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The Unposing Guide, Part I: Be Carefree in Your Dress

{as always, click any image to enlarge}

I thought that here, in the thick of wedding season, is as good a time as any to begin a conversation on how to look naturally beautiful—or natural and beautiful—in front of the camera. I’d call it a posing guide, but I mean for it to be an unposing guide, as I hope to help you improve your camera presence, even when you’re camera unaware. And the best place to start is with how you move. This might seem strange because I make still photographs, and not moving ones … but how you look when you move will also be how you look on camera when you move. In fact, let’s back up. Your willingness to move around freely will greatly affect the mood and types of portraits and documentation your photographer will be able to get throughout the wedding. Otherwise all you’ll end up with are static shots. Most people, these days, anyway, want variety, and at least some pictures that reflect that sort of carefree exhilaration they share with their beloved. In order to get that, it helps if you can walk together, dance together, move together. You don’t even have to be adventurous (translation: no running, jumping, or rock climbing involved). Snuggling is totally acceptable.

The biggest enemy of carefree movement? Anxiety over the dress.

I realize I’m probably preaching to the choir, but let’s get some perspective. In the fashion industry there’s a thing (I think) called cost-per-wear. You spend so much on a garment of clothing, you wear it so many times, you divide it out per wear. Jeans are probably virtually free at the end of their life. A wedding gown is off the charts. It costs a lot. Wear it once. So, in order to get your money’s worth from the dress (and the day!), let’s say you need to a) enjoy yourself thoroughly, and b) end up with some lovely photographs to prove how beautiful and fun it all was. So wear the dress. Don’t be afraid to wear the dress. Walk in it, dance in it, move in it. Even if you get a bit of dirt on the train, or someone steps on it, or both of the aforementioned happen before the ceremony, it’s not going to show in the photographs. Really. No one (else) will even notice.

photos: {Gia Canali}

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Published on July 2, 2009 in Fashion, Full Articles, Photography and Planning. 1 Comment

On Being Photographed & What To Do If You Are Camera Shy

I can’t tell you how often I hear couples say to me before their weddings—or even at their weddings—that they are uncomfortable in front of the camera, or even that they are (supposedly) un-photogenic. It’s difficult for me (as the photographer) because I have mixed feelings on this topic. I simultaneously understand completely, as I generally do not welcome being photographed myself,¹ but also feel that the portrait process is collaborative one, and therefore not only the responsibility of the subject. It’s important to note that I felt differently about being photographed at my wedding, though—I wanted great photographs of myself and my husband, and I was willing to stomach being in front of the camera in order to get them.

Fortunately, there are several really doable strategies for improving your wedding-day camera presence:

I. The best place to start is with a good mindset.

You already want amazing photographs of yourself at your wedding. (Or perhaps your spouse wants them, but you are at least willing to go along. A groom once told me he thought getting photographed was a lot like going to the dentist, and was only doing it to please his bride). Wedding photographs become family heirlooms. And for most people, portraits are particularly important—those are the images that must be worked for. Richard Avedon said, “A photographic portrait is a picture of someone who knows he’s being photographed, and what he does with that knowledge is as much a part of the photograph as what he’s wearing or how he looks. He’s implicated in what’s happening, and he has a certain real power over the result.” And your photographer is there to collaborate with you, to coach you through the process. Sometimes, I think it’s a bit strange how we photographers are there coaxing out of people convincing performances of their own real lives. But that’s the job. Or the art of it. My point is that you have a lot of power over how you present yourself … and that you don’t have to go it alone. Hire a photographer you trust. And then trust her. Work with her.

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“A portrait must get beyond the almost universal self-consciousness that people have before the camera. If some moment of reality in the personality of the sitter did not happen, you had to provoke it in order to produce a portrait that had an identity with the person. The essential thing was to awaken a genius response.” Edward Steichen, A Life In Photography

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II. Relieve stress—relax.

