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Selecting Slideshow Images For a Large Wedding

We're gonna jump into Sarah and Aaron's wedding. We're gonna switch to our computer and go into Photo Mechanic, and we're gonna be looking at the images that were already edited through Photoshop but there's 163 of them, and we're gonna piece the story together basically from our original selection. Yes, this should be interesting. This is when we have to get ruthless and sometimes we argue and sometimes we get competitive but ya know we'll see (giggles). So the first step is to go through and remove sort of the obvious images that are either repetitive or look at sequences where, ya know, something like this where there's multiple images of the same action and really try to choose the best one, or images where we might of tried something but it necessarily work out. So that's where we're gonna start. Yeah, in the initial slide show selection what often ends up happening is that we'll be like, "Eh, I don't know about this one." If it comes out well in editing then it could be gre...

at or maybe it won't work out that well and we'll end up cutting it. So this is the stage where we decide whether it worked or not. So, here we have four images, even five images, that are very very similar, kind of you know, moody and everybody's getting ready. So we're just gonna look through them a little bit bigger and see which ones really stand out. So we have one, two-- Right away, yeah okay. Let's look through. Mmhmm. These first three, four, and five. So right away for me there are two that really don't read that well. This one is one of them. I loved it in the moment. She's on her tippy toes. I liked it as a detail, that she's ya know peaking up. She was doing her makeup, but I think, in the end, it just doesn't read that well. Her foot is not defined enough. What's important to remember too is like in the slideshow, the image is gonna appear for two or three seconds and it needs to read well. This is still a great image to deliver to the client when you have a little bit more time to look at it and absorb it. But when it appears on your screen for just a few seconds, we definitely want to make sure that it reads well. So that one is gone. This one is definitely a keeper. It's one of the stronger images in that series. This is one is very repetitive from this one. It's the same action. So we don't wanna show the same thing twice because having two of the same image, it takes away from the other one. So we can go ahead and remove this one. And that one doesn't read well to me. I remember in the moment, liking the idea of having him in silhouette and her in a highlight, both of them getting ready, but I just don't think it reads that well. You guys agree? And this one too. You know, it's good but it's not that great. The elements are very repetitive, like him standing in front of the mirror, those lights. We don't want to repeat those elements too often throughout the slideshow. So just like that we've cut out four out of the five photos. Carrying on, we're really looking just at the obvious and then we'll narrow in and really look at some of the other elements that we look for. So let's look at this. Out of those three, we definitely just need one. Yeah, one, two, and three. This one, definitely to me, feels like it has the most energy. Mmhmm. I don't like that his hand is kind of blocking her face a little bit. And here the light on her-- The light's not that great on her face, yeah. So narrowed down. We're on the same page so far. We're off to a good start (giggles). Here we have a little bit of repetition as well just between all photos from the parade. Let's decide maybe between these two black and whites. So we have this one which has really good energy. This one too. But, this one seems to breath a little bit better. I feel like their connecting better on this one too. Yeah. And connection, as we know, is yeah. A very similar moment. It is similar. I think I prefer the other one as well. Alright here I think we have a sequence of four images to choose from. Here's one, two, three, and four. For me, I have an obvious winner. Yep, for us this was the obvious one. It's way more dynamic. The fact that we're closer in to the action just makes it feel like you're in there more. The other one feels... Like, I like the idea of having and overall, but there's not enough other stuff going on to really add to that scene. Whoops, sorry. Same with this, I mean it's a similar moment but just further away. Same with this, this is the clear winner for me. For me, it's also the framing around their heads. You know, they're perfectly framing the white space over here so they read a lot better. Nothing's cut off at the bottom. You can see the two puppets very well. This guy here really adds to it, so it's definitely the clear winner. Mmhmm. Carrying on a little further down just looking at the more obvious images that we might wanna remove. Well we've got like five shaving