by Bill Hurter
4. Editing RAW Files (Selecting, Sorting, Adding Metadata, and Correcting RAW Files). During editing, Neil recommends starting with general settings, then working down to the specific ones. In other words, do global changes to white balance and exposure first, and then touch up single images as needed. Since Neil is editing for proofing and web galleries at this point, it helps his speed and efficiency to aim for “good,” not “perfect.”
Neil also suggests applying keywords and metadata at this point if you want to search for specific photos later on. This depends on how or whether you want to keep track of your images. This step can also be earlier on in the workflow, depending on the software you work with. Keywords are recorded in various ways, which will also be affected by the software you work with.
Neil finds it is easier to “edit in” than to “edit out,” so he selects the photos he wants to keep (i.e., those that go to proofing and for the galleries). To do this, he creates two folders: “RAW selected” and “RAW discarded.” He then sorts his images accordingly by adding check marks to the files he wants to keep. “I might delete images that just don’t make it,” he says, “but generally I put the non-keepers in the ‘discarded’ folder, in case I need to go back.”
At his point, rotate images, if needed. This can be done with any of the programs, so Neil uses whichever program he is editing the RAW files in—DPP, Capture One, or Adobe Camera Raw. Nikon Browser is also good for this.
He then edits the RAW files for white balance and exposure. For efficiency, it is essential to adjust groups of images together. “It is usually better to start with the white balance first,” says Neil, “since adjusting the white balance can often affect the exposure if you look at the various channels. If an image appears very warm and shows overexposure in the red channel, then correcting the white balance could very well eliminate the exposure warnings in your editing program.”
Neil starts with a rough white balance using white-balance tool (eye-dropper), then fine-tunes his results with the sliders. “There are tools like the WhiBal Card that will help white balance correction in post-production,” he notes, “but mostly I click on white shirt collars and such to bring my images close to the correct white balance.” You can also adjust contrast and brightness as part of exposure correction.
Sharpening is left as part of the conversion to JPEG, since resizing might be involved in generating proofs or images for web galleries. Either way it is better to have less sharpening in the initial workflow.
Noise reduction can also be applied at this point. The setting you use will depend on your camera make and model and the chosen ISO.
You can also convert some images to black & white or sepia at this point. DPP is especially great for this. It offers various filters that will help brighten the skin tones—akin to how you would’ve used an orange or red filter with black & white film to brighten skin tones.
“I might also crop some of the RAW files to improve composition,” Neil says. Capture One and Adobe Camera Raw both have brilliantly fast ways of applying crops to multiple images. So if you routinely crop large numbers of images to 4x5 or 8x10, then a RAW work-flow will save you considerable effort. Copying the crop to multiple RAW files is faster than doing the same for the JPEGs in Photoshop. You can also custom crop in ACR for web-sized images.
5. Converting RAW Files to JPEGs. “At this point,” says Neil, “I should have all my images corrected for white balance and exposure and even some of them cropped. I will now make another back-up of the RAW files—but this time of the corrected and edited RAW files.” To do this, he uses a batch process. If you’re using Adobe Camera Raw, you could use actions to convert to JPEG, but saving directly from ACR is much faster—and it works in the background. Batch processing the RAW files to JPEGs can take a while, depending on how many images you are processing and your computer’s processing speed. “I normally perform this function overnight,” Neil says.
With the batch process complete, Neil burns another DVD of these JPEGs and also keeps copies of the converted JPEGs on one of the external hard drives. “I don’t bother converting to TIF,” he says, “because all the potentially destructive correction and editing work was done on the RAW files already. So quality is still very high, and there is still the option of going back to a specific RAW file should there be a quality problem.”
At this point, the initial RAW workflow is complete, and the JPEGs can be sent off to the lab for proofs or web galleries can be created. Excluding the time the software took to generate the previews, Neil is usually able to finish editing a wedding within three hours. Even though all that sounds like a lot of effort, with some practice it becomes a fast and completely reliable way of working with digital images. “And in shooting RAW,” says Neil, “You have the option to change most of the settings again.”
See www.planetneil.com for more information.
7.
THE WEDDING DAY: PREPARATION AND KEY MOMENTS
The wedding photographer’s best weapon, so to speak, is preparedness. Knowing each phase of the wedding day, when and where it will happen, and the details of each mini-event during the day will help build mutual confidence and rapport and raise the percentage of successful shots taken.
The wedding photojournalist works hard on wedding day. Here Chuck Maring tracks the bride and groom as they all cross a busy intersection. Maring has his eye to the viewfinder, camera firing and a smile on his face as if he’s having as much fun as his couple. Photograph by Jennifer Maring.
Martin Schembri studies the wedding gown in detail so that he can make a stunning image of the dress for the album.
MEETING WITH THE BRIDE AND GROOM
Arrange a meeting with the couple at least one month before the wedding. Use this time to take notes, formulate detailed plans, and get to know the couple in a relaxed setting. This initial meeting also gives the bride and groom a chance to ask any questions of you they may have. It is also the time when the couple can tell you about any special pictures they want you to make, as well as let you know of any important guests that will be coming from out of town. Make notes of all the names—the parents, the bridesmaids, the groomsmen, the best man and maid of honor—so that you can address each person by name.
