Wedding Photographer's Handbook

by Bill Hurter

  Variety. While it might be tempting to find a great background and shoot all of your groups with the same background, the effect will be monotonous when seen in the album. Strive for several interesting backgrounds, even if they are only a short distance apart. It will add visual interest to the finished album.

  Compositional Elements. Designing groups successfully depends on your ability to manage the implied and inferred lines and shapes within a composition.

  Lines are artistic elements used to create visual motion within the image. They may be implied by the arrangement of elements in the group, or inferred by grouping various elements within the scene. Lines can also be literal, like a fallen tree used as a posing bench that runs diagonally through the composition.

  Shapes are groupings of like elements into diamonds, circles, pyramids, etc.. These shapes are usually a collection of faces that form a pattern. They are used to produce pleasing forms that guide the eye through the composition.

  The more you learn to recognize these elements, the more they will become an integral part of your compositions. These are the keys to making a dynamic group portrait. The goal is to move the viewer’s eye playfully and rhythmically through the photograph.

  Number of Subjects. Two People. The simplest of groups is two people. Whether the group is a bride and groom, mom and dad, or the best man and the maid of honor, the basic building blocks call for one person slightly higher than the other. A good starting point is to position the mouth of the shorter person in line with the forehead or eyes of the taller person.

  Although they can be posed in parallel position, a more interesting dynamic with two people can be achieved by having them pose at 45-degree angles to each other so their shoulders face in toward one another. With this pose you can create a number ofvariations by moving them closer or farther apart.

  Another pose for two is to have two profiles facing each other. One should still be higher than the other, allowing you to create an implied diagonal line between the eyes, which gives the portrait better visual dynamics.

  Since this type of image is fairly close up, make sure that the frontal planes of the subject’s faces are kept roughly parallel so that you can hold the focus on both faces.

  The smallest group is two people. The best way to handle small groups is to have the subjects facing each other at a 30- to 45-degree angle to the camera. Here, the subdued greenery in the background is perfect to offset the colorful dresses—and notice the delicate treatment of the women’s’ hands. Photograph by Joe Photo.

  A bird’s-eye view, especially made with a fisheye lens, makes an imaginative group portrait. This one, by Jeffrey and Julia Woods, is a little on the silly side, but everyone is having fun and the moment will be memorable.

  Three People. A group portrait of three is still small and intimate. But once you add a third person, you will begin to notice the interplay ofline and shape inherent in good group design. This size group lends itself particularly well to a pyramid, diamond, or inverted-triangle composition, all of which are pleasing to the eye. Note that the graphic power of a well defined diagonal line in a composition will compel the viewer to keep looking at the image.

  To loop the group together, turn the shoulders of the subjects at either ends of the group in toward the center of the frame. A more subtle approach might be to just tilt the heads of those people on the end in toward the center of the group.

  Also, try different vantagepoints, like a bird’s-eye view. Cluster the group together, use a safe stepladder or other high vantage point, and you’ve got an interesting variation on the small group.

  Four People. With four people, add a person to the existing poses of three described above. Be sure to keep the head height of the fourth person different from any of the others in the group. Also, be aware that you are now forming more complex shapes with your composition—pyramids, extended triangles, diamonds and arcs.

  You will find that even numbers of people are harder to pose than odd. Three, five, seven, or nine people seem much easier to photograph than their even-numbered counterparts. The reason is that the eye and brain tend to accept the disorder of odd-numbered objects (asymmetry) more readily than even-numbered objects (symmetry). As you add more people to a group, remember to do everything you can to keep the film plane parallel to the plane of the group to ensure everyone in the photograph is sharply focused.

  Five or Six People. With five or six people, you should begin to think in terms of separate groups tied to each other by a person who is common to both.

  This is when a posing device like an armchair can come into play. An armchair is the perfect posing device for photographing from three to eight people. The chair is best positioned roughly 30 to 45 degrees to the camera. Regardless of who will occupy the seat, usually the bride, the person should be seated laterally across the cushion and posed on the edge of the chair so that all of their weight does not rest on the chair back. This promotes good sitting posture and narrows the lines of the waist and hips, for both men and women.

  Using an armchair allows you to seat one person and position the others close and on the arms of the chair, leaning in toward the central person. Sometimes only one arm of the armchair is used to create a more dynamic triangle shape.

  Big Groups. In big groups, the use of different levels creates a sense of visual interest and lets the viewer’s eye bounce from one face to another (as long as there is a logical and pleasing flow to the arrangement). The placement of faces, not bodies, dictates how pleasing and effective a composition will be.

  Although even numbers are harder to pose than odd numbers of people, David Williams did a masterful job of creating an asymmetrical grouping by arranging the groom and his best men in interlocking triangle shapes. In fact, count the number of triangles you find by “connecting the dots” of their faces. Williams is a big believer in breaking the formality of poses in order to liven things up and make them more entertaining.

