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Reflections : How to Shoot and Style Detail Photos
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A fter a wedding or an engagement shoot, it's usual for me to reflect on the things I did. What I liked, what I could have done better. Heading home from this weekend's wedding in Sonoma, I went through the same process and dissected my decisions to, hopefully, make me better in the future. Then I got an idea. Why don't I blog about this process? Share my ideas, ways I can improve, how to rethink situations.
Basically, these Reflections posts will be along the lines of: This is what happened, and this is how I addressed it.
I'm working on this weekend's wedding, but until then, I thought I'd start this series with a question I'm commonly asked about photographing wedding details. Specifically, the How. For me, styling the details is just as important as the technicality of the shot. Because, really, anyone can learn the appropriate camera settings, but the idea behind the photograph is what sets photographers apart.
The minute I start a wedding, I immediately figure out what the theme/idea of the day. Essentially, what was the bride trying to convey on her wedding day. Subtle? Vintage? Organic? Modern? Basically, the types of words you see in most wedding magazines. Once I know what it is, I try to shoot the day to reflect this vibe. Specifically, I try to shoot the details in such a way that will help tell her wedding story Organically. Subtly. And so forth.
So what happens if setting isn't organic and the bride wants to showcase her story organically? Well, you simply find ways to make it happen. Or least try to. Today I'll be using Kristin and Brandon's wedding to navigate my thoughts...
It's quite common for me to start the wedding day in a hotel room with the bride. Kristin, however, prepared at her mother's beautiful Orange County home. A newer house with contemporary light fixtures, colors, and appeal. The wedding theme, however, was vintage with a natural appeal. How could I shoot the details according to her wedding theme given the environment I was given? Stage it.
After saying hello to everyone getting ready at Kristin's home, I immediately asked for permission to walk around the lower portion of her home (where they were getting ready) and looked for light and details I could use to help me stage. The only light available to me was the front door (which I opened) so I decided it was best to shoot all the wedding details in the doorway. So I started with the garter...
50mm f/1.2 1/200 640 iso |
I found sewing kit and a jar of buttons, so I placed them on a mahogany table (more on that in a minute) with the doorlight illuminating the details, and I'm standing off to the side so I don't block it. I decided to shoot both the garter and the wedding purse within the same space because I thought it'd make a fluid spread in the album later on...
50mm f/1.2 1/200 640 iso |
Remember the mahogany table? Well, it wasn't really a table. It was a sewing machine...I simply shot it at a different angle as to not reveal I was working within the same space, and maximize my photo options in limited light. Here I decided to stage the jewelry as the gold accents played off each other well...
50mm f/1.2 1/200 640 iso |
Like I mentioned before, I was working within the doorway of the house, which was about four feet by four feet. I prefer to illuminate the wedding dress with natural light, so that left me with one option: The door. I asked Kristin if she was okay with me hanging her dress and when she said yes, I asked her mom for cleaner and paper towels. I cleaned the door, then placed the dress hanger over the top.
Dress: 50mm f/2.0 1/100 400 iso
Something Old, Something Blue: 50mm f/1.2 1/125 500 iso |
Then I felt stuck. I had used/shot in every crevice the doorway allowed me and I still had a few things to photograph...like the veil. I walked into the backyard and then the porch. I decided to move a potted plant and a chair to reveal this stick formation...that looked like a heart (which I thought played well with the heart paperweight I snagged from the livingroom in the previous picture)...
50mm f/2.0 1/320 160 iso |
Now onto the shoes...now, I love photographing shoes. They reveal so much about a person's personality. I love it. Initially, downstairs, I was not finding the right spot for the shoes, so I waited to photograph them. I believe if it doesn't feel right, don't try to make it work. When Kristin and the girls when upstairs to dress, I entered a new room...which meant new options. With very little time to work, I saw a chair and I knew it'd be a safe shot. A traditional shoe photo that would work just fine. I thought I was finished until I saw an old suitcase filled with vintage items...and I felt like I hit the jackpot. I placed the shoes just outside the box and snagged a few photos. I later found out the suitcase belonged to Kristin's grandmother and was filled with numerous memories, which works for the photo in ways I couldn't have foreseen, but was very happy...
