Panoramic Couples Photos

[samhaddixphotography]

New to the forum, but I figured I'd post something I've been working on. I've been developing a style of shooting engagement and wedding photos as wide, epic panoramas. Just looking to get any feedback you might have to give. Thanks!
-Sam







www.samhaddixphotography.com

 

[KmH]

It seems to me the couple wind up having so little visual weight in the image frame that the background becomes the main subject of the image.

 

[Mully]

Nice shots.... careful with CC here there is a lot of backwater thinking

 

[cgipson1]

#1 is wonderful.. the subjects are clearly defined, and the colors stand out. I won't say the subjects really hold the eye as the single viewpoint... but I find this a pleasant image. I am sure your clients love it!
#2 great shot.. but the sides are just dead black space.. this one I don't get the panorama feeling like I do in #1. Could almost get the same effect with a wide black matte when framing. Cropped to 14x11.. I like it!
#3 Very nice, but I feel like the subjects are too small, and the building overshadows them. Nice exposure on them! The shadows are leading lines of sorts.. but since we seldom see long backlit shadows like this.. it just feels off. I might like it better with the shadows cloned out... and then again, maybe not...

I think having the subjects large like in #1 really would help to make this work... but that is me, and I am sure your clientele won't see the issues I see. Maybe if these were printed really large... it would show them off better than the small image does...

#1 looks like it right out of an old movie... except in color! lol! I really do like that one...

 

[manaheim]

It seems to me the couple wind up having so little visual weight in the image frame that the background becomes the main subject of the image.

This ... is very interesting.

I saw the subject and was like "oh here it is... it's ON!". Why? What Keith said... panoramic photos of couples aren't about the couples. Exactly. Someone I... know... does this with shots of people all the time and it drives me nuts because the shots have basically tons of stupid dull dead space full of trees or some porta potty he didn't notice... or a brick BBQ grill that he thought was cool even though it has nothing to fricken do with anything about the couple or the event. AAAAAAAAAAARGH. Drives me INSANE.

But then I open this thread, and I literally went "uh... wow."

I mean the third one... not so much, IMO, and I think seeing all three of your shots together really allows me to articulate what I often find wrong with these shots. That third one is so expansive... your eyes are drawn everywhere at once, and the couple is not so much a going concern. But the other two and PARTICULARLY the one with the umbrella... YEAH theres a lot going on there, but the couple is really what we're drawn into and again particularly with the umbrella one MAN do those pop. WOW. WOW!

I don't know what the rest of your work is like, man, but you've pretty much crushed 99% of what I've seen on this forum (and 100% of anything I've ever done) in your first post. I can't imagine why you'd stick around but I sure as hell hope you do.

 

[PropilotBW]

I always thought you should get in tight if using a wide angle lens or panoramic for portrait shots. First two look good. 3rd the subject is lost. Just my opinion.

 

[mishele]

#2...wow!!

 

[manaheim]

Yeah, 2 is epic.

1 totally has that romance novel look to it, too... did you notice? The sharp contrasty lines and such? Very clever.

 

[runnah]

1 & 2 are very strong.

 

[samhaddixphotography]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I do agree with a lot of what's being said, and to clarify, it's definitely my goal to have each couple purchase a large 20x60" canvas of the panoramas. When seen small like the thumbnails here, the couples definitely seem almost irrelevant in the frame, but with huge prints I think they're nicely sized. Thanks again!
-Sam
Boston Wedding Photographer | Sam Haddix Photography | Boston Band Photographer

 

[RobN185]

If you shot my wedding like this - I'd buy them in a heartbeat!
These would evoke more memories for me because these are an event in themselves.
Very Original - great work!

 

[jaguaraz]

Man, these really are cool. I love the feel of all the space. I think this type of work will be very popular with couples.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

I think these types of images are much stronger when part of a set than as stand alone images. The couple makes up such a small portion of the overall impact of the image that I think if it wasn't paired with more close-up types of images, these images wouldn't even seen like engagement photos as much as editorial portraits.

 

[slow231]

these are outstanding. i think a lot of times photographers are too busy trying to look at a photo with a "trained eye" that they forget to absorb at the image as a whole. I'm not sure how anyone could consider these anything but shots of the couples. 1+2 are smack-you-in-the-face all about the couple. 3 is less overt, but the couple is still clearly the object of the image. those who think that these aren't great shots of and for the clients are just kidding themselves. most clients would easily pass up 10 standard couples shots to get one image like this. and in the end as a paid professional, clients opinions are the most important measuring sticks.

 

[jowensphoto]

I have been playing with this idea for awhile! Thanks for posting such awesome examples. I really like the first two, but I see where you were going with the third.