Bokeh-licious Outdoor Wedding

[TheoGraphics]

i shot another wedding in the same beautiful location as a wedding last weekend. there was tons of great, golden light that lit up the trees behind the altar perfectly making for some great bokeh. if you'd like to see more photos, they're on my blog, as always. thanks!

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[Robin Usagani]

Nice Theo.

I think the bubble photo doesnt work. I hardly see the bubbles and all I can see is a missed focus (if you dont know you were focusing on the bubbles). I think either delete it, or crop it closer to the bubbles.

I think cropping it closer doesnt work either. The bubbles just have to be closer IMO.

 

[TheoGraphics]

yeah, i was wondering about that one. i really like the tack sharp focus on the bubbles, but you're right, they are hard to see if you're not looking for them. cropping probably wouldn't work as you said since there's really no other way to compose it. might just have to cut that one, we'll see.

thanks for your CC, i always appreciate it!

 

[PrestonS]

Nice set, I like them all!

 

[moeglydesign]

Gorgeous shots. Love the narrow cropping.

 

[KBM1016]

Nice Theo.

I think the bubble photo doesnt work. I hardly see the bubbles and all I can see is a missed focus (if you dont know you were focusing on the bubbles). I think either delete it, or crop it closer to the bubbles.

I think cropping it closer doesnt work either. The bubbles just have to be closer IMO.

I actually didn't think the bubbles were the focus point. My thought went to the little girl who looked bored out of her mind! Priceless. I loved all of them, great work.

 

[TheoGraphics]

thank you, everyone. i liked your alternative view on the bubble photo, KBM. thanks for your comments!

 

[c.cloudwalker]

You probably won't like my opinion but I would say, forget
[h=2]"Bokeh-licious"[/h]and shoot the wedding. I don't find the Bokeh anything to write home about... Which is Ok since I don't think bokeh should be the subject of any photo. In this case, the wedding should have been and I don't find it very well portrayed.

#1 Who knows what the rings look like...

#2 Shot this way, it is NOT the most interesting flower arrangement... Shot anyway, it still probably isn't.

#3 Bad background and I'm kinda wondering what is going on...

#4 I thought you had dirt or something on your lens. Photos that can only be understood by someone who was there do happen but how many attendees are going to recognize the bubbles for what they are?

#5 Seems to me you've got your focus wrong. If you want to show us the petals on the ground, focus on them.

#6 The first one I actually like. The background is nice, your B&W tones are pretty good, I would just have moved the B&G a bit more inside the frame.

#7 Is ok but the bubbles are annoying because, once again, I had no idea they were bubbles. They look like the nastiest dust on your film...

#8 The Bride is too damn far away lost in a sea of bad grass and that's a shame because she seems to have a nice smile... and the tree behind her is funky and should have been put to better use.

#9 WTF is that? Especially with your focus being on the very foreground, half a girl in the window, and a waiter in the back...


Now, I've seen much worse. You didn't ruin the wedding photo for this couple but you could/should have done better. Forget the fooking bokeh (which I don't see any examples to write home about anyway), pay attention to the wedding and your next wedding should be a whole lot better.

 

[edddial]

Nice photos. I like #1 & #6

 

[TheoGraphics]

You probably won't like my opinion but I would say, forget
[h=2]"Bokeh-licious"[/h]and shoot the wedding. I don't find the Bokeh anything to write home about... Which is Ok since I don't think bokeh should be the subject of any photo. In this case, the wedding should have been and I don't find it very well portrayed.

#1 Who knows what the rings look like...

#2 Shot this way, it is NOT the most interesting flower arrangement... Shot anyway, it still probably isn't.

#3 Bad background and I'm kinda wondering what is going on...

#4 I thought you had dirt or something on your lens. Photos that can only be understood by someone who was there do happen but how many attendees are going to recognize the bubbles for what they are?

#5 Seems to me you've got your focus wrong. If you want to show us the petals on the ground, focus on them.

#6 The first one I actually like. The background is nice, your B&W tones are pretty good, I would just have moved the B&G a bit more inside the frame.

#7 Is ok but the bubbles are annoying because, once again, I had no idea they were bubbles. They look like the nastiest dust on your film...

#8 The Bride is too damn far away lost in a sea of bad grass and that's a shame because she seems to have a nice smile... and the tree behind her is funky and should have been put to better use.

#9 WTF is that? Especially with your focus being on the very foreground, half a girl in the window, and a waiter in the back...


Now, I've seen much worse. You didn't ruin the wedding photo for this couple but you could/should have done better. Forget the fooking bokeh (which I don't see any examples to write home about anyway), pay attention to the wedding and your next wedding should be a whole lot better.

thanks for your honest and in-depth CC! i always look for both sides when it comes to my photos, as i feel that there is always room for improvement. i'll try to address your comments in order:

#1: this was more of an alternative shot of the rings. while i of course delivered shots of the rings where the focus was direct and the rings were displayed appropriately, i feel that those are rather boring for outsiders to view and usually do not post them on forums. however, you are correct in saying that the detail of the rings are not properly displayed in this photo.

#2: I definitely see your point, and I suppose it all comes down to personal preference in the end.

#3: the background is not favorable for sure, which is unfortunate. however, it is a genuine moment of emotion for the bride (while the bridesmaid was helping her put on her shoes), and i feel that the natural, raw emotion of the moment trumps the drab background and makes it a truly nice shot.

#4: This was a quick shot with no thought to framing or anything else. Not a great shot. I do however like the warmth of the colors and the soft light which reflects the setting that day and i think, even as a somewhat abstract photo, will be looked at fondly.

#5: i disagree with you here. the focus is clearly on the bride and groom, which was fully intended. the rose petals are out of focus in the foreground to draw your eyes up to the main subject.

#6: thanks! i agree with you that there needs to be more room on the inside of the frame.

#7: i feel like you are nitpicking on this one. the bubbles were a part of the ceremony and nothing could be done about them on my end. this shot is a "necessary shot" at weddings, and i feel like this is a properly composed and exposed photo with a nice showing of emotion from both the bride and groom. complaining about the bubbles is irrelevant to me, because there is nothing that i, as the photographer, could have done in this situation.

#8: this is an alternative composition that i knew would draw mixed reviews. i also have shots of her in this location that are more tightly cropped, but the wide, natural atmosphere was meant to speak for the bride, who loves the outdoors, and is an avid runner and hiker.

#9: i enjoyed the nearly perfect symmetry of the lights, doors and plants in this shot. this was a shot of the reception area in a series that i took in order to establish the setting of the event. photos like these are good to include because memories of the location may eventually fade, so it is nice to also document these as well as the people involved. not the best shot in the world, but i enjoyed it.

in conclusion, i understand that i cannot please everyone with my photos, which is just fine with me. I don't feel as though bokeh was the main subject of this set, but it was definitely a contributing factor in the natural beauty of this wedding. please understand that the photos i post on forums are the ones that i like the most for the artistic merit - i have literally hundreds more of this wedding that are more traditional and "safe". while my style may not be traditional in a sense, it is fresh, clean and unique, which has done well for me in past weddings. i would have to assume that our shooting styles would not complement each other, because i was not able to find a single thread of your work on this forum in order to get a basis for your critique. while it is not mandatory to post your work here, i feel that it is just as necessary to receive criticism as it is to give criticism.

with all that said, i really appreciate the time taken for you to give your opinion on my photos! i'll take it all into consideration for my upcoming weddings.