Lessons

Lesson Info

Shoot: Ceremony

Our students are part of the congregation which is pretty cool what we going to do now is as if we were left the bride we've we've done everything that we needed to do with regards to the bridal preparation we've shot up nice shots off her by herself getting ready and obviously we're at the ceremony the first thing that I would do when I arrive I walk right down the center of the eye and make it known that I'm here and it's with confidence I stand up straight shoulders back and I walk down the aisle I will write down the aisle and I make sure that everybody knows that I'm here the reason I do that is because if the bride is not on time they know it wasn't me so many times you hang out outside the church the bride's late the bride's late and everybody's saying like it's a photographer it's a photographer you don't want a bad rip for that so I I'm never ever late it I have never had one bride not beyond time so it is a kind of hectic record t keep up but it really is the truth and people...

know that I don't and that's obviously why they employ me as well excuse me so I walked down the center of allah make sure people know that I'm here I'm the photographer because I'm carrying the camera it's not like when I arrived at the bridle sweet where she was getting dressed, that I'm walking in, trying to keep calm and everything. I'm making a scene, not a big scene, but I need other people to know that I'm walking and that I'm confident because as I look here right now, we know we're dealing with gorgeous, affluent people, and as I look into the congregation, I see all their friends that are super wealthy and are going to be getting married soon and then are looking to me. So I have to understand that I am now on show people are looking at me yes, ma'am, black photographer or you nicely so you don't like when people were black, okay? All right, in terms of what I wear, obviously no, I wouldn't do it like this, but I have a nickel on branded clothing, so I've got a white shirt with checks on it with nick on branding over here, and my assistant has the same shirt but in reverse, so I've got the white shirt with the tics, and I've got black color on the inside and he's got a black shirt with the white chicks, and so but and they will also designed by a very well known fashion designer in south africa, so they were made for me, they tailor made for me corporate shirts not cool here. If you look around the general clothing that corporate companies give out, his uniforms are not not call, they all like baggy. And for me, I want to look like I'm tailored and I need to look like I understand fashion and all that kind of thing. So I have black trousers, smart shoes. I don't wear a jacket, I don't wear a blazer, you see a light out on the floor a lot. If it's a black tie event, then I will wear black tie in a black suit to the reception, but not when I'm working over here right now. Okay? When I walked into the chapel, I saw that it was a little tight. There's nice light in this chapel. It's very convenient that this nice light in this chapel. So what I've done is I've taken my twenty four seventy because I know that I won't be able to use the seventy two, two hundred here in this environment right now without knocking things over, and I really don't want to do that so quietly. I came in and shown my assistant stashed my twenty four seventy two point eight right down over here, discreetly out of the way, lens caps off so I don't fumbling around with lens cap. Is making a noise and making a spectacle of myself so right at the beginning go and say hello to the marriage official introduce yourself way spoke about that in the first segment now walking in a show in here, right? He enjoyed that that cycle this morning. That was good fun, wasn't it? Alright, cool. Um my looks absolutely gorgeous she's, you know, she's absolutely beautiful. And, you know, she's really excited about marrying you today and enjoy the day it's gonna be good fun. Cool. I'm just gonna take a quick shot of you right now. Um, and then I'm gonna go outside and wait for her. She should be here in about ten minutes because everything was on time. Yeah, okay, so what I'll do, then, sean, my assistant would come in and I don't mind with the reflective please, I don't mind manipulating the light in the front chair because normally people are chatting just come over here for me just for a sec. That's called people are chatting and it's like hi, how you doing? So if I come in and I just if I look at his light on his face right now, I've got some side lighting over here, it's a little bit contrast e I know that if I just pop that reflect in absolutely much better lighting in fact I'm going to show you the difference so what I'd like you to do their nash on just lean forward a little bit yeah that's cool perfect I'm just gonna come over here take my shot let's just have a little look over here all right in this environment now I need to up my eyes so so I'm up to two thousand sa aperture priority two point eight I one eightieth of a second hundreds of a second that's cool right that's good as you are nice get the reflected in that you can actually go that side it's fine okay that's cool I mean to show you the difference with and without the reflector you'll see the two different shots over there right completely different absolutely beautiful lighting on the second one you know the first one was great but the second one was better okay so what I need you to do not just for variation