photos so... (Daniel laughs) Let's start there. That one's weird and different and I like it. And we have one, two, three, and four. I think that one, to me, is the strongest. It just, you know, it has the cleanest composition. But what do you think. No. (both chuckle) I don't agree. I think that the hand in the foreground blocks too much. I think blade isn't clear enough either. Like, the motion of shaving needs to be clearer for me. I can see that. So then one where we see the blade a little bit more in the air. We have that one or with the eyes open. Maybe a little too surgical. Yeah, I don't like it with the eye open actually. That one has good composition, like very symmetrical, centered. So I can remove this, remove that, good. Alright, carrying on, into the wedding day. I remember editing this one and I felt like it didn't quite work out so, can we cut it out? Yeah, I guess. You don't feel like it worked out? I don't think so. I feel like if it was more clear around the bride or-- Mmhmm. Yeah, the elements are starting to come together, but didn't quite come together. Ugh, okay. (both chuckling) This is where the emotional attachment comes in, 'cause I know that worked on it for awhile and I wanted it to come together, but yeah, maybes it's just okay. Or maybe we have better. Mmhmm. That's a better way of looking at it. Here's just a little bit of repetition with ya know-- Reflections and multiple elements. Exactly. So, those two, but I remember this one, I feel like it's maybe a little bit weaker. K, let's see the options. One. Two, to me that one is like the clear winner because all three elements really come together. This one is different, it's black and white. Closer on her so it definitely works. Yeah, I would remove this one. Yeah. Alright, into the guys getting ready. Seems there's good variety there. There's a lot of groom prep. Mmhmm. Maybe just compare the black and whites. So there's one, two, three, and four Actually for this one, we do have another one in color. Yeah, I think it's setting that's more-- So it be between this and this. This one's much stronger because it includes someone else. And I think the colors really add to it as well. Yeah, agreed. Is there another one with the arch like that though? Um, oh yeah, earlier. Yeah that one. 'Cause that one is the strongest I think. That's right. Even though, I will critique you. Please do. If you'll allow me. I wish that I could borrow some space from the top and eliminate some space from the bottom. Basically I don't want that top arch, um yeah. And, ya know, if we could have had him centered, that would have been ideal, in that white space. Yeah. So something closer to this composition. Yeah, but I still think that the moment of the other one is stronger. Like I love that he's wearing a T-shirt still and his hat and fixing his tie, like that's cool. Yeah. I think he looks cool in that. So, I mean, so compositionally and everything, the other one is stronger. But, yeah, I think the other photo is still-- Black and white that's the transition photo. That one is definitely gonna stay, but then we have quite a few of her up on the roof so, one, two, three, and four, and five. Whoa, okay. So the transition we agree we're keeping. Mmhmm. That one's a good transition too for our bride being on the roof. I like that one, it's cute. That one includes the mom which is good. You know the inner circle, we definitely want to try to include that as much as possible. I like it as a scene too. Mmhmm. That one can probably go. The expressions are all kind of lacking. Yeah, the editing too. Like the lighting was a little bit off. Yeah. That one's similar, I think it'll be too similar to this one. Mmhmm, I like that one though. I like that she's framed. You know, the action is where the foot, the shoe is, and that's where the frame is. Mmhmm. And like veil kind of creates like a bit of a frame around them as well, so does here head leaning in. Do you want to keep it for now? I don't know. Let's keep it for now and then we'll revisit. Or if you're set we can remove it. I mean, okay. This one I know it just didn't come together. It had some interesting elements but the expressions aren't that great so. We'll remove that right away. The ceremony I remember our selection was pretty tight so-- I mean there's a lot of his reaction, so we definitely need to remove. So one, two, three. I like this one, I like it including the officiant who is also a friend, but I don't love the framing. I wish they were a little more centered. That one's okay. That one is just the strongest to me. Yeah. Do you agree out there? Okay good, yeah the first one is the strongest for sure. I think it's the one that's most focused on the emotion, and like his black finger. It's like very much that day, not that day but that period, those few weeks he had like a black finger. Mmhmm. So it's kind of a nice timestamp in the context of their wedding. I also like that you can feel, because he's looking up you kind of get the