It will be time well spent and allows you a month after the meeting to check out the locations, introduce yourself to the people at the various venues (including the minister, priest, or rabbi), and get back to the couple if there are any problems or difficulties. Note the color scheme the couple will be using, and get detailed information from the florist, the caterer or banquet manager, the limo driver, the band, and so on. You may find out interesting details that will affect your timetable or how you make certain shots. Australian photographer Martin Schembri also uses this time to see and study the gown in a fashion and design sense; he uses these mental notes as preparation for the album design.
When you meet with the clergyman, make sure you ask about any special customs or traditions that will be part of the ceremony. At many religious ceremonies you can move about and even use flash, but it should really be avoided, in favor of a more discreet, available-light approach. Besides, available light will provide a more intimate feeling. At some churches you may only be able to take photographs from the back, in others you may be offered the chance to go into a gallery, choir loft, or balcony. Also, be prepared not to be allowed to make pictures at all during the ceremony. Being completely invisible during the ceremony is actually a positive. You may still be able to make shots with long lenses from a discreet position, but to interrupt the ceremony will take attention away from the most significant moment of the day.
You should know how long it takes to drive from the bride’s home to the ceremony. Inform the bride that you will arrive at least an hour to 45 minutes before they leave. You should arrive at church at about the same time as or a little before the groom, who should arrive about a half-hour before the ceremony. At that time you can make portraits of the groom and his g
roomsmen. Bridesmaids will arrive at about the same time. Additionally, you need to determine approximately how long the ceremony will last.
Joe Photo made this impressive engagement portrait of the bride and groom on horseback with a Nikon D1X and Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 lens at 1/500 second at f/2.8.
ENGAGEMENT PORTRAIT
The engagement portrait can be a significant part of forging a good relationship with the bride and groom. After a couple books a wedding, wedding photographers Alisha and Brook Todd call the couple once a month to check in. When the contract goes out, they send a bottle of Dom Perignon with a handwritten note. They soon schedule the engagement portrait, which is a stylized romantic portrait of the couple made prior to the wedding day at the location of the couple’s choice. Once the wedding day arrives, they have spent quality time with the couple and been in touch numerous times by phone and in person. “We really try to establish a relationship first,” says Brook. “It’s how we do business.”
Since this one image is so important to establishing a good rapport between photographer and couple, many photographers include the engagement portrait as part of their basic coverage. In other words, they don’t charge extra for it.
Many couples use the engagement portrait for newspaper announcements. Often, the photographer will also produce a set of note cards using the engagement portrait as a cover. The couple can then use these as thank-you notes after they return from the honeymoon. These can be delivered to the bride’s mother before the wedding or while the couple is away.
PRE-CEREMONY COVERAGE
Usually, the actual wedding photography begins at the bride’s home as she is getting ready. Some of the most endearing and genuine photographs of the day can be made at this time. Be wary, however, as emotions are high. If chaos reigns in the bedrooms, don’t be afraid to step back and get out of the way. By being a good observer and staying out of the way, you are sure to get some great shots, because no one has time to worry about you; it’s like you’re invisible.
It is important to avoid photographic clichés and, instead, be alert for the unexpected moments. There are all too many photos of the bride looking into the mirror as she gets ready. One of the unique fascinations brides have is with their shoes and with the act of putting them on. You might also create shots featuring the maid of honor or the bride’s mother, both of whom are integral to the bride’s preparations. Since the ceilings of most homes are quite low and upstairs bedrooms often have multiple windows, you can usually expose these images by bounce flash and/or available light.
It is important not to wear out your welcome at the bride’s home. Although you should arrive an hour or more earlier (before the bride is due to arrive at the ceremony), you should be prepared to leave and arrive at the ceremony at the time the groom arrives. Photographing him before the ceremony will also produce some wonderful shots, and it is also a great time to create a formal portrait of the groom and his groomsmen. It is also a good time to produce some casual portraits. Although he won’t admit it, the groom’s emotions are running high and it usually leads to some good-natured bantering between the groom and his friends.
If you have an assistant or are shooting the wedding as a team, have your counterpart be prepared to handle the groom at the ceremony, while you stay with the bride at her home. You may want to get a shot of her getting into the limo—an exercise in physics. Her dad saying goodbye is always a good shot, as well.
This is also a good time to capture many of the details of the wedding attire. The flowers being delivered at the bride’s home, for instance, can make an interesting still life, as can many other accessories for the wedding-day attire.
Marcus Bell does exceptional portraits of the groom. Here he photographed the groom and his best man before the ceremony in an edgy, editorial style. You can sense the anticipation on the groom’s face.
