Yesterday I posted PART 1 of my “Behind the Scenes” blog showing what a wedding day looks like for me and my team and recapping 2018. Today’s post shows the final images that I create during these moments. What you see vs. what I see through my camera. It was a fun post to put together, because these cell phone captures are always taken by my assistant, randomly, when I don’t know it… so I had to go off of whatever she decided to take this year. :) I hope you enjoy this inside peek of how the magic happens!
Sometimes I demonstrate to my clients how to walk in a way that will accentuate certain features.
At the very beginning of every wedding, I begin with staging some “detail shots.” These photos help me begin telling the story of the day and help get my creative juices flowing. Everyone knows, ring shots are my favorite.
And then there was that time that we flagged down a car as it passed because it was the bride’s favorite color. The driver and his wife actually got out of the car and allowed us to snag this photo. I was in shock.
Sometimes when a backdrop seems like there is a lot of clutter (like these signs), you just have to shoot vertically or crop in tighter.
Using the directional light to create a sun flare.
Sometimes wedding days are windy enough that veils take off naturally… other times we give them a little help. :)
During engagement sessions, I look for anything on location (typically something in nature) that will provide an interesting backdrop for a ring shot.
I often use my hand to block direct sunlight in order to properly focus on my subject, and then at the last second I move my hand, allowing sun flare / haze into the image.
I often turn off lights in getting ready spaces, because the directional light I can create with flash is much more flattering (and not orange, like many overhead lights). Here I am bouncing flash because the girls are completely backlit and I wanted to still see some of the city in the background.
Invitations are always a good backdrop for ring shots, especially when you want to accent something like the couple’s new last name.
Here you can see that I often put my subjects in shade, but as CLOSE to the edge of the shade as possible, which allows more light to reach their skin.
Demonstrating the amount of swagger I wanted from these groomsmen. :)
Standing on DJ speakers to get some height during wedding receptions… and sometimes the DJ will tell everyone to look at the photographer for a brief moment, and that’s when this happened.
It didn’t stop raining once on this wedding day, but I knew I wanted to get a couple outdoor shots that showed the front of the venue. Luckily the front porch was covered and could keep my bride & groom dry. My assistant held an umbrella over us as we shot in the rain. You can barely see raindrops because of the aperture and shutter speed I was using (and the fact that it was daylight outside).
Using a white reflector (which I think was the back of a poster board we found lying around) to bounce light back into this invitation suite photo (reducing harsh shadows).
Trying to find a creative angle that isn’t your basic dress shot…
Not sure what I’m doing here, but MAN that was a big wedding party!
Using anything I could find in this hotel lobby to create some exciting ring shots for this couple getting married around Christmastime.
Climbing on railings to get a good angle of the river at Tallulah Gorge.
I was able to take two VERY different photos in this same situation. In one, I exposed for the lake/sky, allowing the couple to be silhouetted. In the other, I exposed for the couple.
The end! I hope you enjoyed seeing what goes into some of my images. As always, THANK YOU to the clients who bravely step in front of my camera and trust me with such exciting milestones!
- Bailey & Drew
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