sense that he's reacting to her, to seeing her. The other ones could kind of be anywhere during the ceremony. Yeah. Especially if it comes after her showing up in the doorframe. Yeah like this, getting ahead of ourselves. Here we just have two repeating photos, so we definitely want to narrow those down, so we have one and two. Definitely a stronger connection here between the two of them. Yeah, I don't love that her hair is blocking. That happens a lot and that drives me a bit crazy, but I still like this angle. But I remember, at this wedding, just not photographing these kinds of moments from straight on as much. Like, I found myself wanting to go to the side to avoid that hair blocking. So in a way the other works better because you see her, but the connection is lacking. I also don't like that that to part is cut off. Whereas on this one we see all of the top. So, I mean, you win some you lose some. I think on this one I would still go with this one. Yeah. It's a stronger photo. Carrying on through the ceremony. I know this one didn't quite come together. No, it did not. Failed attempt at-- That was shooting through my block, my now famous block. I was trying to reflect some trees on them. It was one of those photos that we included for Daniel to edit in case it worked out in post but it did not. We have two at the view. One of them standing the other one of first kiss. I think it's to much of blob when it's a first kiss. Like you don't see their faces well enough. It doesn't add anything. I think this works better. Yeah. Alright then, recessional. Detail, hugging with people. Maybe just one too many when we end up piecing it together, we don't want that action to repeat itself too often. I love the simplicity of this a lot. Like visually, that's gonna really break it up in the slideshow when you have like color photos with more elements and then you have a really really simple, like, it's just about the hand and just about the face. I also remember this guy was very emotional, which I think is a strong moment in the wedding. Mmhmm. They obviously have a close bond. That one is similar, but the other one's stronger. Yeah, and this one's different. I love that one. Yeah, good, that one will go. And we have the rooftop. I love the foot as a transition. We're gonna get to that. Drinks, drinks, drinks, in transition. Here we have two similar ones, so the one from above, the one walking. The one from above is stronger. Sorry. I say I that way because this one's mine, the other one's his. We're not competitive at all. Not at all, not us. (both chuckling) We're healthy competitive. Yeah yeah. Then we have her walking towards him but we also have both of them walking in, so we don't want to repeat the walking to often. So, I will say, I prefer this as a photo, but I think in the slideshow it's not gonna read quickly enough for us to see him. So I feel like in the context of the slideshow, the other one is probably a better transition. Mmhmm. Do you agree? It's a hard one to let go but-- Because of this one? Yeah, I'll let it go. It wasn't that hard see. (both laughing) Uh, alright. Coming in. Going in, this one and this one. Here we're also kind of mindful of what comes before it, so we have this image which is very similar in terms of, ya know, colors compared to this. So we don't want to repeat that too much. And this one has good energy too. It also has a Daniel Kudish. Mmhmm, cameo. Above her head. I think the moment reads better in the other one. Mmhmm. It's a toss up. Yeah. Let's go with the black and white. Cheersing, so one and two. Why did we have two of these? I'm not sure. I think we liked the energy coming from here, so that's what drew us to select it, but the composition here is, ya know, it is a graphic image so-- Right. I feel like this reads better. I don't know. You still like this one better? Well, I kind of like the, I know it's a detail photo, but the energy kind of feels better in this one. But I do agree the other one reads better because of the framing. Yeah. I'll let you have this one. There both mine so it's okay. (giggles) yeah. Alright the selection was pretty tight for the dinner. Yeah. The speech, holding hands scene. Then we move on to the dance floor. Not too much repeating there. I think once we start moving things around and putting them in order we'll see what goes where and where things repeat themselves a little bit too much. Maybe the ones on the roof, yeah those two. So they snuck away to have a little moment on the roof And Daniel followed them. Yeah. Definitely this one I think. Yeah. Much much stronger connection between the two of them. That one feels like a portrait, and you don't see her well at all. We also have it earlier in the day. Where is it? It was a transition right? Oh yeah, here. Mmhmm. So even though there gonna be further in the story from one another, we still don't want to repeat it ya know? If the couple see this photo and then they see this one again. The other one takes away from this