I'm shooting for the album so looking at me right my thumb is in it's quite dark in here it's very difficult to focus so my thumb is in I've focused I'm holding the focus so that means when he looks around I can just keep shooting looked on that's it okay there we go look down again all right I said look down not depressed a little happier okay there you go perfect looking star there we go that's a shot mommy wants okay, happy days. I'm good right? Congratulations. I'm gonna go outside and be with my enjoy it right? So I'm gonna go out there right? And I've got options to use their just in terms of telling the story when I go outside she would be getting out of the car and the story really is he's inside stressing and I mean maybe he's not stressing but he's inside you're getting those emotional type of shots going on over there it might be nice to look for other things as well right now he's sitting with his fingers interlocked a lot of guys are like, oh my gosh and their fingers are going all over the place it might be a nice story to tell so what I'm going to do here keep them locked in the beginning here that's cool I'm not gonna tell him to do that because then it's really faking it and I don't want to do that okay, now I see there that it's a little over exposed because of the dark suit in the background so I need two under exposed by two thirds of the stop alright, just move their hands around just for fun yeah just yeah that's cool move them around a little that's cool keep going just the way ok, right, you'll see what we're going to do in the album we'll put a picture of his face picture of his hands picture his face but I've really thought about that in terms of the way here we go it's telling a story okay, so now what would happen now is that go outside she gets out the car take pictures of that pictures of her and dad together just the two of them maybe dad looking at her just to get all those kind of shots now time for the ceremony so you guys stay seated I'm gonna talk you through everything mother of the bride has come in she's sitting down over here by herself on the bride side of things all the groomsmen on on the groom's side so the church music starts don't tell everybody stands up okay, send our people okay, right the groom will then turn and look at what's happening down and you need emotion from you. Okay, so he's looking down at what? He's seeing there remember that I was two thirds of a stop over because of the hands. Now I'm just going to go back to normal and there he is. Um oh gosh, your days are over, my friend okay, it is okay, there it is on and that's nice so he's looking down at her as soon as I know I've got the shot, I can waste time shooting all of this going on and then people are like knocking me over like excuse me, we need to get past so what I would do then as I come back over here now and the bridesmaids dad, if you could just going tio my assigned empties the bridesmaids, right? And one bridesmaid starts coming down the aisle, okay, stop ok, sorry, I I I want to talk through every single thing that I do rather than just doing it, so we're gonna hit ports every now and again, I know that at awaiting you can't it pours, but this is the type of thing I need to tell you that you need to practice at home. So as I've got that shot no, I was on a f s single point focus and single I was moving the focal point around to find this the it's a single point focus and I'm not on a f c omm on a f s after I've taken the shot as I'm walking, I change now to a f c and three d tracking, so I'm on three d tracking I've changed from a f a s single point I'm now on a f c three d tracking the reason for that is people are going to be walking towards me it might be dark and my camera is the most ridiculous camera at focusing very quickly in the dark it is it's perfect so she starts walking down the aisle there we go good and I'm just firing away and I know I'm going to be in focus okay and bridesmaid keeps coming past me and that's cool bridesmaid goes and hangs out over there next bridesmaid comes okay there we go that's brilliant now usually there's a little bit of a gap and in the grand entrance off the bride okay so now what's gonna happen keep coming down the aisle there please and I'm firing away there we got okay dad maybe just look at her a little bit that's why I'm not going I'm not going to tell them to do that obviously but that's the kind stop cause that's the kind of thing that is going to happen where is a camera here? Okay so now what's gonna happen um I need to now change from a f is some sorry from a f c three d tracking I need to change back to what I was the cool thing about the de for its a one button change so I just put my thumb onto this thiss button over here and then I can change it there straight away and I've just set that up in my functions menu so from there on a f I s now and I'm going to come and stand over here when dad is about to take the veil off the bride's face. So my flowers down a little lower woman dad history. Maya and dad keep coming towards us, and you stop about their turn your bodies in towards each other. Okay? Okay, that you should have been on the other side story, sir. All right. Okay. Uh, so what would happen now if I look at what's going on there's? Not much light on dad's head over here. He's wearing a dark suit. He's got dark hair it's not gonna be easy to find a focal point over here. Sorry. Ok, so, it's not gonna be easy to find a focal point over here. We've got this veil over here, which