Question fellow Hog wedding snappers: I prefer to compose using thirds but when your cropping the family portraits is is OK to use the thirds or should I crop centered. Father/Bride...

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

I prefer to compose using thirds but when your cropping the family portraits is is OK to use the thirds or should I crop centered.

Father/Bride

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

This particular background is conducive to the thirds rule and looks great as is. The final answer will always depend on the fore/background elements. Nice shot.

Addendum: I just noticed the fingers growing out the brides side. A classic no no...

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

big-guy wrote:

This particular background is conducive to the thirds rule and looks great as is. The final answer will always depend on the fore/background elements. Nice shot.

Addendum: I just noticed the fingers growing out the brides side. A classic no no...

Thank you .............

BTW, this is a classic ............... requesting to many photos in a short period of time, thus you are limited on your time to compose and check for 'fingers' .......... but you are correct.

Family unit was around 40, bridle party 24. That is a load to capture in an hour along with B&G pictures

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

3:30pm harsh sun

Used a Canon 6D with a 24-105L IS lens

4X ND filter
Cir Pol
Exposed for the background
2 off-camera Canon EX600RT speed lights firing ETTL HSS

The Kiss

Bobbee

centered

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

This image is not balanced. There is not enough interest on the left side and makes me wonder why that negative space. Subject centered would help.

superpijak Loc: Middle TN

Beercat wrote:

I prefer to compose using thirds but when your cropping the family portraits is is OK to use the thirds or should I crop centered.

Father/Bride

Like you I strive to compose based on "thirds", but sometimes the rule just needs to be broken.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

Beercat wrote:

I prefer to compose using thirds but when your cropping the family portraits is is OK to use the thirds or should I crop centered.

Father/Bride

Rule of thirds doesn't necessarily mean "exactly" on the thirds lines . . . but more "off-center". Much has to do with the action of the subject and the background. Somehow, and can't say why, this image screams to me that they should be on the right of the frame instead of the left, even though the background kind of demands the left as you have it. I would have placed them over to the right of the stairs. That is just my personal feeling here, but nothing to do with correctness. Perhaps it is that the bride, in her white dress, commands the position of being the main subject, and the majority of the empty space is behind her. ???????

Nice shot!

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

Interestingly I sent the picture to the Mother of the Bride who of course is the wife of the father. I told her I preferred placing her husband and daughter on the thirds with the background centered. I offered to re-compose to center the subjects but ............ she loved it the way I have it and told me not to change a thing.

Customer is always right ;)

There is a lesson to be learned ............ center the subjects on the background then it wouldn't even be an issue. Working fast and furious and just didn't pay attention to my backdrop when I was doing the portraits.

I remind myself that this is only the 3rd wedding where I am the primary shooter. About a half dozen other weddings where we did combos (stills and video) but I hired a primary shooter and I was the second for both stills and video.

Enough of the excuses :)

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

Beercat wrote:

Interestingly I sent the picture to the Mother of ... (show quote)

I have a lot of weddings under my belt, as well a lot of years! I can honestly say that for the few wedding you have done that your work is far above par. Kudos!!!

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

Weddingguy wrote:

I have a lot of weddings under my belt, as well a lot of years! I can honestly say that for the few wedding you have done that your work is far above par. Kudos!!!

There you go .................. gave me a big head

Bobbee

Beercat wrote:

There you go .................. gave me a big head

Bigger. LOL

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

Awesome job. I especially love the outdoor shot. For the group shots, I tend to let the photo and background "tell me" what to do.

In my opinion, there are pluses and minuses to centering them to keep it interesting. Honestly, in this one, with the angle of the shot, I would have done it as you did. If it were different, so it wouldn't have ended up with a candle stick growing out of each of their heads, I may have shot it centered.

jaysnave Loc: Central Ohio

Sorry for the late reply. I am not sure why, but I probably would have moved them up a step and centered. Moving them up would insure that candles are not growing out of their head. But hey, it is all personal preference.

I love the effect you got using the ND filter for the kissing portrait. I thought ND filters were only for long exposure use in landscapes. You are on to something!

Beercat Loc: Central Coast of California

jaysnave wrote:

Sorry for the late reply. I am not sure why, but I probably would have moved them up a step and centered. Moving them up would insure that candles are not growing out of their head. But hey, it is all personal preference.

I love the effect you got using the ND filter for the kissing portrait. I thought ND filters were only for long exposure use in landscapes. You are on to something!

I believe I already answered that call .............

"There is a lesson to be learned ............ center the subjects on the background then it wouldn't even be an issue. Working fast and furious and just didn't pay attention to my backdrop when I was doing the portraits."