Monthly Archives: December 2009

Group photos

Portrait sessions are the first area we usually see cut when a client is looking to save time on their wedding photography package, but in truth, this should be the last thing to cut! Please see my last topic for my views on the importance of portraiture.

Group photos, on the other hand, quickly grow out of control. If you have a shot of Billy, Bob, Nathan and Carly, is it necessary to also have a shot with just Billy nad Bob and then a third shot with Bob and Nathan and then a fourth shot with Carly and Billy?

For clients on a strict time or cost budget, we recommend fewer shots with more people. The more people you can squeeze into a photo, the more ‘energetic’ the photo looks. You save time and come out with better pictures!

If you have larger groups, we recommend

• Bride and groom + both sets of parents (together is preferred to demonstrate a ‘unified’ family or separately works as well)
• Bride and groom + both entire families (or one family at a time)
• Massive group shot with everyone (and yes, we use an ultra wide lens for these)
• Large group photos look GREAT. It shows your entire support group at once and you can marvel at how many people came, the funny faces they make, etc, all in one picture. We recommend a nice large sized print!

If you’ve booked a smaller wedding package and you start bringing in shots like ‘bride + third aunt’ and then bride + 2nd cousin and then groom + grandmother, you discover how quickly time can run out.

Group shots work and best of all, they save time for portraits!

Taking time for portraits

Portraits are arguably the most important photos of the day – these are the photos where we are able to take our time, ensure that clothes and hair are straight, focus is perfect and body positioning/facial expressions are flattering.

Photojournalistic images are great and evoke emotion and memory, but wedding portraits are the photos that we keep in our wallets, place on our mantle and share with generations to come.

They’re the photos that people will “ooh” and “ahh” over, so it’s crucial to a wedding photography session to set aside at least 30 minutes where the photographer can work directly with the wedding couple.

Also, ensure that your wedding party has a place to go during your portrait sitting to avoid distractions. It’s tempting to combine group photos with portraits to save time, but creativity and inspiration draws from concentration. Having friends and family standing around with nothing to do puts a couple in a “hurry it up” mode, which doesn’t lend itself to creating art.

Be patient during your portrait session as well – sometimes a good shot can turn into a great shot when the photographer can take a step back and wait for a cloud to pass overhead or change his or her angle a bit. Remember that portraiture is all about quality, not quantity!

Christopher and Diondria were such a beautiful and happy couple that I wish we had more time with them! What stands out about them is how easy and genuine their smiles are. It shows their love for one another and I truly hope we have the opportunity to work with them again.

Their wedding was at a beautiful home here in Las Vegas in the evening. If ever I thanked Nikon for making the D700, now is most definitely the time. The D700, D3 and D300 are by and far the best cameras for working in low light and the picture here doesn’t convey how dark it really was. The ceremony started a bit later than expected and then sun had already gone down. By overexposing the image and using some flash to fill in the shadows, we were able to bring in some deep sunset colors that actually weren’t visible at the time!

These were all shot with a Nikon D700 with SB-900 flash and 80-200mm lens and a Nikon D300 with a 105mm Macro lens. I ended up shooting the ceremony while kneeling in a sandbox, as I was afraid to walk around in the dark

And in case you were wondering, that IS celebrity tennis player Serena Williams as bridesmaid. The first thought that popped into my head was how much more beautiful she is in person or when photographed in a flattering, candid manner. Having worked with other celebrities, I don’t get starstruck very easily, but Serena has been on my top ten list of celebrities to photograph for a while now, so this was an exciting day for me.