A + A | Wedding shoot from a professional guest: The Sequel

[Braineack]

Here's the teaser--didn't have a legit gay couple to shoot, so we improvised.


Mike and Brian by The Braineack, on Flickr

 

[Designer]

Very good!

I like the light on this one with the fall-off. Frame is excellent!

Two minor nits; the railing lights and the shadow on the railing are somewhat distracting.

 

[Braineack]

I'm getting better at framing. I still have issue using the outer-upper most focus point on the eyes/face and then not recomposing, leaving the subject very low in the frame with much too much headroom. I was focusing, holding the AF-L, and then reframing the subject higher in the frame.

I was thinking it over and trying to decided if BBF would actually be beneficial here. I might try it out actually... but I know it's going to lead to many shots where i simply forget to focus at all.

Otherwise this was on-camera flash in TTL. I shot in manual, underexposed the BG by about a stop and then let TTL do its thing.

I have a few more serious shots of some of the guests there. The wedding party was out taking shots in the same location so I was just trying to stay out of the way.

 

[JustJazzie]

I'm getting better at framing. I still have issue using the outer-upper most focus point on the eyes/face and then not recomposing. I was forcing myself to focus, hold the AF-L, and then reframe the subject lower in the frame.

I was thinking it over and trying to decided if BBF would actually be beneficial here.

Otherwise this was on-camera flash in TTL. I shot in manual, underexposed the BG by about a stop and then let TTL do it's thing.

I have a few more serious shots of some of the guests here. The wedding party was out taking shots in the same location so I was just trying to stay out of the way.

I'm guilty of wasting battery using live view focus when I have time to carefully set a focus point and composition

 

[Braineack]

I'm guilty of wasting battery using live view focus when I have time to carefully set a focus point and composition

LV is just way too slow and clumsy. I really wanted to take my flash off-camera and have someone holding at around 45° to subject, but no one was willing.

As much as I liked the photographer at the event, I was a little surprised he stuck to on-camera even though he was equipped with two alien bees for the reception area. He had an assistant that was just moping around during the shots, he could have been useful positioning a light instead.

 

[MichaelHenson]

I'm getting better at framing. I still have issue using the outer-upper most focus point on the eyes/face and then not recomposing, leaving the subject very low in the frame with much too much headroom. I was focusing, holding the AF-L, and then reframing the subject higher in the frame..

What are you referencing here? I know to be sure and focus on the eyes...and I've read in the past to focus on the left eye, is that what you're referring to? Also, what focus mode do you find yourself using most for this style shooting?

Loving the on camera flash shots! Looks great!

 

[JustJazzie]

I'm guilty of wasting battery using live view focus when I have time to carefully set a focus point and composition

LV is just way too slow and clumsy. I really wanted to take my flash off-camera and have someone holding at around 45° to subject, but no one was willing.

As much as I liked the photographer at the event, I was a little surprised he stuck to on-camera even though he was equipped with two alien bees for the reception area. He had an assistant that was just moping around during the shots, he could have been useful positioning a light instead.

This reminds me of the wedding I went to this summer! The photographer had 20 years wedding experience. I was shocked to see him place the rings in the DEAD boquet at the end of the reception for the macro shots. I thought "maybe he has a vision" nope. Saw the shots in the online album. Wedding rings in dead, shriveled flowers. I was pretty sad for my friends

 

[Braineack]

I leave my camera in AF-C and D9.

The focus area of the D600 is so small, that if I focus on a face/eye and don't recompose, there's way too much dead space above, and I'll end up cropping hands below.

I have a bad habit of doing this where I'll crop the image down in post to balance it out, but wish I didn't hack off limbs.

 

[Braineack]

This reminds me of the wedding I went to this summer! The photographer had 20 years wedding experience. I was shocked to see him place the rings in the DEAD boquet at the end of the reception for the macro shots. I thought "maybe he has a vision" nope. Saw the shots in the online album. Wedding rings in dead, shriveled flowers. I was pretty sad for my friends

He seemed to know what he was doing, I just saw it as a missed oporutinty on his part. If I had my strobes with me and had a background like that to shoot against, I'd be using them. Straight on flash is so boring, and even with a tiny little diffuser, it's still a pretty harsh tiny little light. He could have used a basic key/fill setup and had amazing shots with that background. I mean he was posing everyone in the same location...why not?

 

[Braineack]

My busy schedule of being a hungover professional wedding guest has not allowed me to process the images as fast as I'd like. But here's another:


Mazel tov! by The Braineack, on Flickr

 

[Braineack]

and a few more:

getting out the pre-wedding jitters

DSC_3121-17 by The Braineack, on Flickr

bride with her parents

DSC_3277-3 by The Braineack, on Flickr

the kiss

DSC_3334-9 by The Braineack, on Flickr

more shots while we waiting for the pro to release my people

DSC_3380-15 by The Braineack, on Flickr


DSC_3383-16 by The Braineack, on Flickr

yes, those are little cats on their cake.

and the bride dancing with her father

DSC_3466-23 by The Braineack, on Flickr


Things I've learned:

• stop shooting larger than f/5.6; especially when I have a flash.
• weddings are fun, but weddings with a camera give you clout.
• clout is great, but shooting as a guest leads to horribly composed pictures/vantages
• I can't do very good light trail shots.
• When you get the wedding video to work, you become a hero.
• seriously, stop shooting below f/5.6

 

[Braineack]

Forgot the bride with my wife (her bridesmaid):


Aimee and Erin by The Braineack, on Flickr

 

[Braineack]

I need to check my monitor at home, these all look bright and vibrant at home, but a little dull/gray elsewhere

 

[Rick50]

Your use of flash is really good on these. Plus the background exposure. Really good balance.