is not going to be easy to shoot through not going to be easy to find a focal point with so I'm over here back, but and focus. I've got my thumb on the back putting I find a spot to hold it on I'm on it. I'm done. I know that if I got up to here, I've nailed it in terms of the veil coming off flowers down a little lower the meyer okay, that's perfect. Ok, hold it there and then dad, just lift the veil off overhead and put it behind her head. Okay? And I can't just shoot away on there are all my choices and give her a nice pick on the t clear on how many more do you want? I'm not going to make it I'm not going to make a spectacle of myself like that. Oh, you guys have seen that youtube clip with the minister chases the the photographer away but you I did that to demonstrate how easy it is to get as many shots as you like off that. So wait for the moment wait for something like that to happen sorry what in terms of what we were talking about earlier very difficult to focus if you're not on the money with having your back but and focus in okay, dad would probably then shake shawn's hand that's a cool shot if I yeah, there we go there's just grab that they're okay that's nice and it's probably over exposed yes, because of the dark suits I didn't have if I anticipated that I could have quickly changed just gone onto my evey button and changed it over there too underexposed but I will be able to recover that it's not that big a deal and it's in life shot last cufflinks say that okay, so then what would happen maya and sean would come to the centre over here just holding hands facing facing us then just go. Okay? Mom and dad, you guys can sit down over there. Uh, let's get the bridesmaids out of you guys can't race of the congregation please be seated. Okay? You said that you can hang out in a moment out over there. Wait, let bridesmaid sit over there that'll work for me. Let's get the bridesmaids to sit down over there. Thank you. Okay. All right. So what would happen now is let's just say, for example, that we're in a little bit of a bigger chapel. I'd be in the front over here to the left hand side at this point so many photographers make the major mistake off. They saw the bride coming down the aisle bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Take the veil off some I saw make sure that the continual focus back to this back button focus bang, bang, bang! Take the short. Okay, everybody's looking at me? Well, not at me, but everybody's facing forward and everybody's watching there is nothing you can do about what you have just taken, so looking at them is not going to help anyone. This is the part to east and a in front of a congregation shoulders back, stand up straight and that's where you bring in this air of confidence, professionalism and you're just waiting this moment is going to be here for a long time this is not going tio I don't need to be arber take pictures of the flowers you know come in it's not about me this moment we need need to happen just let it simmer just literally calm she's free tart he's freaked out just let it the minister is in charge now led him introduce himself it's talk about the ceremony and all that kind of thing just for a little bit and then we can start looking for pictures okay so the minister is over here dearly beloved we are gathered here to join this man sean to this wonderful woman meyer and he will start to do his thing over there I'm over here I'm quietly quietly I'm gonna change my lens we'll change the lens to the seventy two to three to the twenty four to seventy because it is a little tight in this environment that we found find ourselves right now the next thing that's gonna happen while I'm there you guys just moved back just a little bit for me please okay perfect okay so now what's gonna happen we're gonna start off with the vows ordinarily maya would have given those to the bridesmaid there we go thank you that's cool all right now the minister would start with the vowels could you turn your bodies in towards each other please take each other by the right hand and repeat take each other by the right hand by the right hand way all know that happens all the time right? Ok, it really does I'm not joking really loves happen all the time yeah okay, so all right, repeat after me I saw on take you meyer yes, I quietly come over here and have a look I don't want to knock anything over that and repeat that part to be my lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold in sickness and in health for richer for poorer uh, till death us do part all that all that you and I will give to you. Okay, so what I'm going to be here, what I'm going to do here is I'm shooting over her shoulder and I'm using her shoulder and her veil as a frame to frame his face so I want to know what it feels like to be looking into each other's eyes I don't really want to be over here ideally because this is two people talking to each other. This is two people promising all sorts of things for the rest of the allows lives solemn vows that feels a lot better than shooting from that from the straight from the straight on angle and obviously I'm moving around discreetly and quietly this could get a little lower okay you guys it's an anxious time for ya know ok, so then I'm gonna come over to this side over here we're looking at each other nicely there alright, I'm I will cook for you okay, right and I've got it okay okay so now I, uh once I've got my shot and I know I've got my shot just come quietly and stand over there confidence