  No photographer is happy about making these kinds of group portraits, but they are requested all the time. The best bet is to shoot down on the group and have an assistant at ground level to hold drink glasses and reposition those guests not paying attention. Also, the overhead point of view causes the guests to look up, filling in what might be overhead diffused lighting, which can cause deep shadows in eye sockets and under chins and noses. Photograph by Dennis Orchard.

  As your groups get bigger, keep your depth of field under control. The stepladder is an invaluable tool for larger groups because it lets you elevate the camera position so that you can keep the camera back (film plane) parallel to the group for most efficient focus. Another trick is to have the last row in a group lean in while having the first row lean back. This creates a shallower subject plane, which makes it easier to hold the focus across the entire group.

  Two things you should remember about photographing large groups are (1) an assistant is invaluable in getting all of the people together and helping you to pose them, and (2) it takes less time to photograph one large group than it does to create a series of smaller groups, so it is usually time well spent—provided that the bride wants the groups done in this way.

  Panoramic Groups. If you have the capability of producing panoramic pages in your album, this is a great way to feature groups, especially large ones. Your camera technique will definitely show up with images this large, so be sure the plane of focus is aligned with your group and that everyone is in focus. Also, as needed, use the proper amount of fill-flash to fill in facial shadows across the group.

  David Williams’ Casual Brand of Formals. David Williams photographs groups at a wedding with both formality and informality. His compositions have good structure, with people turned in and not out of the composition. Hands, arms, legs, and feet are handled well—but he doesn’t settle for the boring symmetry of the truly formal group. Instead, he will take one or two people and move them outside the formal line of the group, breaking the line and also breaking the formal tensi
on.

  Two informal formal groups by David Williams.

  Here are two delightful panoramic group portraits by Marcus Bell. In one, he lets the background and splendid countryside define the portrait. In the other, he lets the rolling sand dunes create an elegant space between the couple and the bridal party.

  He might also make a formal group portrait in a very informal setting, like a garage or work shed. He will not settle for the artificial smiles so prevalent in groups. He will talk with and work with the group until they are loose and he can elicit natural expressions from them. That is the charm of his formal groups; they have structure and good emotional release in the same image—not so easy to do.

  Technical Considerations. If you are short of space, use a wide-angle lens (or a wide-angle camera, like the Brooks Veri-Wide, a 35mm panoramic camera with a rotating shutter). Wide-angle coverage results in the people at the front appearing larger than those at the back, which may be advantageous if the wedding party is at the front of the group. Make sure everyone is sharp. This is more of a certainty with a wide-angle lens and its inherent depth of field. Focus at a distance one-third of the way into the group. This should ensure that everyone is sharp at f/5.6 or f/8 with a wide-angle lens.

  Yervant’s groups can be casual or clustered or formal, as you see in a two-page spread from one of his albums. Tilting the camera helps introduce a diagonal line, which is always a dynamic line on the page.

  Although this group is arranged in a straight line, it has great charm because of each guy’s personality. Also, notice how well the photographer, Joe Photo, handled the hands. Each pose is different, but all are effective and show no distortion.

  Hands in Groups. Hands can be a problem in groups. Despite their small size, they attract attention—particularly against dark clothing. They can be especially troublesome in seated groups, where at first glance you might think there are more hands than there should be. A general rule of thumb is to either show all of the hand or show none of it. Don’t allow a thumb or a few fingers to show. Hide as many hands as you can behind flowers, hats, or other people. Be aware of these potentially distracting elements and look for them as part of your visual inspection of the frame before you make the exposure.

  In large group portraits, note that if the guests wave to the camera, this usually results in too many faces being lost behind raised arms. However, this is actually an excellent time for the bride to throw her bouquet. Ask her to throw it over her head into the crowd behind, mainly upwards and slightly to the rear.

  9

  WEDDING ALBUMS: TYPES AND DESIGNS

  Like any good story, a wedding album has a beginning, middle, and an end. For the most part, albums are arranged chronologically. However, there are now vast differences in presentation, primarily caused by the digital page-layout process. Often events are jumbled in favor of themes or other methods of organization. There still must be a logic to the layout and it should be apparent to everyone who examines the album. The wedding album has changed drastically, evolving into more of a storytelling medium. Still, album design is basically the same thing as laying out a book and there are some basic design principles that should be followed.

  Stuart Bebb is an award-winning album designer. Here you can see the effect of motion. The groom is leaning in toward the gutter of the two-page design, directing your eye toward the bride, who is facing back toward the groom It’s a perfect arrangement of left and right-hand pages. Bebb used four stills with the natural yellow stone to contrast the overall blue page. Yellow and blue are opposites on the color wheel and provide maximum contrast and visual tension on the pages.