This Southern California wedding is anything but typical. Joe Photo captured all the nuances in one shot made from behind—the warmth of the day, the beauty of the rose petals strewn everywhere, and the solemnity of the ceremony. Careful focusing with the 17mm lens helped Joe carry focus from the foreground to infinity. The shot was made with a Nikon D1X and 17mm AF Nikkor lens.
Having two shooters for the ceremony is almost a necessity. Jeffrey and Julia Woods are a husband-and-wife team who really cover the day’s events as a team. Here the just-wed couple exhibits a moment of pure joy as they walk up the aisle to exit the church.
PHOTOGRAPHING THE CEREMONY
Before the guests arrive is a good time to create an overall view of the church, as no two weddings ever call for the same exact decorations. If there is an overhead vantagepoint, like a choir loft, this is a good place to set up a tripod and make a long exposure with good depth of field so that everything in the image is sharp. This kind of record shot will be important to the historic aspects of the wedding album. This is also a great place to shoot from as the bride enters the church with the pews all filled with people.
When the bride arrives at the ceremony and is helped out of the car, sometimes by her dad, there are ample opportunities for good pictures. It isn’t necessary to choreograph the event—there will already be plenty of emotion between the bride and her father. Just be ready and you will be rewarded with some priceless images.
When the bridesmaids, flower girls, ring bearers, mother of the bride, and the bride herself (sometimes with her dad) come up the aisle, you should be positioned at the entrance of the church so that the subjects are walking toward you. If you are part of a team, have another photographer positioned at another location so that you can get multiple viewpoints of this processional.
Once the ceremony begins, be as discreet and invisible as possible, shooting from an inconspicuous or even hidden vantagepoint and working by available light. Often a tripod will be necessary as exposures, even with a fast ISO setting, may be on the long side, like 1/15 second. Weddings are solemn occasions and the ceremony itself will present many emotion-filled moments. Keep in mind that the ceremony is more important than the photographer or even the pictures, so prioritize the event by being as discreet as possible. Be alert for surprises and pay special attention to the children who will do the most amazing things when immersed in a formalized ritual like a wedding.
Waiting for the ceremony to begin, one should be aware of anxious moments that precede the big event. Photograph by Jeffrey and Julia Woods.
Stick with the bride and groom—you never know what will happen. Once the ceremony is concluded and they are in each other’s company, there is sometimes a spontaneous outburst of emotion and glee. Mark Cafeiro captured this joyous moment with a Canon EOS 1-D Mark II and wide-angle zoom lens at the 40mm setting.
For the ceremony, try to position yourself so that you can see the faces of the bride and groom, particularly the bride’s face. This will usually place you behind the ceremony or off to the side. This is when fast film and fast, long lenses are needed, since you will almost surely be beyond the range of the frequently used 80-200mm zoom. Look for the tenderness between the couple and the approving expressions of the best man and maid of honor. Too many times the photographer positions him- or herself in the congregation. The minister or rabbi will not be purchasing any photographs, so it is the faces of the bride and groom that you will want to see.
Because of the varying light levels and the frequent restrictions on photographing the wedding ceremony, a shot like this is rare. Charles Maring made this image with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM at the 19mm setting at an exposure of 1/30 second at f/2.8. An auto white balance setting was used.
The confetti toss takes practice to perfect. Charles Maring made this image with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and a Nikon D1X at 1/2500 second (which froze every piece of confetti) at f/2.8.
Marcus Bell is always on the lookout for those fleeting emotional moments—here the bridesmaids appear joyous while the bride is overcome with emotion.
If you are behind the ce
remony, you cannot immediately bolt to the back of the church or synagogue to capture the bride and groom walking up the aisle as man and wife. This is when it is important to have a second shooter, who can be perfectly positioned to capture the bride and groom and all of the joy on their faces as they exit for the first time as man and wife.
Be aware of changing light levels. Inside the church, it will be at least three to four stops darker than in the vestibule. As the couple emerges, the light will change drastically and quickly. Know your exposures beforehand and anticipate the change in light levels. Many a gorgeous shot has been ruined by the photographer not changing exposure settings to compensate for the increased light levels.
When photographing the bride and groom leaving the church, include the door frame as a reference. If photographing from the side, try to position yourself on the bride’s side, so she is nearest the camera. Because of diminishing perspective, if the groom is in the foreground, the bride will look even smaller than she might be in reality.
Sometimes the bride and groom being driven to the reception can be one of the most stylish and memorable photos made throughout the wedding day. Photograph by Cal Landau.
If there is to be a rice, confetti, or bubble toss, these are best photographed with a wide-angle lens from close up, so that you can see not only the bride and groom but the confetti (or rice, or bubbles), and the faces of the people in the crowd. It’s a good idea to choreograph this shot with the crowd so they throw their confetti on your signal, usually as the couple reaches the steps. Be sure to tell them to throw the stuff above the head height of the bride and groom so that it descends into your photograph. While choreographed, the shot will look unstaged as the bride and groom will be unaware of your planning and will undoubtedly flinch when they see the rice/confetti in the air. This type of scene is best photographed with two photographers.