C&C this wedding pic

Clawed

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My goal as an aspiring wedding photographer is to create photos that put the bride and groom right back into the wedding, with shots that convey all of the energy and excitement of the big day.

This example shot was actually taken last year, and was tweaked slightly in Photoshop to convey a bit more of a sense of movement.

The hardest part for me is getting decent reception shots, because it's a bit tougher getting a great shot of an often erratically moving subject in low light. And the last thing I ever want to do is completely freeze them, I hate that look. So, did I accomplish what I describe above?
 
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cool shot...i like your approach to wedding photography (though im not a wedding photog, so i shouldnt really speak on the matter.) :D

as far as this particular shot...i feel that the colors are, for lack of a better term, bland. it seems almost "muddy". i think a bump in contrast, or some levels play would suit this image.
also, i get what you were trying to do with the movement...but im not sure the right movement is implied here. now keep in mind i dont know if you added the blur in post, or if it was a long(er) exposure. if it was done in post, im assuming you used the motion blur, and set it to zoom. the motion i think you want here is the dancing, but im not getting that from this shot. to me, it looks like they are standing fairly still.
it looks like it has great potential for a "quiet moment" shot if the blur was removed.

again, these are purely my opinions, and others may feel something totally different with this pic.
i look forward to seeing more pictures from you :D
 
No offense, but its not my cup of tea. It almost makes me dizzy. If it works for you and it sells for you, then go for it!
 
cool shot...i like your approach to wedding photography (though im not a wedding photog, so i shouldnt really speak on the matter.) :D

as far as this particular shot...i feel that the colors are, for lack of a better term, bland. it seems almost "muddy". i think a bump in contrast, or some levels play would suit this image.
also, i get what you were trying to do with the movement...but im not sure the right movement is implied here. now keep in mind i dont know if you added the blur in post, or if it was a long(er) exposure. if it was done in post, im assuming you used the motion blur, and set it to zoom. the motion i think you want here is the dancing, but im not getting that from this shot. to me, it looks like they are standing fairly still.
it looks like it has great potential for a "quiet moment" shot if the blur was removed.

again, these are purely my opinions, and others may feel something totally different with this pic.
i look forward to seeing more pictures from you :D

Thank you for the great input

When I take a critical look at it, I agree with all of what you have said here. The colors are a bit 'muddy' and I think it has a lot to do with the PP. I didnt do much, and most of the sense of motion comes from dragging the shutter quite a bit. Unfortunately, when I added a bit of radial zoom blur (you nailed it), I maybe pulled it a bit too much onto the edges of the subjects.

Montana no offense at all taken, I appreciate the feedback!

My goal for future weddings (as is the case for most, I'm sure), is to try to do something to set my images apart. I've seen quite a bit of the "frozen action" photos, which I am sure is the norm at the reception simply because of horrific lighting and the knowledge of having only 1 shot in many cases. I suppose it's the safe route, but it just seems to drain the life out of the photos...
 
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I appreciate your intent, but I have several issues with this example:


  • First and foremost, their faces should be in sharp focus; otherwise, it looks as if you 'missed' the shot.
  • The yellow lighting 'halo' above the child's head is very distracting.
  • The background is extremely cluttered.
  • It is unclear what is going on; are they dancing? If so, they don't seem to be on a dance floor.
  • The photo needs to be straightened. This, I know, could be an artistic choice, but in this image it just looks as if the photographer is being sloppy.
  • The placement of the adult's hand is, um, 'unfortunate'.
I guess my ultimate response is that this looks like an 'oops' photo.

Jon
 
I appreciate your intent, but I have several issues with this example:


  • First and foremost, their faces should be in sharp focus; otherwise, it looks as if you 'missed' the shot.
  • The yellow lighting 'halo' above the child's head is very distracting.
  • The background is extremely cluttered.
  • It is unclear what is going on; are they dancing? If so, they don't seem to be on a dance floor.
  • The photo needs to be straightened. This, I know, could be an artistic choice, but in this image it just looks as if the photographer is being sloppy.
  • The placement of the adult's hand is, um, 'unfortunate'.
I guess my ultimate response is that this looks like an 'oops' photo.

Jon

Hmm... okay, the intent was to convey motion, and that I find is in direct contrast to getting a sharp image. I thought it took a bit of skill to get the appendages to clearly show motion while having the faces still largely in focus. But yes, it could serve to be sharper where it matters.

Also, the background is sort of cluttered, it's a wedding. And, of course they are dancing, I don't feel I need to show the ugly dancefloor to get this through.

... I plan to pull the image now if it looks like an 'oops' photo. I never said it was a wonderful image, I was just trying to get a feel for whether it conveyed energy and motion.
 
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