  The four identical panels, as they go from deep purple to bright blue, form a visual gateway to the eye, drawing the viewer from left to right across both pages and on to the next page of the album. It’s as if Bebb created a visual signage system to direct the viewer to linger here only long enough to be charmed and then move on.

  DESIGN PRINCIPLES

  Look at any well designed book or magazine and study the images on left- and right-hand pages. They are decidedly different but have one thing in common. They lead the eye into the center of the book, commonly referred to as the “gutter.” These layouts use the same design elements photographers use in creating effective images: lead-in lines, curves, shapes, and patterns.

  Guiding the Eye. If a line or pattern forms a “C” shape, it is an ideal left-hand page, since it draws the eye toward the gutter and across to the right-hand page. If an image is a backward “C” shape, it is an ideal right-hand page. Familiar shapes like hooks or loops, triangles or circles are used in the same manner to guide the eye into the center of the two-page spread and across to the right-hand page.

  There is infinite variety in laying out images, text, and graphic elements to create this left-to-right orientation. For example, a series of photos can be stacked diagonally, forming a line that leads from the lower left-hand corner of the left page to the gutter. That pattern can be mimicked on the right-hand page, or it can be contrasted for variety. For instance, a single full “bleed” photo (extending to the edges of the page) with a more or less straight up-and-down design might be used. This produces a blocking effect, stopping the eye at the vertical within the image. The effect is visual motion; the eye follows the diagonal on the left to the vertical image on the right.

  Even greater visual interest can be attained when a line or shape that is started on the left-hand page continues through the gutter, into the right hand page, and back again to the left-hand page. This is the height of visual movement in page design. Visual design should be playful and coax the eye to follow paths and signposts through the elements on the pages.

  Variety. When you lay out your album images, think in terms of variety of size. Some images should be small, some big. Some should extend across the spread. Some, if you’re daring, can even be hinged and extend outside (above or to the right or left) the bounds of the album. No matter how good the individual photographs are, the effect of an album in which all the images are the same size is static.

  Variety can also be introduced by combining black & white and color images—even on the same pages. Try combining detail shots and panoramas. How about a left-hand page with series of close-up portraits of the bride as she listens and reacts to best man’s toast, which is shown on the right-hand page? Do not settle for the one-picture-per-page theory. It’s static and boring as a design concept.

  Visual Weight. Learn as much as you can about the dynamics of page design. Think in terms of visual weight, not just size. Use symmetry and asymmetry, contrast and balance. Create visual tension by combining dissimilar elements. Don’t be afraid to try different things. The more experience you get in laying out the images for the album, the better you will get at presentation. Study the albums presented here and you will see great creativity and variety in how images are combined and the infinite variety of effects that may be created.

  Remember a simple concept: in Western civilization we read from left to right. We start on the left page and finish on the right. Good page design starts the eye at the left and takes it to the right and it does so differently on every page.

  ALBUM TYPES

  Traditional Albums. Album companies offer a variety of different page configurations for placing horizontal or vertical images in tandem on a page or combining any number of small images. Individual pages are post-mounted and the album can be as thick or thin as the number of pages. Photos are inserted into high quality mattes and the albums themselves are often made of the finest leathers.

  Bound Albums. A different kind of album is the bound album, in which all the images are permanently mounted to each page and the book bound professionally by a bookbinder. These are elegant and very popular. Since the photos are dry-mounted to each page, the individual pages can support any type of layout from “double-truck” (two bleed pages) layouts to a combination of any number of smaller images.

  Like notes on a score, the ey
e jumps from one face to the next and quite intentionally returns to the bride. An album that features such visual playfulness is bound to delight its owners. Stuart used a darkened image of Blenheim Palace, a frequent location for his weddings, as a stark and historical backdrop and a reminder that this is no “average” wedding.

  From the same album, here is a study in formal symmetry. Stuart used perfect balance: left and right, light and dark, big and small. The visual interest comes from the content of the detail photos.

  Albums Australia offers a wide range of bound digital albums with a wide variety of custom cover materials. Note the different sizes available.

  DigiCraft Albums offers a similar range of albums with superior book-type binding with fine leather covers.

  GraphiStudio, an Italian company, offers a variety of custom-designed magazine-style albums with digital offset printing. The albums are quite spectacular.

  Digital output allows the photographer or album designer to create backgrounds and inset photos, then output the pages as complete entities. With this type of album, photo sizes are not constrained by the available mats; you can size them infinitely on the computer. Once the page files are finalized, any number of pages can be output simply and inexpensively. Albums can be completely designed on the computer in Photoshop, or by using specially designed programs that are specific to the album maker.