This cannot be overstated. People who are dwelling happily in the moment photograph marvelously. If you are stressed about the wedding or the wedding photographs, it will quite likely show on camera. Many of my clients have a glass of wine or champagne before we start. I swear by herbal therapies, including Rescue Remedy, which I think is probably something most soon-to-be-wed couples could benefit from, whether or not they are shy in front of the camera. Other folks do yoga, or get acupuncture, or go on a long walk the morning of the wedding. Figure out something that works for you, and actively pursue relaxation.

III. Be distracted.

God help me, if I could have an invisibility cloak and a pair of wings when I photograph weddings, all my photographs would be blissfully unaware. But that’s really just not how it works. If you don’t naturally ignore the camera, do so on purpose.² Most of the time on your wedding day, there will be so much happening you’d be hard-pressed to pay too much attention to your photographer. Really, you just need to focus on ignoring your photographer during portraits. One easy way to do that is to look at your beloved—laugh, nuzzle, dance, gaze into each other’s eyes, go for a walk—and don’t look into the lens unless your photographer asks you to do so.

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¹ Translation: If I can’t do a thumbs-up sign in the photo, I think the photo will probably be terrible.

² I think I just told you that “what you do with that knowledge” of being photographed is an essential part of the photograph. Now, I am indeed telling you to ignore the camera.

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Published on June 11, 2009 in Fashion, Finds, Full Articles, Photography, Planning and Real Weddings. 0 Comments

Decoding Wedding Photography Lingo, IV: Wedding Albums

I have to confess: if there’s one thing about wedding photography that sets my head to spinning, it’s keeping track of all the (newfangled) wedding album options—and the ever-expanding lingo that describes them. So I feel a bit like I’m starting this post at my own hazard, but I do think it’s a useful point of reference. These are the most basic terms used to describe the most popular albums available today.

I. Matted aka Traditional

Matted albums are lovely presentations of wedding photographs. Some incarnations of matted albums recall that old-time elegance of our parents’ and grandparents’ wedding albums. Photographs are matted on or into the page, similar to how a framed photograph is matted. The mat may cover the edges of the photograph (an overmat) or may be off-set from the edges of the photograph.

Below are matted albums from Leather Craftsmen and Cypress Albums. The Cypress Albums version features hand-torn deckled-edge watercolor paper pages and a ribbon binding.

II. Flush mount aka Coffee Table

About a third of our clients end up choosing modern flush mount albums. The album designs are digital, so there is a lot of flexibility in terms of what you can do with the design. I like the “flush mount” nomenclature because it still describes how the photograph is presented on the page: flush to the edge, rather than covered by a mat. The reason these albums are great is that you can have huge photographs, ones that fill a full side or spread across both sides of the page. Or you can fit lots of photographs in sweet little magazine-style layouts.

Below are examples of Cypress Album’s flush mount album, the Iris. They are covered with Japanese book cloth.

*There are actually albums that combine both digital design and matted images. But … let’s not confuse things yet.

III. Press printed

I actually don’t consider these “photo albums” in the traditional sense as they do not contain actual photographic prints. They are, instead, like regular books you might pull off the shelf. Over the last several years, I have become more interested in how they might be incorporated into wedding album design and I promise to share some photographs when I get one in stock.

IV. Cover Treatments

Cover treatments are another source of obsession. Nowadays you can get leather, suede, Japanese book cloth, metal, metallic, hardwood, or cork coverings … just to name a few. My suggestion is not to jump on the latest trend bandwagon. Instead, choose something that both matches your overall wedding design and you know you will love in fifty years.

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My advice? Don’t worry about the album until after the wedding. Your taste may change as you go through the wedding design process, and certainly after you see the real, tangible photographs. At least in my studio, you can use your package album credit toward the purchase of any album. And anyway, being open to a variety of options may serve you best as you look for the perfect, permanent presentation for your wedding photographs. The album is, after all, the culmination of your investment in wedding photography.

