- Back lit
- Moody
- simple
- Shoes
- Room
- Rim Light
- Natural Light
- natural frames
- Natural
- Leading lines
- Bedroom
- Indoor
- Harsh Light
- Groom getting ready
- Groom
- Getting ready
- Dark
- Center Framed
- calm
- Wide
The story behind the image
We were so excited when they got back in touch with us again to ask us to document their wedding day! The couple was from the United States and wanted to return to the place they became engaged to share the experience this time with their families. It was a huge honour for us and it was one of the most emotional days we’ve ever photographed.
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I arrived to the morning preparations about 30 minutes earlier to have a look around each room in the house and found this room upstairs with some great light shining through the window illuminating the bed.
When it came time for the groom to put on his boots I asked him to sit on the bed so that the light would illuminate him too. Whenever a bride or groom is getting ready I usually position them where I want them to be (based on the light). I then let them do their thing without interrupting.
What did you say?
If you could just take a seat here on the bed and put your shoes on that would be great! Pretend I’m not here and just do your thing.
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
I wanted to use the doorway to frame the groom while he was getting ready and decided to shoot at this angle because there were a lot of distractions behind the wall to the left that I didn’t want in the shot. The groom was positioned in the middle of the shot however the rule of thirds is still being adhered to with the doorframe and walls on either side taking up a third of the frame each.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I used single point continuous autofocus (centre frame) with the viewfinder, focused on the groom’s head, locked the focus and then slightly recomposed the shot to achieve the exact framing I wanted.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The Grooms hat
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/1250 @ f/2.0 ISO500 WB-AUTO
The way the EXIF is written out follows the common photographic method (with the inclusion of White Balance at the end). Here it is broken down:
Shutter Speed @ Aperture ISO White Balance.
Light & Weather
Whenever photographing preparations there’s always one thing I look for when I walk into the room for the first time… a window! With a window you can do anything. I’ll generally position a bride or groom in front of or next to a window, cut out any light from other windows by closing the curtains and use the light from that 1 window to illuminate them.
I wanted to the light being emitted through the window to land on the groom so I positioned him on the bed to put his boots on. As there was very little light coming from the opposite direction on the window, the side of him closest to me is mostly dark which creates a really cool outline effect of light around him. It would be easy to assume that the more light you have, the better the photo will be but in my experience usually the opposite is true. If you’re aiming for more ‘moodier’ photos using just one light source will illuminate the subject while throwing the rest of the photo into darkness which leaves more to the imagination and brings out those deep, dark, cinematic tones.
Light Type
Natural Light
Weather
Indoor
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
Edited with The Kitcheners ‘Emotive’ color preset used as a base. The photo was straightened, exposure was increased slightly and white balance was corrected to make the shot a bit more warmer.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
One challenge that is often faced when photographing preparations photos is taking photos that are free of distractions. Often things can get a bit hectic in the morning and the last thing on people’s minds is a clean and tidy room (which is understandable). For this particular shot there were items such as jackets, shopping bags and other various things on the bed and also behind the wall to the left of the photo and I didn’t really have to to clean everything away.
Solutions
When I don’t have time to do a quick room tidy I try to frame photos in a way that I can simply cut all these distractions out. Stepping out of the room and shooting through a door frame or shooting from behind a wall is a good way to get clean, minimal shots that focus solely on the subject.
Location
Location Name
Inshriach House
Location aDDRESS
Inshriach, Aviemore PH22 1QP
Loation Type
Wedding / Event Venue
Country
United Kingdom
Try experimenting by shooting with just one indoor light source to create more dramatic photos. Cut out all light except for one window, position the subject next to the window and observe the light hitting their body/face. Expose for the bright side of their face and check your results.
