Wedding Details for Beginners
A few weeks ago I wrote about the ins and outs to capture gorgeous wedding details shots of rings and jewellery. We discussed the elements of clarity, depth of field, environment and background, light, and composition and how each can influence the success of a detail shot.
When it comes to the other details – the dress, the shoes, the flowers – those factors are all still true. However there are a few others to consider as well:
Doorways, Windows, and Dresses
There is nothing more perfect than a doorway for the creation of a dress shot. You can typically hang the dress from the lip of the doorway, allowing the train to fall gently and create dimension from the light. The best part about doorways for these kind of shots is that you can use the light from either the inside or the outside, completely changing the feel of each shot.
Doorways and Shoes
Best kept secret about using doorways for detail shots: use doorway light for creating shoe shots. The light is more direct, and spread out further than what you get from a window. This gives you a little bit larger of a space to create with.
Window Light and Flowers
The light from a window can create the most stunning soft and subdued images – and this is no secret in the wedding industry. One of my favorite reasons for using a window is the fact that you can use the window for composition, and you often have curtains or shades to control the specific amount of light that you want to use.
Chairs and Beds
Yes, there is a chance that chairs and beds are slightly overused in wedding detail pictures. But truth be told its for good reason. Beds and chairs provide excellent texture and a simplicity for backgrounds. Change your angles and perspectives to create a more unique shot.
Couches
Who said that the dress shot needs to always be hanging? It may take more time, but I do love the shots that I was detailed enough to create a dress photo using a settee or couch. You have complete control over how you arrange the material, forming luscious folds and texture.
12 Responses to “Wedding Details for Beginners” - Add Yours
July 5th, 2012 at 2:01 am
Hi
I love all the suggestions – not to forget other details, how about some nice cold champagne? This was natural light on the beach during a Trash The Dress session in California.
http://kerstenbeckphotoart.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/le-reve/
July 5th, 2012 at 2:39 am
This wedding setting is a bit alien for me as I come from India but I did enjoy looking at the pictures.
http://blogs.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/2012/07/baiguney-sikkim-with-club-mahindra%E2%80%99s-conclay.html
July 5th, 2012 at 6:16 am
Hi,
Thank you for those advices.
Pretty nice photos, but i think you should consider a more discrete way to add your watermark to your photos.
Especially on the pictures 1,3,4 and 6 where the watermark is kind of ruining the thing.
July 5th, 2012 at 10:18 am
Beautiful set of photos. Love the wedding dress on the couch.
July 5th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Love these ideas, and they came at just the right time for me as I have wedding to shoot next weekend. Particularly like the shoes on the chocolate colored couch. Hope you have more tips for us in the future.
July 5th, 2012 at 10:41 pm
I love the concept and the simplicity. Wedding is not just all about having fancy dress and jewel, it about two people that are in-love each other.
Two people that will become one.
July 6th, 2012 at 9:22 am
Wow excellent… hoping to see more.. ;D
July 6th, 2012 at 9:25 am
How about hanging the shoes on window
July 6th, 2012 at 11:42 am
I took a snapshot of the wedding dress during my friend’s wedding. It was placed on a dark war drop, and i made the war drop totally dark in-camera.
http://www.nikonclub.com.my/uploads/member/2012/large/2504_20120706093911_FSNLR.jpg What you all think about it?
July 7th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
Very great suggestions! I am planning to get a NIkon D3100 soon. Thanks.
July 10th, 2012 at 12:11 am
I do enjoy the smal depth of field used and daylight on the Wedding dress is a real winner, when you have it available.
I have been toying with shallow DOF recentyly amongst othe things.
Pop onto the site and have a look
http://www.dewandemmer.com/eloise-and-hein-holtons-wedding-at-makiti-muldersdrift/
July 21st, 2012 at 7:52 am
With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright infringement? My website has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my agreement. Do you know any ways to help protect against content from being ripped off? I’d really appreciate it.
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