Check back for future posts on choosing photographs for your album, choosing good cover photographs, and other photo presentation-related topics. Nearly as much as we want good photographs, we want to know what to do with them once we’ve got them!

photo credit: Gia Canali

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Published on June 2, 2009 in Full Articles, Photography, Planning and Trends. 2 Comments

Collaborating with your Photographer, 104: Getting Great Getting Ready Photos

The first wedding I photographed was my high school friend Kori’s. In the weeks before the wedding, nobody was planning to or hired to take photographs, so I volunteered. I was justifiably mortified that this momentous occasion might go undocumented—and was apparently (happily) undeterred by my lack of experience.¹ The wedding day was a whirl—so much happening—an emotional ceremony, the reception in her father’s barn, a pig roast (!), and Kori had made her own beautiful dress by hand, complete with a whole backful of real buttons. Taking photographs was so exhilarating that I raced out to a one-hour photo developer as soon as I left the party. I was completely impatient to see the photographs we’d made²— which (thank God!) turned out great—and wanted Kori to be able to bring the pictures on her honeymoon.

What surprised me most at that first wedding and what I could never have anticipated was the transformation Kori made from woman to bride. I mean: Kori was really a very pretty girl, but as a bride, she absolutely shone. Now I’ve documented well over a hundred weddings (maybe hundreds?), and though expected, the transformation of every woman to bride is no less dramatic. This transformation, I believe, is why we all love the getting ready photographs.

{click any image to enlarge}

We know we are going to outdo ourselves. And somewhere in that getting ready time is where it happens. Also, it’s one of the few parts of the day that our spouses don’t see. So there’s a natural curiosity. And for my part, I know I really had wanted to see evidence of my husband preparing for our wedding. Despite the obsession on all our parts, it’s easy to make design mistakes that adversely affect the getting ready photographs. Fortunately, it’s just as easy to take some simple measures to ensure gorgeous getting ready photographs.

1. Choose a room with good light. I love when brides and grooms get ready at their home or at their parents’ homes. Obviously, this isn’t possible at destination weddings. If you get ready in a hotel or other location, choose a room with bright indirect light (like with nice giant north facing windows, if we’re going to be picky!).

2. Make the space clean and tidy. Or if you choose to get ready in chaos (think big family, big bridal party chaos), let it be beautiful chaos. This is sometimes the hardest part to manage, but it is essential—and it really impacts the photographs. The room, of course, is the backdrop for all your getting ready photographs. Keep luggage neatly packed and out of the way. If you’re in a hotel, call housekeeping service and have the beds made up and room cleaned.

3. If at all possible, make it possible for your photographers to go back and forth between the bride’s getting ready location and the groom’s. Two rooms in proximity are always a good choice. You’ll get more photographs for your time. No matter what, don’t forget about the groom. Watching the groom figure out how to get dressed is sometimes the best part! His exciting getting-ready photos only take about fifteen minutes (well, honestly sometimes about three minutes), so it won’t detract from your coverage. Schedule his getting ready photographs while you’re getting your makeup started. Nobody really wants photographs before the foundation goes on anyway. (A side note is that a lot of couples request a divide-and-conquer strategy for the getting ready photographs, but you should definitely check with your photographers to see if this works well with the way they shoot. I dislike dividing cameras and resources, and my husband and I have developed a great way of shooting together.)

4. If intimate getting ready photographs are important to you, consider wearing lovely lingerie for the getting ready photographs (even if you plan to switch to Spanx for the rest of the day). Let your modesty guide you, of course. If you want to wear a lacy bra or corset while you’re getting your makeup done—or just while you’re getting ready to put on your dress—so be it. But if you’d rather sneak into your dress in private, that’s totally up to you.

5. The details matter. Most brides love photographs of all the little details they’ve spent months (or more) acquiring: the dress, the shoes, jewelry, bouquet, etc. So keep these details easy to access. I also suggest bringing your own pretty hanger to hang the dress on. My favorite hangers are antique.

