Wedding Photographer's Handbook

by Bill Hurter

  Many photographers who love photographing weddings have told me that they get overwhelmed sometimes by the emotion of the wedding event. The best way to keep your emotions in check is to focus your attention on every detail of the event. Immersing yourself in the flow of the wedding and its details will help you to be more objective and put you in touch with the many subtleties of the day.

  PHOTOGRAPHING THE RECEPTION

  Since the bride and groom are so preoccupied at the reception, they actually get to see very little of it and therefore depend on your pictures to provide memories. You will want to photograph as many of the details and events of the reception as possible.

  Be sure to make several good overviews of the decorated room. This should be done just before the guests enter, when the candles on the tables are lit and everything looks perfect. Be sure to photograph the details—table bouquets, place settings, name cards, etc.. These things help enrich the finished wedding album

  The photo opportunities at the reception are endless. As the reception goes on and guests relax, the opportunities for great pictures will increase. Be aware of the bride and groom all the time, as they are the central players. Fast lenses and a higher-than-normal ISO settings will help you to work unobserved.

  Be prepared for the scheduled events at the reception—the bouquet toss, removing the garter, the toasts, the first dance, and so on. If you have done sufficient preparation you will know where and when each of these events will take place and you’ll be prepared to light and photograph each one. Often, the reception is best lit with a number of corner-mounted umbrellas, triggered by your on-camera flash. That way, anything within the perimeter of your lights can be photographed by strobe. Be certain you meter various areas within your lighting perimeter so that you know what your exposure will be everywhere within the reception area.

  If the reception is home to some interesting architectural elements such as this spiral staircase and skylight, be sure to make a portrait of the bride and groom in those environs. The really good locations can be discovered by visiting the venues before the big day. Photo by David Worthington.

  Joe Photo makes it part of his coverage to do a still life of the couple’s rings on top of the wedding invitation.

  High points at the reception might include some exceptional dancing. Mike Colón captured this terrific dancer with a Nikon D1X and short zoom lens at 1/200 second at f/2.8 by available light. Note that the exposure was made at the perfect peak of action, where the subject is momentarily motionless.

  The reception calls upon all of your skills and instincts—and things happen quickly. Don’t get caught with an important event coming up and only two frames left in the camera. Use two camera bodies and always have plenty of exposures available, even if it means changing CF cards before you’re ready to. People are having a great time, so be cautious about intruding upon events. Observe the flow of the reception and carefully choose your vantage point for each shot. Be sure to coordinate your efforts with the wedding planner or banquet manager. He or she can run interference for you as well as cue you when certain events are about to occur, often not letting the event begin until you are ready.

  Photojournalists know how to get the shot without alerting the people being photographed. Some photographers walk around the reception with their camera held low, but with both hands in position on the camera so that they can instantly raise the camera to eye level, frame the image, and shoot. Others use a wide-angle lens set to wide-area autofocus in one of the camera’s autoexposure modes. With the camera at waist or hip height, the photographer will then wander around the reception, mingling with the guests. When a shot seems to be taking place, they will aim the camera up toward the people’s faces and fire, never even looking through the viewfinder.

  The final shot of the day will be the couple leaving the reception, which is usually a memorable photo. Like so many events at the reception, planned or spontaneous, it is best to have as many angles of the event as possible, which is why so many wedding photographers work with a shooting partner or assistants.

  Lighting. Pole Lighting. Many photographers employ an assistant at the reception to walk around with a barebulb flash attached to a monopod. The strobe is slaved and can be triggered by a radio transmitter on the camera or by an on-camera flash. The pole light can be positioned anywhere near the subjects and can be set to overpower the on-camera flash by one f-stop so that it becomes a main light.

  Your assistant should be well versed in the types of lighting you like to create with this rig. For instance, if he or she is at a 45-degree angle to the subject and the light is held about four feet over the subjects’ head height, the resulting lighting will resemble Rembrandt-style side lighting. If you prefer to backlight your subjects, then your assistant can position himself behind the group to create a rim-lighting effect.

  When taking an exposure, read the room light first and set the flash output to the same aperture as the existing light exposure. That way the flash will not overpower the room lights.

  Videographer’s Lighting. If a wedding video is being produced, you will have the luxury of the videographer’s rigging and lighting the reception hall with hot lights—usually quartz halogen lights, which are very bright and will make your reception photography much easier. The only problem is that you will have to adjust your white balance to compensate for the change in color temperature of the quartz lights.

  This is one of the finest “first dance” shots this writer has ever seen. The scene is lit with a powerful flash outside the ballroom and by candlelight on the tables. You will also notice that another photographer’s flash is going off simultaneously. Photograph by Cal Landau.

