- 8 person group
- Indoors
- Soft Light
- Sitting
- Rule of thirds
- Playful
- Natural Light
- Mid range
- Laughing
- Indoor
- Bridesmaids
- Hotel
- Group Photo
- Girls
- Funny
- Free
- Energetic
- Couch
- Center Framed
- Window Light
The story behind the image
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We had our bride site in the middle of the couch and the girls to all place themselves around her. We even had two girls sit on the backrest just behind our bride. Our goal with this was to “circle” our bride with her bridesmaids. We asked them all to look at each other, and then to look at the next “each other” and kept doing this until it became rather hilarious. Ultimately, we wanted to get them all close and laughing and having a genuinely great time together.
What did you say?
“Alright girls, we want you to look at each other. Doesn’t matter who. Ok, now look at the next person! Go on! And again!”
Composition
We loved the genuine laughter and fun these girls were having together and so we moved quite a bit closer so we could fill the frame with all of the girls and really bring emphasis to this moment they were having.
With our bride in the center and in her dress, she stands out amongst the rest and the girls compliment the scene by leaving no gaps around our bride.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
Focusing in group photos is not always too hard and a piece of advice we always give is to focus on the bride. Especially if you are shooting in single point auto focus. As she is the main point of interest, it’s wise that she is the most focused.
Closing down your aperture also helps in ensuring that everyone will be sharp.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The Brides face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/1000 @ f/4.5 ISO1600 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
Our main light source was a large window to the right of the girls. Being indoors, we had to find a spot that had enough light for us to work with. Just keep in mind that if someone turns their back to the window, their faces will be cast in shadow. In our case, there was quite a bit of light bouncing around the room which helped fill the shadows.
Light Type
Natural Light
Weather
Indoor
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
The edits are made to be warmer with a big focus on skin tones and light play with shadows and highlights. A few minor local adjustments were made (Gradient and Brush) as well as finishing off with a fine layer of grain. The whites are not blown out nor are the blacks 100% crunched.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
The main challenge here was being “loud” enough to get the girls to hear us. They were so much fun and had such a great time together that our little directions sometimes got lost.
Solutions
This is absolutely normal and nothing to worry about – just keep trying and eventually someone will hear you. The last thing you want to do is act like a school teacher and shout. Let the girls have fun and time your directions in the quieter slots.
Location
Location Name
Hotel des Trois Couronnes
Location aDDRESS
Hotel des Trois Couronnes, Vevey, Switzerland
Loation Type
Hotel
Country
Switzerland
Always take a few moments before you start to scout the location (and doesn’t just have to be the getting ready location). Being prepared and knowing what to expect can really make all the difference between a stressed out period and a smooth workflow.
Try have your girls position themselves around your bride and not to leave too much empty spaces between them. Get them close and encourage them to have fun with each other.