6. Schedule your preparation time properly—and pad your schedule. Allow enough time to do everything you need to do—hair, makeup, dressing, driving between locations (all you LA brides)—and then some. If you have a complicated gown with lacing, real buttons, or lots of layers, allow extra time to dress. More often than (I’m sure) your stylists would like to admit, hair and makeup run as much as an hour and a half behind. The indecent measure of stress that adds to your wedding day shows in the photographs. The best case scenario involves you having time for a champagne toast with your attendants.

7. Save five minutes (or more!) after you’re all ready for a few portraits before you go out into the busy-ness of your wedding day. Your hair and makeup are still perfect and the bridal transformation is complete.

What do you think makes the biggest impact on getting ready photographs? I’d love to hear … Leave a comment and we may update this post or add another on that topic.

photo credit: Gia Canali

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¹ I have this theory that the so-called beginner’s luck is formed by the blissful unawareness of what we are to fear, like an ingenue’s confidence. It’s helpful. We learn to fear things (like lost rolls of film, poor exposures, getting heckled during family photographs, etc.) only later on.

² This was in the all-film era, of course. I grew up near Rochester, NY, Kodak’s headquarters. So I’d seen digital cameras. Several years before, one of my prom dates’ fathers had a prototype digital camera from work and had taken photos of all us kids dressed up for prom. We were wowed when he showed them to us a moment later on his computer.

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Published on May 20, 2009 in Full Articles, Photography and Planning. 3 Comments

Wedding Traditions We Love (Photographing)

I spent my weekend laughing and crying my way through my cousin’s wedding—and thinking a lot about why we do what we do at weddings (and why we should!) and some of the things I love photographing at weddings. Because weddings, even the so-called untraditional ones, are steeped in tradition. So I’d like to blog about traditions I love (as a photographer, of course!). Some of my favorites are from Jewish and Chinese wedding traditions—creating a chuppah, visiting tables, and changing dresses. But there are plenty of traditions I see at almost all weddings that I love just as much and hope don’t disappear in the push to cast off tradition.

Part I, Traditions I Sometimes See That Make For Great Photographs:

The huppah is lovely for a number of reasons. Not only is it symbolically meaningful, signifying shelter for the couple and four open sides of their marriage, but it provides a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony. Clearly this has been on my mind the last couple of weeks. I have seen gorgeous huppahs made from the talis (prayer shawl) of a loved one who has passed away, ones decorated with flowers, photographs, branches, swaths of fabric, lace, and chandeliers. I have also seen modern reinterpretations of the huppah with potted trees, but no covering, or with staging the ceremony under the canopy of Japanese maple trees or a large oak.

{click any image to enlarge}

Whatever your religious creed, and particularly if you plan to wed outdoors or in a venue that’s not traditionally used for weddings, creating a focal point for the ceremony can be helpful and add visual interest to your wedding.

Another tradition that I love, and see mostly at Chinese or Asian-American weddings is greeting the guests at the dinner tables by the bride, groom, and their families. Everyone carries a glass of champagne. Guests at each table often offer a toast.

This affords the bride and groom and their families a chance to happily interact with their guests, if briefly— something that may not otherwise happen. And unlike with a receiving line (or formal table shots, for that matter), the photographs are really fun—everyone smiling and laughing with the festive detail of clinking champagne glasses. Even if you do not want to go around to tables, do make time for your guests. Both your wedding album and memories will be much richer for it.

Another favorite tradition that I’m starting to see cross-over cultural boundaries is the changing of the bride’s dress. At Chinese and Chinese-American weddings, the bride will sometimes change her dress as many as four times at the reception, signifying the changing of the seasons. (A simpler incarnation of this tradition is that the bride will wear a white dress for the ceremony and a traditional red one for the reception). Now that I think about it, there is a lot of costume changing in a lot of (usually Asian) wedding traditions. In the photograph below, Joy and Darrell were on outfit number two out of three. Traditional Vietnamese, Filipino, and American costumes all made an appearance throughout the night!

