- around corner
- bride and groom on corner
- Center Framed
- First Look
- first touch
- groom sitting bride standing
- hand holding
- hand touch
- house
- Indoor
- kissing hand
- symmetry
- vertical lines
- walls
- Window Light
The story behind the image
The couple wanted to do a “first look” in complete privacy. After having toured the premises, I chose this room which seemed to be the perfect place. The couple wouldn’t be distracted by the guests starting to arrive for the ceremony outside.
The configuration of the room allowed for a good photograph of the arrival of the bride as she descended the stairs and walked towards her future husband without the two being able to see each other. I had told them in advance where to stand and I let them live their moment without interruption.
Cassandra handed a small gift to Adrian who thanked her with a kiss on her hand. It was a moment full of love and tenderness. A few seconds later, Adrian got up from his chair and turned to his lover. With tears in his eyes, moved to see her so beautiful in her white dress, he kissed her and hugged her tightly.
I directed them separately as to where to position themselves for the “first look”. Then, I let them live their moment in complete privacy without interrupting them. The “first look” is always a moving moment, so I made myself discreet to capture the naturalness and the emotion of the couple.
Composition
The room with all its vertical lines allows you to play with the composition of the photo. I have framed the photo so that I have the bride in the center and the kiss on the hand on the line of thirds. This makes it possible to put the emphasis on this gesture which was full of tenderness. In the right part of the photo, we can see the stairs that the bride had descended a few minutes before to join her future husband. The photo, therefore, tells a story and the composition makes it possible to represent this story well.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I focused on the face of the groom since he is the one who poses the action. I used the autofocus mode with “single point” to make sure I was focusing on the subject.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
Groom's face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/250 @ f/3.5 ISO1000 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
The photos were taken in natural light. The groom was seated facing a wall of windows, which allowed the room and the subject to be well lit. To avoid having too much sunlight on the groom, I lowered the semi-transparent curtains. It also allowed for a more even light on the groom and the bride. Otherwise, the groom would have been very enlightened and the bride would have been in the shadows.
Light Type
Natural Light
Weather
Indoor
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
I used my own presets, making sure to bring out the blue color of the groom’s suit. I gave the photo a warm tint by adjusting the “white balance”, increased the overall exposure of the photo, brightened the subjects’ faces, and gave the photo contrast by increasing the whites and decreasing the blacks. I used the brush tool to lighten the face of the bride who was in the shadows. I used the “radial filter” to create a vignette effect and emphasize the points of interest. I also used spot removal to remove a light switch on the back wall which was distracting.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Personal Presets
Challenges
The challenge was the lack of space to take the picture. I had my back leaning against the wall behind me. There was also my assistant and two videographers by my side.
Solutions
Before the bride arrived, we all agreed on who was going to stand where exactly to ensure that everyone would have a good angle of view without preventing anyone from doing their job well. and while remaining discreet so that the bride and groom live their moment in as much privacy as possible.
Location
Location Name
Baie D'Urfé
Location aDDRESS
Bd'urfe, Fritz Park, 20477 Lakeshore Dr, Baie-D'Urfe, Quebec H9X 1R3, Canada
Loation Type
Wedding / Event Venue
Country
Canada
I like to find a quiet, intimate place that matches the style of the couple to do the first look. Although I like to control the staging of the moment a little, I find it very important once the explanation has been made separately to the bride and groom in the minutes before the first look, to let them live the moment by being as discreet as possible, without interrupting them. I just capture the moment naturally and leave room for emotion. I’m not looking for perfection but rather authenticity