Left shoes: 50mm f/1.2 1/320 250 iso
Right shoes: 50mm f/1.2 1/200 400 iso |
| Ugh. I think this blog post got too long. My bad. I'll try to taper them in the future, but I hope this post was helpful. If for no one else, simply writing my thoughts down help me rethink my approach and hone my craft. Hope you're having a fabulous Monday! |
    
I t started when I received an email from Chris Allen. He wrote he and his fiance were visiting Southern California and asked if I could meet with Gladys, a bourgeoning photographer. Due to my work schedule being as hectic as it was last year, I couldn't meet but I hoped we'd have a chance to hang out in the future. That's what I wrote back. A bit later Chris inquired about my photography services, and I responded I was, unfortunately, unavailable on the date requested and sent him referrals for bay area wedding photographers. Then he sent another email. The wedding date was changed, and I was excited to meet Gladys.
The meeting came earlier than I expected.
Chris encouraged Gladys to register for my photography workshop and we met for the first time in Laguna Beach at a pizza party she planned the night before. There, surrounded by photographers, I fell in love with her. And I wasn't the only one...everyone loved her. She's magnetic.
Fast-forward to last Friday night. Chris and Gladys married each other in Sonoma on a perfect day. And if that weren't enough, Gladys invited a few people from the workshop to the wedding. As the music pulsed through room, and people danced, we gathered for a group photo. Because that's the photographers do. We like being photographees as much as photographers. And in that moment, I have never been more assured that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing with my life....surrounded by people I absolutely adore.
It was my last wedding for 2010 and I couldn't have dreamt of spending it any way better. |
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Orange County Engagement : Jami + Joel
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H e'll tell people they met on MySpace and breaking her heart was the best thing. In retrospect. Back then, it felt to Jami like a piece of her heart went missing. They met in middle school, Jami noticing the cute boy in the halls who played baseball. Like most 13 year olds, they kept their heads down and pretended not to care. This was acceptable until four years later their paths aligned. Quite literally. In english class.
Their senior year, Jami noticed Joel seated next to her, which--as she totally admitted--was like winning the chair lottery. They worked on assignments together, laughed, and later signed each others' yearbooks. Then said goodbye. Until their paths aligned. Quite literally. Working together at Abercrombie&Fitch for the summer.
They dated for a bit, but Joel broke things off when he went away to college. He maintains it was the best thing because it allowed them to grow. Up. And into the people they were supposed to become. And who they became was aptly displayed on MySpace, which was how they reconnected. Jami invited Joel to hang out in Huntington Beach and as he walked into Beach Front that fateful night, her smile was more beautiful than he remembered. Those were his words. Exactly.
Their paths will be permanently intersecting next year at Seven Degrees in Laguna Beach and I'm beyond thrilled to photograph their wedding. We hung out in Costa Mesa for their engagement session a couple days ago and just when I thought I couldn't like them any more than I did, I do. |
| Jami was nervous before the engagement session, but I had a hard time believing her... |
| I knew I like Jami instantly... |
| ...and then I fell head-over-heels for her when I discovered she thinks I'm funny. |
| Jami, I'm just gonna say what everyone is thinking...you're going to look ah-maze in your wedding dress. F'real. Special thanks to Lettie Mix for Jami's hair and makeup... |
| After a quick outfit change, Jami and Joel really warmed up to the camera... |
| Joel, I think that summer working at A&F taught you some sweet model poses! ;) |
| For those who'd like to steal Jami's dress (trust me, I already tried), you can find it here |
| I'll end with this photo because her smile? It's just so full. Of happiness. Love. And contentment. |
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Last Night. This Morning. Just Now
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L ast night: I'm reading--my hand dangling over the side of bed--and Polo brings me his soccer ball. The one that squeaks when he puts it in his mouth. He uses his forehead to nudge me. Come play with me. That what the nudge says. I throw the covers off and chase him around the bedroom. We tire, then I scoop him in my arms and spweak doggie tawlk to mah luddle fuhwee munstah. I cuddle with him and sing him songs I make up. About soccer balls, treats, and mud baths. Before I turn out the light, JD hands me the soccer ball and asks if I want to play.