With western-style weddings, I’ve seen the bride change from her full-length wedding gown into a shorter, white cocktail gown for the reception. Not only is it wonderful to satisfy our collective love of a little-white-dress (and what better than two of them?), but it helps change the tone of the party. A ceremony can be formal and grand, but the reception could still take on a more flirty and playful tone. At the very least, it’s fun to imagine the possibilities. And as long as we’re imagining, it’s fun to imagine it on an unlimited budget!

Part II, Traditions I See Quite Often and Will Always Love:

1. The giving away of the bride. I think the historical tradition behind this is kind of archaic, but I love it anyway. The need to wed in the presence/support of family and friends is still a powerful cultural instinct (and the giving away of the bride does illustrate her family’s blessing of the marriage). I love sometimes seeing both parents—and not just the father—give the bride away, too. Photographically, that moment just before they walk down the aisle can be perfectly magical, emotional, and honest. Logistically, it’s not always possible to be there. But sometimes, I choose to be there, even if it means I photograph the bride and her father walking down the aisle from behind. Those images can show the environment and sentiment of the moment so well.

As an aside, I think I promote any interaction between the parents and the bride and groom. I wish I had involved my parents more at my own wedding. The father usually has his two (fleeting) moments of glory—walking the bride down the aisle, and dancing a first dance with her. But what about the mother? And are two minutes with your father enough? My suggestion is to look for meaningful moments. Seek them out. And make them happen.

2. The first kiss. Seriously, truly, and always. My heart melts when the couple hugs just after they kiss.

3. The recessional! It’s always so happy!

4. Cutting the cake¹, by which I mean watching the couple figure out how to cut the cake, followed by that superbly sweet first bite, followed by the even sweeter kiss. That’s really my favorite part.

5. The first dance. Why have people stopped doing this as a matter of course?

6. Also, I ♥ big group dances. The hora, Persian dancing, Greek dancing, line dancing, whatever!

Actually, if I could draw one conclusion now that I look at all these traditions I love is that all of them center around the bride and groom interacting with each other and their friends and family in wonderful, meaningful ways.

One of my clients’ priests told them to participate in (only) the traditions that mean something to them. I agree. Good advice. Really good advice. To that I would like to add … planning a moment doesn’t cheapen its meaning at all. I think there’s a misguided hope that meaningful moments will just naturally happen on their own. But your wedding day passes by at lightning speed—so why risk it?

There’s a feeling, or at least, I have a feeling that these are moments that we all (as humans) are supposed to have and to share and to enjoy, and that even the most unconventional among us looks forward to from childhood, and that as adults, we look forward to sharing with our children, nieces, and nephews.

photo credit: Gia Canali

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¹ Just to clarify, it doesn’t have to be cake. Just something sweet. That’s the point, anyway. So cupcakes, honey, a favorite family dessert, whatever satisfies your sweet tooth.

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Published on April 22, 2009 in Full Articles, Photography, Planning and Trends. 2 Comments

Collaborating with Your Photographer, 103: The Immeasurable Importance of Light & Lighting

Photography is all about capturing the moment’s real light in a tiny box and saving it for later, for our memories. So it’s a pretty logical conclusion that the light itself matters significantly (at least as far as the photographs go).

Most wedding days span several types of ambient lighting and require a little extra help in the lighting department after dusk. I love to make photographs as the light changes—it adds so much variety to the body of wedding photographs you get. For this reason, we will revisit each part of the wedding day and discuss it in detail in the coming months. But for now, here is a little lighting primer.

During daylight, perhaps you are a) getting ready (probably indoors), b) getting married in a ceremony, and c) having formal portraits taken.

Making the best of the getting-ready photographs is a topic of its whole own post, but for starters, please get ready in a neat and tidy room with giant north facing windows! Not really. But if you have a choice … think about the light in the room where you’ll get ready. If it’s impossibly dark or cluttered, consider faking some getting ready moments outdoors. Lots of light is good for backlit images, too.

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There’s always an exception to my imaginary rules. This is a windowless room where the bride put final touches on her makeup. The vanity lights make this just right.