I'm ready I got my shot everything's fantastic. Okay, what symbol have you brought to marry this wonderful woman? You have a ring you've got two rings that's good that's a great best man here. All right. Wonderful. Okay, so if you could please take my oath by her left hand and place your left hand and place and place a ring onto her finger case stop hold it there just for a sec. What I want to do now is I really want to get a close up of what's going on over here. It would be nice to get a wide shot, but I really want to get a nice close up off the ring that's going onto her finger so I'm gonna come in. I know normally that his suit's gonna be in the background is gonna be a bit of an issue among the underexposed by two thirds of a stop on dh rights slip the ring on slowly there for me please school and if it's happening like that I can quickly come back and let me get a shot way and don't have production in the background all right that's cool and I'm happy with that over there all right, there we go all right so the rings on the finger you can do it the other way round as well slip the ring onto his fingers we'll know that it wasn't as romantic as when he did it to you but anyway put on okay when when they are doing that you're going toe if I'm positioned over here I'm position over here you can do this during the vows or you can do it do this during the placing off the rings I need it to be over here to get that shot over there look at that shot there look at mom so emotional about watching what's going on with a little girl there we go shot for mom that's twenty dollars that's forty dollars that's sixty there we go that's dad he's looking good band that's beautiful and and mom and dad are holding hands I think that that's so cute that school watching what's going on there that's it beautiful. Okay, so that type of thing I'm continually looking around for things that are going on like that taking pictures of the bridesmaid second picture of the groomsman as I spoke about with regards to the personalized albums for them as well right I've got that and now it's time for the minister to deliver his sermon maybe the congregations that you guys want to sing come maybe the congregation stands up at that point that's when I move out discretely and I go to the back of the congregation because I need because I'm wired up here when I go down the middle but normally when everybody stands up I would go to the back via that way they we know what's standing in the front you guys are facing the front of store when I was standing in the front day shawn's at the back I'm like okay, cool I'm coming he knows I'm getting the fish eye he's got the monitor pod ready for me I don't even have to talk to him because communication is key I stand at the back of everybody's singing okay, all right. And I quietly go onto self timer here the back of back of the church onto self timer I take my and up we go three, two, one I was a bit okay and back up again three, two, one nice sort of the ceremony. Take that off. Get my other lens back on. Perhaps they sign the register so maybe we go up short, you can keep this because I'm gonna go back up to the front of their signing the register anyway uh, sorry, sorry okay, so up to the front maybe they signed the register. That's pretty easy to do. I don't want to waste too much time on sonny register then what would happen? Uh, they come when they move up to sign the register, I would go back to this position off where I want, where I was educated and you guys go back a tiny but for me again to anybody's into towards each other again holding hands. Okay, so the most amazing moment has arrived. You guys are lawfully married again, back, but and focus because we don't want to see mr valentino in the background way want to see mr valentino in the background all in focus and the bride and groom out of focus. We want to pick a focal point. Hold my thumb in and you may now kiss your gorgeous wife, mrs smith. There we go. Kiss the bride. Uh, come on, help me out. You ok? But even though that was pretty quick, I got three shots, four shots, there we go, but I've got something that I can use and clearly, I mean, these guys are models. We can't really expect them to be going in too deep with the kissing, okay, so I've got the kissing shot now, um, they might do the presentation by the power vested in me and all of that kind of stuff so they would then be holding hands over here about to walk down the aisle again sean is already at the end of the short is already at the end of the aisle waiting with collapsible reflector because we are inside on two thousand is over four thousand so we're now going to move towards the outside and I need to think about a lot of things that are going on over here so right now I go to the back off the church and either I lie down on the floor I get down nice and low you guys can go back just a little bit for me like right to the india that would work keep going just to give us a little bit of space and just to show people how this thing this could work so I'm gonna change back to three d tracking continual focus again and right they're going to start walking down the aisle and that okay, can you see how cool it is and what sounded that makes it's amazing some every single shot will be in focus absolutely beautiful there's a walking down the aisle perhaps they look, I mean, this is a very short our but they're looking at each other and they're laughing and that kind of thing you've got a few options to work with over there