This morning: I lay on the floor and call out for Polo. After two hours of email, I need some snuggle time. We spoon and I rest my face in the crevice of his neck. JD tells me from a distance that I'm smothering him. I respond by asking him not to get jealous of our dog. JD clearly wants to be the Little Spoon.
A few minutes ago: Polo lays in my arms while I work in the office. And JD takes a picture. So I remember what it feels like to love a creature so fiercely. |
F or those of you who follow me on Twitter, you'll know I received the Canon 35mm, 1.4 lens last week. And Oh! My! Goodness! I nearly died from excitement. I've been waiting for this lens f.o.r.e.v.e.r but wanted to make sure it fit into my style and aesthetic. I used it for the first time at Meg+Tim's wedding and I loved it. Lovvvved it. I causally joked it'd take the place of my Canon 50mm, 1.2, but I'm happy to report I'm still sticking to the 50mm as my all-time favorite lens.
The 35mm is a perfect fit for what I wanted. I shot with the 24mm, 1.4 and while that's a phenomenal lens, it was much too wide for my preference. Since I shoot primarily with fixed lenses, I needed a lens that worked well with the lenses I use the most: 50mm, 1.2 and 85mm, 1.2. The 24mm ended up being too much of a departure from my style and I feel the 35mm fills the gap just perfectly.
Okay. So why is the 50mm, 1.2 still my favorite? Well, I love it's versatility. I can shoot within close proximity of my subjects and if I want a wider angle, I simply step back. The 35mm gives close to the same effect, but because it's wider, it loses a bit of the editorial feel. Just a bit. I'm posting a few images and meta data to show what I mean...
I placed these two portraits of Meg side by side to explain my preferences. The photo on the left was shot with the 35mm, and the focal point placed on her left eye. While it's a pleasant photo, it gives her a larger-than-life feeling. Which is fine, but it's just not my taste. The photo on the right is definitely more my style. I stood a bit farther from Meg, but shooting her with the 50mm allowed me to see her within the frame, instead of make Meg the frame itself.
Left: 35mm f/1.4 1/1000 200iso
Right: 50mm f/1.2 1/2000 200iso |
Here's a photo of the bridesmaids shot with the 35mm. I did do some cropping because I shot it a little crooked, so it lost it's full effect, but the idea is still the same. I would have preferred to photographed this set-up with the 50mm. The 35mm put too much space around my subjects and made them pieces of the frame, not the main focus...
35mm f/4.5 1/400 200iso |
I also shot this photo with the 35mm and it's perrrrrrfect for what I wanted, which is a more candid, photojournalistic feel. Sure, I could've shot this photo with the 50mm by backing up farther from my subjects, but I feel I would have lost the intimacy and interaction I had being in close proximity of the girls, talking and laughing...
35mm f/4.0 1/400 200iso |
Like always, I shoot a traditional formal portrait of the bride and groom. You know, for grandma and Auntie Mae from Idaho. I could, of course, shoot a portrait of the bride and groom with the 35mm, but it would lose it's traditional appeal because of the width of the lens. Which is its biggest asset, but I'll get to that in a minute...
50mm f/3.5 1/320 200iso |
Speaking of losing its traditional appeal, the 35mm is perfect for just that. Which is why I love it. The 35mm allows me to stand much closer to my subjects and interact on a new level, thus producing an entirely different image given the same environment. The portrait above and the photo below were shot in the exact same position within seconds of each other and the lenses yield such different results...and by this I mean the couple was standing in the exact same position. I swapped lenses and took two steps closer to them...
35mm f/1.4 1/800 200iso |
| Like always, these are merely my personal preferences and ideas. If I've offended you because the 35mm is your favorite lens, I'm sorry. We can have a shoot off when we next see each other. My opinion is worth nothing, but it's mine and I thought I'd share. At the end of the day, I love the 35mm, 1.4. Love it. In fact, I shot an engagement session yesterday and I adored how it fit into my shooting style so seamlessly. My only regret is that I didn't get it sooner. But don't tell that to my 50mm. It'll make her jealous. |
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