For your ceremony, the best possible lighting scenario involves bright open shade, or waning late day light. In California we struggle with the wine-country ceremony. The light is always so harsh right up until the so-called golden hour begins. (Nearer the ocean, in Santa Barbara, say, like the wedding below, or in San Francisco, the light is completely different: diffuse, and marvelous). At any venue, you’ll want to make sure nothing makes weird shadow and light patterns on your faces. If at all possible, design your ceremony so that both faces are in even light. It is so hard to expose for one face in total shadow and the other in bright sunlight. It doesn’t work. (I was just talking about this in the ceremony post, but I think that this is worth reiterating).

Making your formal group portraits picture perfect is really relatively straightforward. Stick to shaded uncluttered locations. If you are dead-set on having a certain type of scenery in the background, make sure the light is good. If it’s not, ditch it. It’s just not worth it.

If you are doing all of the above indoors or plan to wed in the evening, look for bright window light or bring in your own lighting. Somewhere with abundant lighting is always wonderful for photographs … Not only is natural or abundant artificial light more flattering, you are likely to be much less camera aware than if your photographer needs to use a flash.

During the evening hours, perhaps you are a) eating supper and being toasted, b) dancing your first of many dances , c) mingling with guests, d) eating a first bite of cake, e) sneaking off for a romantic moment with your beloved. I have to say that with the exception of the last item, your guests want to see all this. And I want to see the last one item, too. (Not to mention, we’d like to see the guests in the photos, sometimes a challenge if they’re lost in the dark).

If there’s enough light to read by, your photographer should be fine to photograph the goings on. But sometimes exciting parts of action happen where there’s little light. There are so many kinds of light to choose from that you’ll have no excuse. If you’re made of money, hire a lighting crew. If not, perhaps consider adding candles, plain or colored glass lanterns, paper lanterns, chandeliers, strings of lights, etc. (Even plan an afternoon reception if you’re really on a shoestring lighting budget).

Anything you can do to lessen the need for flash will dramatically improve the photographs. You ‘ll be able to, for instance, see the guests behind you while you cut the cake or do your first dance. This is bang-for-your-buck we’re talking about!

Don’t forget the landscape and environment. Usually a lot of thought goes into choosing a gorgeous location. But if it’s lost in the dark, it’s lost in the dark.

Grant me one (more) wish and sneak away from the party for some romantic nighttime portraits. We’ll show bunches more in a dedicated post, but here are just a couple.

I’d love to hear some original lighting ideas.

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Published on April 15, 2009 in Decor, Full Articles, Photography and Planning. 0 Comments

Collaborating With Your Wedding Photographer 102: Designing and Planning the {Picture Perfect} Ceremony

So, the ceremony is the thing of the wedding, right? But, and I hate to say it, it gets kind of overlooked sometimes—perhaps not emotionally, but as a design element. If couples are going to have a design disaster, it’s often the ceremony. Luckily, having a beautiful, nay, picture perfect one, can actually be fairly simple. I am certain we’ll revisit this topic from time to time, but here are some observations and tips and rants, all from my point of view (which is that it will all show in the photographs).

