Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

This is a continuance from another thread on the wedding area.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-272338-1.html

Thought I would be brave and yes you can critique but I'm primarily wanting to add something to another thread but I didn't want to post a picture on someone else's thread.

Notice that the background behind the heads of the B&G is constant and no horizontal lines going through their heads. Notice that the bouquet is held a tad lower and pointed forward to block the hands from view.

BTW, this photo was taken just a few months ago on my very first paid wedding for photography as the primary shooter.

(Download)

LKincaid Loc: Tampa Bay, Florida

That is a really pretty photo Beercat.

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

Ah shucks 8-)

As I said, I'm only a few steps ahead of you, anything we can share and help one another is a good thing. Most of my ideas came from watching KelbyOne videos, I highly recommend them and I've watched the good wedding ones at least 3 times each as you keep getting more out of the video very time you watch.

lightcatcher Loc: Farmington, NM (4 corners)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: One each for the B&G and one for you.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

I think you got the exposure just right!
Skin tones look good.
No blown out whites that I can see.
Shiny dress can be a challenge. Not here.
Can you describe the process to get this exposure?
Thanks!
Pat

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

Remember, I'm just a few steps ahead of some of you. But to answer you question ...........

I shot with an off-camera flash that my wife held which had a Super-Scoop 2 diffuser. I also used on-camera flash with the on-speed light diffuser, in this case both were Canon 600RT units. I used a tripod if I recall. Set the exposure manually, with -2 stops as the target. Kept ISO at 400 so I wouldn't have a bunch of grain to worry about. The best f/stop I could get an keep at least a 1/50 shutter was an f/10 though I would of preferred f/16 but with a 'kit' lens you get what you can get.

I set the off camera flash at 1/4 to be the primary and the on camera at 1/16 just for fill.

I had about 3 minutes to set up and shoot ........ was happy with the results as this was my first sunset wedding pose.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

You are many steps ahead of me.
Thanks!
Pat

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

Getting good exposure in front of a sunset is often tricky. I wish the subjects were just a tad lighter, which could easily be done in post. My thinking for that is that right now, the sunset draws my eyes away from them. I wouldn't lighten the overall photo, because you would lose the beauty of the sunset.

It is a beautiful shot, and I'm just making a suggestion that you just take a quick swipe with the adjustment brush in LR, or do a new layer in PS, lighten the layer, then use a layer mask to leave the darks dark, and brighten the B&G just a touch.

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

I thought about going lighter but then as I took out the brush I had issues with flash burn .......... I decided they were of Latino decent so a little on the darker side was ok .......

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

No problems here. I've always said that we all have opinions. I'm glad that everyone doesn't have the exact same style, life would be boring. That's why I try to offer suggestions, but always include that it is just my opinion.

You want to talk difficult exposures, I'd say 60% of the weddings we shoot are for black, or mixed race couples. When we shoot outdoors, and it starts getting late, it does get difficult to balance out showing that it was dark outside, but also getting the faces of all involved at a point where you can actually see everyone. It takes quite a bit of dodging and burning sometimes. Even using a light meter, and setting up a shot, it still gets tricky when you have dark and light skin, and dark and light clothing.

I really feel your pain. You just have to do what you think is right, and go with it.

The main thing is when the bride and groom LOVE the photos. It still gets me when a bride starts crying when she sees them for the first time.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

sorry, fat fingers, double post.

fotodon Loc: Oberlin, OH

This is a nice shot that I am sure the B&G will like. However, IMHO, it could be better. May I suggest a few things for your next time out. I would not call the background constant. The rocks do nothing for the composition and I think are distracting. Beach, water and sky make for a good uncluttered background. The sunset should be positioned to function as a hair light on the bride. Focal length can make a big difference in this type of shot. I would shoot this at 175 to 200 mm stepping back as far as I could and still get a close crop in the camera.

As for posing. Not bad, but, the bride's hand on the groom's shoulder is just plain weird. I'm sorry but a body part detached from the body it belongs to is not good. The arms bent at right angles is not always bad but is never good. They then lead into that huge bouquet made even bigger by a straight on shot. Since the bride is very slender with a tight fitting dress I think she would look more elegant with her arm straight down at her side holding the bouquet at an angle that minimizes its size. The groom's hand could be lightly caressing the brides waist.

I confess that it is easy to come up with a great pose after the fact. Hindsight is 20/20. Similarly, many of the great shots you see in tutorials are very orchestrated to be so. For me, the best way to benefit from these is not try to duplicate them, but to dissect them down to their basics principles. Then apply the basic principles judiciously to your posing.

I hope this is helpful.

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

Some good advice, thank you ......

FYI ......

Bride had hurt her ankle wearing 5" heels on the railroad tracks just behind me. We had planned on going down on the beach but she was in pain and couldn't of gotten down to the sand. This picture is one of the few where she is standing, most of the pictures are of the groom sitting on the rock behind her and she sitting on his lap or him on one knee while she draped herself over him. In this picture she managed to stand up and her hand wrapped around his shoulder was for support as well as her hand holding his behind the flowers.

As we had about 3 minutes to shoot a half dozen stills I didn't have time to use off-camera flash which of course is why I was up close using on-camera flash. Under the circumstances it was impossible to have gotten back far enough to go out 175 - 200mm in order to compress the background.

All this being said I agree with much of what you shared, just was not possible under the scenario I had to work with. As a budding wedding photographer I used what I had to get the best result possible ;-)

fotodon Loc: Oberlin, OH

Aaahh...Now I know!! Been there, done that, way too many times. High heels stuck in the mud, bride too hot, bride too cold, groom drunk, etc. etc. etc. Forgive me for assuming that every thing was just how you wanted it for the shot. Living on the south shore of Lake Erie we get some beautiful sunset photo ops. We build this up to the bride explaining that the timing is critical. Then when the time comes the bride or groom just can't tear themselves away from their guests and we end up with the pose moments after the sun sets too far for that WOW shot. Just grin and bare it. LOL

Wouldn't it be great if we could have exclusive and unlimited time with the B&G a day or two after the wedding. And/or they were willing to pay us to go with them on their honeymoon to Cancun for the shots. Hey...I can dream, can't I? We have done a couple of destination weddings if you count the ones in the next state over. And, I suggest the above options with a big smile on my face but have never had a B&G seriously consider them.

I would love to see the other shots you mentioned. I will not critique them out of respect for the conditions you were working under. I am attaching a page from a wedding album we did. It has three examples of B&G poses. Left side is that planned but still lucky sunset shot. Thought about taking out the jet contrail but the bride thought
it was a great effect. Maybe she was having thoughts of something sharp sticking out of the grooms head. LOL Lower right is an example of using sweet light at the cost of poor composition with no alternative. But the bride loved it. Upper right is an example of when everything comes together. Note the brides arm down as per my suggestion. However, this was not a brides pick and was added to the page for fill. Go figure!! Just means rules are made to be broken, especially by the bride. LOL again.

Don