There were so many elements of interest in the whole ceremony exit that we really wanted to bring each of them in for a very compelling image. We framed our couple wide enough to have them full-body while allowing a bit of the over-hanging tree to form a natural frame at the top. This helped balance out the whole frame as our couple we positioned more in the lower 2 thirds.
Lower Thirds
Our focus on ceremony exits is always on the couple’s emotions and expression. With a wide frame like this, the focus becomes a bit more forgiving in case you misposition it. We did our best to keep the focus point on our brides face while they walked towards us as her enjoyment of the whole moment was really the main goal.
Single Shot Autofocus
Single Point
The Brides face
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.
We were very fortunate with the weather during the ceremony as it only rained very slightly. What that meant was that we had cloud cover which really helped soften the light. This was especially beneficial for us as the ceremony was held under a tree, which lets light through in patches. If that were the case, we would always expose for the brightest part on our couple and brighten things up in lightroom.
Natural Light
Midday
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.
There was no big challenge here other than keeping an eye out for what was behind us. As we are shooting towards our couple, we had to be aware of any stairs, rocks or obstacles that could potentially trip us / hurt us / break our equipment.
We always scout the locations and when it comes to the ceremony part, we keep an eye out for our “route” for when the couple exit. While we were shooting, we also very quickly turned around to check where we were and what was coming up. It’s sometimes very easy to get lost in the moment and forget that something potentially dangerous is coming up behind you.
Private Home
Vantaa, Finland
Private Home / AirBnB / Apartment
Finland
Always do a location scout before a wedding. It not only makes you feel more prepared, but it also helps you plan for things in advance that may have caught you by surprise.
When location scouting, don’t just focus on where you will take your couple for their shoot- but actually go to the ceremony venue, the reception venue (if different) and the getting ready places (if possible). Knowing where everything is before the starts is a huge stress-reliever and helps you more than it helps anyone else.
If you have a ceremony where you have a bunch of beautiful elements, try taking a few wide shots to capture everything in there. Even if they aren’t completely in the frame, sometimes just a bit is enough to give the idea that it exists.
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