Create a visual focal point for your ceremony. With a church ceremony, you’ll likely have little to do here. But if you wed outdoors a bit more thought is required. If you’re Jewish, you’ll probably have a huppah, and those are beautiful and serve their purpose quite smartly. (As an aside, I love the sentimental value, as a huppah signifies both shelter and openness in/for a couple’s marriage). If you are a non-religious, borrowing some of that design inspiration might be nice. I always like when couples use trees as a backdrop for an outdoor ceremony. Trees are so powerful visually. Oak trees and redwoods are particularly abundant in California. But lots of other wonderful ideas exist. Also … if you do wed under a tree, be sure to check the light before you set a ceremony time. Dappled shadows are terrible on people’s faces in photographs.
Actually, check the light before setting a ceremony location or time no matter what. Make sure there will be nice light on your faces. Outdoor afternoon ceremonies are tricky, but even nighttime ceremonies can look fabulous as long as we (the photographers and guests) can see your faces. (Much more on that in a future post on the immeasurable importance of light/lighting).
If you’re having your ceremony outdoors, have people sit. I like the idea of everybody standing together outside in theory. But in reality, the overview shots can get weird and almost funerary if everybody stands. Trust me …
If you’re having your ceremony in a church, make sure you understand their photography restrictions. I have actually shown up to weddings a few times and had the minister say he or she doesn’t allow photography during the ceremony at all. We are very respectful, and we always take photos anyway because that is why you have hired us … to give you your memories, but limitations are limitations. And there will be some. A lot of times they won’t let you in front of the last row of pews, which isn’t as big of a deal in a tiny chapel but it can be crippling in a giant cathedral. And that’s just the beginning.
Choreograph your ceremony. Practice the processional, recessional, and any other maneuvers you and your bridal party will need to make. Even simple things like the father of the bride giving the bride’s hand to the groom will go smoother and look better if it’s been intentionally choreographed and practiced. (I’ll bet the video will look better, too).

Speaking of videographers, make sure they’re discreet. First of all, if you’re going to hire a videographer, it’s best to hire someone who’s discreet from the get go … but it’s also good to make sure that the videographers are willing to cooperate with the photographers and aren’t going to plant their tripods in the middle of the aisle or (gasp!) right behind the officiant. It will show in all the photographs.
Attend to the officiant’s attire. You’ve attended to your attire, to the bridal party’s attire … so why not the person standing in between you and your spouse (in all the photographs)?! If your officiant is a man, you’re probably in the clear. He’ll wear a suit or religious or judge’s robes and you’ll be fine. But if you have a female officiant, there are really no set rules about how she should dress. Whatever she wears, it should go with the overall feel of your wedding. And in no way, should it detract or distract (visually) from you and your betrothed. I’m not saying she can’t wear something exuberant. Once I photographed a wedding where the bride’s friend officiated and just for the ceremony she wore a floor-length vivid red coat. It was extraordinary, really, and gave a sense of high ritual to the ceremony. I loved it. I would say that’s the exception to the rule, though, and the reason it worked was that it was designed into the wedding ceremony. It fit. On the flip side, I’ve seen more crazy (and totally inappropriate) floral-printed dresses on female officiants than I can count. Groan.
It’s nice if your officiant will step aside when you kiss. It’s strange to see someone else’s arm or leg or head sticking out to the side from behind your embrace. Of course.

Think about the chairs. This will also be the topic of a future post because I think chairs are a major design detail that’s easy to overlook. But chairs are in so many of the ceremony (and reception) photographs. If you think about it, you are inviting at least as many chairs are as you are guests to your wedding.

Be a little sentimental, even if you’re not a sentimental person. This is difficult to tell you how to design, but real emotion is what is so wonderful about photographing the human face (and part of what makes photographing weddings so wonderful). So: involve your loved ones in the ceremony. Have them do readings of poems or say words or light candles. Write your own vows or use the traditional ones and mean it! Sing a song. Make the ceremony magical and real and meaningful to you and your spouse … and your friends and families. That’s why you’re having a wedding with people attending. A rabbi at one of the ceremonies I photographed said that a wedding is really just a public recognition of a private commitment that had happened a long time ago.

It will all show in the photographs.

These are just a few things I’ve been thinking about… I think of “ceremony” ideas and tips all the time, so we will be sure to add to this list as more come to mind. And I’d love to hear everyone else’s ideas, too.

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Published on April 2, 2009 in Full Articles, Photography and Planning. 2 Comments

Decoding Wedding Photography Lingo, Part ii: Sessions

There are a number of different add-on session types that wedding photographers offer. Here are some of the most common ones:

Engagement photo session. This used to be pretty straightforward. You and your fiance would go take photographs in non-wedding attire. Somewhere along the line, engagement photo sessions actually started becoming fun. Somewhere just after engagement photo sessions started becoming fun, somebody somewhere started calling them e-sessions. I don’t know how that happened or why—because “e” doesn’t mean anything all by itself. Unfortunately, the e-session naming has caught on. Ugh. If you ask me, I will be calling engagement photos “engagement photos” forever. They are, of course, a great way to get used to being photographed and to get used to working with your photographer before the wedding.

