Over-Exposed

[ORourkeK]

A while ago I bought some courses from Amy and Jordan Demos. They are famous wedding photographers. As I kept going through their shooting and editing course, the same question kept popping up, "Aren't these all overexposed images?". If you click on the link below you will see one of the galleries straight from their sight. Aren't most of these images overexposed? If some of you remember, I had posted a while ago and everyone was talking about how overexposed the background was and that it took away all of the details from the image. My response was, "The course I am taking they teach to expose for the skin, and not to worry about the background." After trying this for a while I finally gave up on the course because I want to learn to shoot properly, not "for the skin". Every image they have with a sky in it, there is ZERO detail. It is just a big, bright, white part of the image. Any thoughts? These two are a great couple and they are obviously successful. But everything I learn tells me their images are actually "bad". Please correct me if I am missing something.

https://www.amyandjordan.com/four-seasons-wedding

 

[Designer]

Apparently that's their "style".

Yes, anything white or light-colored has no detail, and very little detail in anything else, either.

And there are enough potential customers who will probably like their style so as to keep them employed.

Whatever.

If I were a potential customer, I would not hire them.

That leaves a "niche" for you: Properly exposed photographs.

 

[Soocom1]

Many years ago when working at a photo processing shop, we had a lady who did weddings and demanded that we add more "warmth" to the images. typically casting a near jaundice cast on skin.
She also did forensic photos for the many local LE depts. and we always wondered.

But if someone sees their work and hires them, then that's what they want.

I look at it as a good learning experience because you can then work your style to something different and maybe see something that they see in it.

I do agree the photos are very over exposed, but if the customer likes it that way, then that's what you shoot for, literally.

 

[RVT1K]

Coincidentally, I sold a camera to a guy last week and he was talking about the same thing. He said he can't shoot weddings or even graduation events because everyone wants this "angelic" (blown out) look.

 

[Soocom1]

This reminds me of a technique with the softness aspect with Ektachrome we processed with another photographer.
Her work was GOOD, and knew the other lady well.

She told me that its part to the "angelic look" that RVT1K says, and part of it is to wash out harsh contrasts created by certain lighting.
When Photoshop took off, one individual told me that a technique used was to drop the exposure and kick up the brightness to gain detail but soften the image.

 

[ORourkeK]

It has been hard for me to find good wedding photographers that expose properly and don't over-process their images. I like Taylor Jackson's work, but even some of his work is overexposed and/or over-processed.

 

[ORourkeK]

This reminds me of a technique with the softness aspect with Ektachrome we processed with another photographer.
Her work was GOOD, and knew the other lady well.

She told me that its part to the "angelic look" that RVT1K says, and part of it is to wash out harsh contrasts created by certain lighting.
When Photoshop took off, one individual told me that a technique used was to drop the exposure and kick up the brightness to gain detail but soften the image.

Yeah, they call the look "light and airy"

 

[webestang64]

In my many years working in labs (since 1985) and printing hundreds of wedding photographers pics I've only liked one. He was a master of the medium format and all of his images were perfect. He passed away before the digital world, I've always wondered what his photos would look like using digital.

 

[smoke665]

Haven't seen him posting lately but check out the work of one of our own. One from a recent wedding I shot..

 

[Original katomi]

Looking at the pic you posted, imho the first set of the woman makes her look like a barby doll. But I don’t do people normally there used to be a trick in my days of film that a wedding photographer would have a bit of the brides white ribbon for colour balance.
As others have said this is their style and if you like that fine, I have said in the past, find your own style. Do something and make it yours. My style is Out of the box. I did a series with UV light, very controversial images as they went against a lot of the rules of photography.

 

[adamhiram]

Two photographers I follow and have picked up a lot of great information from are Pye Jirsa and Mike Kelley. Pye runs slrlounge and does high end weddings, and Mike is an architectural photographer that has done some tutorials through fstoppers. They both have plenty of paid content that I'm sure is great, but I have found simply watching their Critique the Community and Community Photo Critique videos to be very useful. On the wedding side, Pye has lots of great tips for posing, lighting, composition, etc. One of the biggest things I picked up from Mike was how to process skies to include detail and look more pleasing, but without looking overprocessed.

 

[ORourkeK]

Two photographers I follow and have picked up a lot of great information from are Pye Jirsa and Mike Kelley. Pye runs slrlounge and does high end weddings, and Mike is an architectural photographer that has done some tutorials through fstoppers. They both have plenty of paid content that I'm sure is great, but I have found simply watching their Critique the Community and Community Photo Critique videos to be very useful. On the wedding side, Pye has lots of great tips for posing, lighting, composition, etc. One of the biggest things I picked up from Mike was how to process skies to include detail and look more pleasing, but without looking overprocessed.

I love Pye! And I am familiar with Mike as well, through the fstoppers YouTube channel. Pye vs Lee portrait shoot was great.

 

[Derrel]

If this is their signature style and it appears they are going for the light, bright, and airy look. Which in my opinion can look quite beautiful

 

[ORourkeK]

If this is their signature style and it appears they are going for the light, bright, and airy look. Which in my opinion can look quite beautiful

Derrel, it looks as though you started and ended mid-thought.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Or this ---> . is missing! Maybe Derrel lost his dot.

You're right, the exposure is bad. I don't know why this washed out look is popular, but this too will pass (maybe? someday??). Trends and fads come and go and time will tell when people get tired of this one if these photographers can take properly exposed images and stay in business or not.

Of course it sometimes can be done well; Vtec uses the landscape or background along with a somewhat brighter lighter look without going overboard.