Melanie and Robert's Wedding

Less than 2 weeks ago, I photographed Melanie and Robert's Wedding in Diamond Bar, California. Weddings are an adrenaline rush to capture so I'll just get into what I want to blog about. I did several things to make photographing this wedding a success.

Mel and Rob had a HUGE bridal party, like the photo below demonstrates. The lens I had attached at the time was not wide enough to fit them all in. Therefore, I took two separate frames and stitched them together in Photoshop later. Tip #1: stay on your toes and think quickly! Be aware of what can be done to make capturing a moment easy. Even if I did not make a panorama, my assistant, Chad, had a 10mm wide angle lens and was standing behind me for backup. Tip #2: it helps to have an assistant.

Alright, moving on to the reception. Tip #3; be aware of emotion and expressions! When photographing people, look for those emotional moments because they can tell a million stories. The maid of honor broke down in tears as she was giving her speech and I set myself up behind the bride to add a layering effect to the photo. My other assistant, Peter, was using a wide angle lens and was set in a different part of the hall. Tip #4; it doesn't hurt to have a 2nd assistant.

In the second photo, she composed herself and finished her speech. For this photo, I placed the groom and bride in between her for a triangle effect. Anyone can take a photo, this is true, yet you have to think of angles and how to make an "ok" photo turn into a great photo. This is where an amateur photographer is separated from a professional. Tip #5: go with your gut instinct on what will work. For example, for this photo, I could have used a wide angle lens and dun dun dun! wait for it...FLASH! I personally am not a big fan of flash unless it's done just right. I utilized my 50mm f/1.4 lens to use the indoor lighting to set up my photo. The ISO and white balance was also changed to make the photo work. This one photo can demonstrate how complicated photography can be to someone who thinks photography is as easy as pressing a button. Going back to tip #5, some people would have used flash and made the photo work, yet I carried on with my personal preferences.

The outdoor bridal party photos can be tricky. Here, Mel was photographed with her mum with the sun behind them for backlight. You can see how it glows and highlights their skin, it's beautiful. So what happens when the sun is the backlight? The front will be full of shadow, unless, you use fill flash. I used a wide angle lens, and my Canon Speedlite 580EXII tilted upwards. I didn't use direct flash because that would make their skin shine with artificial light. Tip #6: practice fill flash! I also use reflectors but wouldn't in such a "fast paced get great photos in a short amount of time" shoot.

During the ceremony, I used a standard zoom lens and a 50mm. Tip #7-and this is just a personal tip-don't use flash during the ceremony. The last thing I wanted was three separate flash heads situated in different parts of the hall to be going off. If you know what you're doing, you'll find a way to make indoor photos work. Chad, Peter, and myself were all capturing the ceremony from different angles.

The black and white photo below is also one of my favorites. Rob and Mel are hugging Rob's grandparents and you can just see how happy they all are. Capturing these kinds of expressions and emotions is no easy feat.

The last photo in this blog entry was taken by Peter using a telephoto lens. After 6 hours of shooting, we left and had dinner at a nearby restaurant. Tip #8: HAVE FUN! weddings are great to be a guest in, it's loads better when you're in charge of capturing it all. It's not work when you're doing what you love.

See ya

Jake