one. It does because then it becomes like oh, another one from that spot, ya know? So, let's remove that. I like the intimacy in the other one. Yeah. That's actually when they told you the next day right? They were talking about how they snuck away, and Daniel's like yeah, I know I was there, and they didn't remember that he was there with them. Yeah, I was literally in the room with them as they were sitting by the fire and they had no recollection of me being there. I think the lack of shutter helps 'cause-- Yeah. That's ones just not gonna read well enough. I know, I'm very attached to this one because it was such a funny random moment. They all went off doing the train into the maze, like there was a maze at this wedding which is so funny and cool. Um, at this venue. So I loved that they were all in there and that the bride was having a moment, but I don't think that in the context of the slideshow it's gonna read. There's really like no light hitting this corner. Unfortunately that's why. Ruthless. Sorry sorry. Same with this one. It was pretty funny, these guys were hanging out all they way on the rooftop and ya know having a good time up there, but again when this image appears for two or three seconds you won't be able to catch them fast enough. 'Cause you're eye's gonna go to that silhouette which is not what's sharp and it's not what the photo's about. It's supposed to be a secondary element but-- Yeah, gone. More people hanging out. And then we're in the day after shoot. So we definitely have a lot of portraits here. Yeah, that's a lot of day after session. My initial instinct is that, you know, there's so many good scenes from the dance floor, and you know from the reception in general, that it might be stronger to close their story with the reception rather than the portraits. Yeah, I agree. So in a situation like this, what we'll do is we'll bump up all of the portraits to the very beginning of the slideshow so we kinda show the pretty stuff more at the beginning, and then jump into the actual story. So with that in mind we definitely don't want to have too many portraits. We don't want it to feel too repetitive at the beginning. We also don't want, the slideshow is going to open with portraits. We don't want the viewer to feel like "Okay enough with portraits already let's get into the day". Right, so that means we're gonna have to be really ruthless. Yes. Well let's start with the nighttime ones. That one's good. I like that one as a...yeah. Closing of the portraits. (giggles) Closing of the portraits. Yes. That one didn't quite come together. No, he's not defined enough. I liked the idea of them highlight in the silhouette, and this actually throwback, but as an inspiration to the one that Daniel did in Hawaii of our couple, you know with the red wall and the blue wall. Yellow wall. What did I say? Red. Oh (laughs). This one has a really nice feel to it. Yeah it does. But I feel like you can't make them out well enough. I think it's lacking a little bit in energy and moment. Mmhmm. I think if it was like a candid moment, it feels like they're waiting for us to tell them what to do, which I think is actually exactly what's going on. This one too is a little bit messy. Yeah, I kinda like that one, the chaos around them. That's an iconic church in San Miguel. But I think I wanna, I mean it depends, we'll see what else we have. Let's skip it for now. Yeah. Keep this for now. Is there another version of this photo? No that was the only one. Skip it for now. This church really repeats itself in a lot of the photos. It really does. Yeah it shows up a lot on the wedding day. We also have, sorry I'm going fast, but we have it here, which I think is stronger. Yeah, the framing's more interesting. I heard a confident "Mmhmm" in the audience. (laughing) No it's good. We don't normally get a peanut gallery to chime in, take advantage. Yeah, these, they're not gonna read well enough in the slideshow so we can cut those. That's still pretty, hang on to it for now. I really like that one a lot. Yeah. Yeah, that's one of my favorites from the portraits. I like this one too. That's my block. Ladies and gentlemen, my block. (both chuckling) We have the car repeating itself here which is much stronger. Right. So we can cut that one out. This one we said yes. I like that one a lot too. That one's probably gonna be our opening photo. Oh yeah, last, we have the one of her alone and this one. Yeah, that one we tried to make it where we tried to get them connecting, like holding hands or something but meh. It's okay, but not for the slideshow. Yeah. I think it would break up the connection too much within the slideshow ya know? We're so focused on moments of connection I feel like something like that is too disconnected. Alright, so next step, let's hide the red labeled photos. We're down to about 124. We're gonna try to start piecing the story together and a lot of other things are gonna get ironed out, and we'll see where there's still repeating elements.