  Handheld Video Lights. Many of the Australian wedding photographers, like David Williams and Yervant, use handheld battery-powered video lights as accent or fill lights. Williams uses a low-wattage light, around 15-20 watts, for just a little light to add mood or color or accent to a scene. Yervant uses a 100-watt Lowel Light that will overpower room light depending on the distance at which it is used.

  The effects are quite beautiful and, because you can change your white balance on the fly, the color balance will be superb and match the room lighting. Sometimes the photographers will hold the light themselves, sometimes they’ll give it to an assistant if a certain lighting effect is desired.

  One of the great things about these lights is that you can see the effect you will get in the viewfinder. Also, since the light units are small and maneuverable, you can feather them quite easily, using the more dynamic edge of the light.

  This photo of the couple’s first dance is amazing. Joe Photo made it at 1/8 second at f/2.8 and then enhanced the image in Photoshop with filters and Gaussian Blur.

  The bride’s bouquet toss is often filled with trickery and deceit on the part of the bride. Here Mark Cafiero captured this lovely bride in the middle of a belly laugh, apparently at her maidens’ expense.

  RINGS

  The bride and groom usually love their new rings and will want a close-up shot that includes them. This is a great detail image in the album. You can use any attractive pose, but remember that hands are difficult to pose. If you want a really close-up image of the rings, you will need a macro lens and you will probably have to light the scene with flash or video light, unless you make the shot outdoors, in strong window light, or using strong available room light.

  THE CAKE-CUTTING

  One of the key shots at the reception is the cutting of the wedding cake. This is often a good opportunity to make an overhead group shot of the crowd surrounding the bride and groom. Bring along a stepladder for these types of shots. A second shooter is a good idea in these situations so that details and priceless moments won’t be missed. Also, be sure to get a still life of the cake before it is cut. Both the couple and the baker/caterer will want to see a beautiful shot of their creation.

  THE FIRST DANCE

  The first dance is an important moment in the reception and one t
hat you will want to document thoroughly. Don’t turn it into a cliché. Just observe, and try to shoot it with multiple shooters so as not to miss the good expressions. You will be rewarded with emotion-filled, joyful moments.

  It is always a great idea to photograph the reception before the guests arrive. Photograph by Ron Capobianco, made at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City.

  The little ones involved in the ceremony are always a treat to photograph and always present good photo opportunities. Photograph by Marcus Bell. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM—If you are fortunate enough that the bride and groom are staying at the location of the reception, you can arrange to get some great shots after all the guests have left and the couple relaxes and winds down. Photograph by Cal Landau.

  THE BOUQUET TOSS

  This is one of the more memorable shots at any wedding reception. Whether you’re a photojournalist or traditionalist, this shot always looks best when it’s spontaneous. You need plenty of depth of field, which almost dictates a wide-angle lens. You’ll want to show not only the bride but also the expectant faces in the background, which usually necessitates two shooters. Although you can use available light, the shot is usually best done with two flashes—one on the bride and one on the ladies hoping to catch for the bouquet. Your timing has to be excellent as the bride will often “fake out” the group (and you), just for laughs. Try to get the bouquet as it leaves the bride’s hands.

  TABLE SHOTS

  Table shots are the bane of every wedding photographer’s day. They rarely turn out well, are often never ordered, and are tedious to make. If your couple absolutely wants table shots, ask them to accompany you from table to table. They can greet their guests and it will make the posing quick and painless. You might also consider talking the couple into one big group shot that encompasses nearly everyone at the reception. These are always fun to participate in and to photograph.

  LITTLE ONES

  One of the best opportunities for great pictures comes from spending some time with the smallest attendees and attendants: the flower girls and ring bearers. They are thrilled with the pageantry of the wedding day and their involvement often offers a multitude of picture opportunities.

  8.

  GROUPS AND FORMALS

  Even in a photojournalistic wedding, up to 15 percent of the coverage may be groups and formals. This is simply because gatherings of this type bring together many people from the couple’s lives that may never be assembled together again. That makes it imperative that pictures be made to commemorate the occasion. Also, brides and families want to have a formal remembrance of the day, which may include the formal portraits of bride alone, groom alone, bride and groom together, bride and bridesmaids, groom and groomsmen, full wedding party, family of the bride, family of the groom, and so on. These images are something that the couple expects the photographer to make on the day of their wedding.

  In this beautiful portrait by Cherie Steinberg Coté, the line of the shoulders and the tilt of both heads is different, providing dynamic lines. Also, note that the faces are not turned directly toward the camera. Also note that the bodies are turned in toward one another for a more intimate pose. Cherie made this portrait with a Nikon D70, backlit sunlight, and a large reflector for fill.

  Joe photo started out photographing the bridal formal with this amazing setting on the Pacific coast. Then the breeze helped him out, creating this beautiful graphic flourish. Photo made with Nikon D1X and 17mm lens.

