, ISO 100 – F4 - 1/500
Lens 24 -105 shot at 105mm, ISO 100 – F4 – 1/500

33 – The Unexpected

During the photography of the groups there are always little moments that are going on around you and the secret is to make sure you are aware of it and predict what might happen and be able to react to capture the image.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 24mm, ISO 100 - F5 - 1/200
Lens 24 -105 shot at 24mm, ISO 100 – F5 – 1/200

34 – The Wedding Party

Even if couples don’t want groups I try and encourage them to shoot at least the wedding party as it is the only way I can get everyone together in the right place at the same time.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 28mm, ISO 100 – F4 - 1/200
Lens 24 -105 shot at 28mm, ISO 100 – F4 – 1/200

35 – The Big Group

The last formal group I like to shoot is the big group! In other words everyone at the wedding, it might feel hard work but this one big shot usually runs a double page spread in the album.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 28mm, ISO 100 – F8 - 1/125
Lens 24 -105 shot at 28mm, ISO 100 – F8 – 1/125

36 – The Unexpected groups

I am always on the look out to steal a group that guest have set up themselves, whether it is jumping in front of them whilst they are shooting or as in this case shooting from behind.

Lens 24 -105 shot at 105mm, ISO 100 – F8 - 1/125
Lens 24 -105 shot at 105mm, ISO 100 – F8 – 1/125

Here is the first part and here the second one, just in case you missed them.

You can watch the video of this wedding live on The Photographer Academy website: www.ThePhotographerAcademy.com

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