My favorite locations are sentimental ones. This couple, for instance, met on the 45 bus in San Francisco. So when we did their engagement photos, we found the 45 bus … and took some photographs there.

A couple of years ago, I had a groom ask if we could do the photographs underwater. I said, “sure,” even though I’d never taken any photographs underwater. So, armed with disposable underwater cameras, we experimented… and it was (very athletic and) kind of magical. Since then, I get an occasional request for underwater engagement photos and I’m always happy to comply. To see more of these, visit the project i section of my website.

We’ll have more on engagement photos, including tips on how to make them great … soonish. So keep checking back!

Bridal portraits. I’ve heard the couple’s intimate portraits on the wedding day called bridal portraits, but as a separate session, a bridal session is generally portrait session for the bride in her wedding gown. The bridal session is a good chance to get portraits you might not otherwise have time for on your wedding day. Or portraits in another setting. If you want to use these images in your finished wedding album, I suggest using locations that match your wedding’s flavor, e.g., if you are marrying in a woodsy, natural setting, take your bridal portraits in another natural setting rather than on the roof of a downtown loft. *As part of our blog-launch, we’ll be having a contest for a free bridal portrait session. I have to figure out how that will work, but we will be posting details in the the next week.

Respect-the-Dress-Post-Nuptial Photographs. Around town, I’ve heard post-nuptial photographs called “trash-the-dress” photographs. Yikes! One of my clever (and most eloquent) brides proposed the idea of calling these sessions “respect-the-dress-post-nuptial-photos.” I like that—or at least, that phrasing is a little more my speed. I love how relaxed and fun these sessions can be. And everybody loves getting to put their wedding garb to good use one more time.

Rehearsal dinner or welcome party coverage. In my experience, folks want rehearsal dinner coverage more often if the wedding is a destination wedding. In fact, at destination weddings, there are usually a number of parties and events to be covered. But even if you’re wedding is at home, if you are planning a lovely party with just your closest friends and family, having it professionally photographed is a nice way to commemorate it. If you are planning a larger wedding, you may not have as much time to interact with your family and closest friends (and therefore make it into the wedding photos) on your wedding day.

Engagement party coverage. This seems pretty self-explanatory … if you’re putting a lot of effort into planning a party to announce / celebrate your engagement, it would be nice to have photographs of your handiwork.

In the next “lingo” post, I’ll cover album options, etc. Look later this week for a photography-related post on “traditions we love” … and a real “green” wedding.

photo credit: Gia Canali

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Published on March 12, 2009 in Full Articles, Photography and Planning. 0 Comments

Archive for the 'Full Articles' Category

Page 4 of 5

The Unposing Guide, Part I: Be Carefree in Your Dress

{as always, click any image to enlarge}

On Being Photographed & What To Do If You Are Camera Shy

I. The best place to start is with a good mindset.

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II. Relieve stress—relax.

III. Be distracted.

Decoding Wedding Photography Lingo, IV: Wedding Albums

I. Matted aka Traditional

II. Flush mount aka Coffee Table

III. Press printed

IV. Cover Treatments

Collaborating with your Photographer, 104: Getting Great Getting Ready Photos

{click any image to enlarge}

Wedding Traditions We Love (Photographing)

Part I, Traditions I Sometimes See That Make For Great Photographs:

{click any image to enlarge}

Part II, Traditions I See Quite Often and Will Always Love:

Collaborating with Your Photographer, 103: The Immeasurable Importance of Light & Lighting

{click any photo to enlarge}

Collaborating With Your Wedding Photographer 102: Designing and Planning the {Picture Perfect} Ceremony

It will all show in the photographs.

Decoding Wedding Photography Lingo, Part ii: Sessions

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