  Wide-angle portraits, such as this image by Joe Photo, require the subjects to be in the center of the frame to avoid distortion. Note that the bride has her weight on her back foot with her front foot forward to extend the line of the dress. In this pose, the bride and groom are facing the same way but their heads are tilted in toward each other. Joe used flash set to the same output as the twilight exposure. He worked the image extensively in Photoshop to produce the soft, dreamy effect of the roses and trellis.

  As you will see, however, formals and groups done by a contemporary wedding photojournalist differ greatly from the stiff “boy-girl, boy-girl” posing of the traditional wedding photographer, where everyone is looking directly into the camera lens. A lot of imagination goes into the making of these formals and many times, one cannot really tell that the photographer staged the moment. The photographer preserves the naturalness and spontaneity in keeping with the photojournalistic spirit.

  Wedding photojournalists draw a great deal from editorial and advertising photography. In fact, many of the more famous wedding photojournalists also do work for bridal magazines, illustrating new bridal fashions and trends. The fact that these pictures are posed and highly controlled doesn’t seem to diminish their popularity among brides. The images have a certain style and elegance, regardless of whether or not the subjects are looking into the camera.

  In this delightful three-quarter length portrait by Marcus Bell, the photographer positioned the bride’s face so that it is in the seven-eighths view—almost straight on, but with slightly more of the right side of her face showing. She is positioned off to the side of the frame so the figure of the flower girl in the background would balance the composition.

  In this animated portrait, photographer Charles Maring had the bride look away toward some guests so that her face was in a classic three-quarters view, with her head tilted toward the near shoulder in a traditional feminine pose.

  Maurucio Donelli positioned his bride in profile, then stretched the veil forward in the frame to provide a subtle window to the bride. The lighting is slightly behind her to create a shadow side facing the camera and to highlight the frontal planes of her face and the gown. The careful lighting brings out the delicate beadwork in the wedding dress.

  The rigors of formal posing will not be seen in these photos. But knowledge of posing fundamentals will increase the likelihood of capturing people looking their best. No matter what style of photography is being used, there are certain posing essentials that need to be at work. The more you know about the rules of posing and composition, and particularly the subtleties, the more you can apply to your wedding images. And the more you practice these principles, the more they will become second nature and a part of your technique.

  POSING

  The Head-and-Shoulders Axis. One of the basics of good posing is that the subject’s shoulders should be turned at an angle to the camera. With the shoulders facing the camera, the person looks wider than he or she really is. Simultaneously, the head should be turned a different direction than the shoulders. This provides an opposing or complementary line within the photograph, that when seen together with the line of the body, creates a sense of tension and balance. With men, the head is often turned the same general direction as the shoulders (but not exactly the same angle); with women, the head is usually turned toward the near shoulder for the classic “feminine” pose.

  Arms should not be allowed to fall to their sides, but should project outward to provide gently sloping lines and a “triangle base” to the composition. This is achieved by asking the subjects to move their arms away from their torsos. Remind them that there should be a slight space between their upper arms and their torsos. This triangular base in the composition directs the viewer’s eye upward, toward the face.

  Weight on the Back Foot. The basic rule of thumb is that no one should be standing at attention with both feet together. Instead, the shoulders should be at a slight angle to the camera and the front foot should be brought forward slightly. The subject’s weight should generally be on the back leg/foot. This creates a bend in the front knee and causes the rear shoulder to drop slightly lower than the forward one. When used in full-length bridal portraits, a bent forward knee will give an elegant shape to the dress. With one statement, “Weight on your back foot,” you have introduced a series of dynamic lines into an otherwise static pose.

  In this elegant full-length portrait, Tom Muñoz captured just a bit of the hands, but they serve to extend the diagonal line in the portrait. Tom had the br
ide raise her arms slightly to show the wrap that is part of her gown. Notice the arch in her neck and back that provides a beautiful graceful curve. Muñoz also had her tilt her head toward the near shoulder. Her gaze follows the forward arm to extend all the logical lines within the portrait. It’s a study in posing perfection.

  Head Angles. The face should be viewed from at least slightly to the side. This is a much more attractive view than a straight-on pose. There are three basic head positions, relative to the camera, found in portraiture. Knowing the different head positions will help you provide variety and flow to your images. In group images, you may end up using all three head positions in a single pose (the more people in the group, the more likely that becomes). Note that, with all of these head poses, the shoulders should still be at an angle to the camera.

  The Seven-Eighths View. This is when the subject is looking slightly away from camera. If you consider the full face as a head-on “mug shot,” then the seven-eighths view is when the subject’s face is turned just slightly away from camera. In other words, you will see a little more of one side of the subject’s face. You will still see the subject’s far ear in a seven-eighths view.