Lessons

Lesson Info

Student Shoot: The Ceremony

So my suggestion is right now, while you have that flash, I would look at the scene you're in manual, right? Give me at least like a sixtieth of a second. And what what lunch do you have? I have my fifty on which fifty one point eight one point eight. Okay, so give me at least f two point five I s social last setting I want you to point give me a vertical shot include the background so you get the ambient light. All right. Slop it's my s o at twenty five hundred. And is that at minus one? Yes. On your meter? Yes. Awesome. Now it's gonna take maybe second for toe boot up and actually spill into, uh, let me see if it says busy if you press down on halfway in the shoulders to stay busy, you can actually shoot it, get ya? All right, so I don't know exactly, because what if I'm standing here, you gonna hit my although this is good lighting, I will bounce off of this prospect. But yes. So now so you're aiming at this that yellow pill in know that one? Because where that I want the light to c...

ome from is his closest pasta it's forty nine yes, if it comes from there, you fill in the whole thing right so there's a way to do this to where you nail it from right there and create that again highlight highlight shadow shadow okay and what does it say on your back come on the back on nikon so it will only pop up over there yeah apparently night concert cool, very cool but take a look this is yours, right? Look at that would you have gas now I want you to do a direct flash say sixty if that's a six three six point three six point three yep that's a sixtieth should I change my ass so I'll leave it there okay it's gonna be crazy are you make it go down whatever you do normally let's see what's direct flash will do for her well, normally I would actually bounced so now compared to two can you guys gang him up? Which one would you rather have? Right that's what I'm talking about and that's if one of the things is about what makes you different from anybody else look how beautiful that is its sharp there's nothing and and then she shot it at two point five ambient light in the background typically there's candles the altars lit beautiful threat flash everybody shoots direct flash are you okay? Sometimes there's a stove and on their gary fong's diffuser which is quite beautiful by the way there's nothing wrong with those but you're gonna on ly soften the light you're not going to create this it's very hard to do what you take a look at also is that we can get even more dramatic I mean I could give you examples later downstairs as well is that you not only create the shadow here you will create shadows on the dress instead of blown out straight up you will create shadows on the dresses as well so there's going to be valleys and peaks of light on the dress yes sure right now you don't have a filter on your flash when you bounce it off do you ever put a filter on when you bounce okay filter on which the flash and what kind of filter what I put on the floor like gary fong okay you're talking about a diffuser not a filter sorry yeah so the fuse or no okay no because I want as much light to come out here is possible because sometimes the scenario sixty or eighty feet away so I might be pointing way to heck out there to have it come all the way back so what diffuser will take off a stop or two I need all the power I can get it changes depending on what I hit color right it's gonna give me a bit of a tone to that that later gets corrected in post but what I'm trying to do is create this effect of highlight shadow from this side sidelining like if there were windows now in this case, there was some windows, but we knocked him out because most churches don't have it at best. They have the stained glass stuff, which is doesn't really give you like, right? So I prefer this type of lighting versus the direct flash and even this soft uh, you know, you couldn't even dragged a shutter, which I used to do with my night cons a lot. There are actually quite good at doing that quarter of second while you're moving it's beautiful, I can do that as well, but what do you do with the if the walls are a real strong color, like green or something like that? We're gonna have a green tone, the only thing I don't bounce off his black dark brown really dark brown, black and glass everything else is fair game again. What? What happens if I can't color corrected black and white, it's, black and it's? Because I do show my clients a ton of black and white, so, you know, and if I have to go into an explanation, modi will, I'm usually never asked, but usually it's reception stuff, churches don't have bright green walls, usually or purple wall, so I don't worry about it uh, reception's sometimes have the crazy lighting that throws me completely off or they have the spotlights on the dance floor. They have all these things that they project throws me off. So it's otto white balance correct for it later if it can't be corrected blocking. Do we have any other questions so far? Do we have the chat room with any questions? You ask me if this is just kind of going back to the beginning back if you were just shooting by yourself? Um, I know how you like to do the candids from behind. Would you shoot from the front to get the bride walking down the aisle? If it was just yourself what I do and that's a great question let's say you're shooting by yourself, which a lot of people are so let's think about that for a second. I would if typical churches don't completely fill up with guests they fill up half way a third toe halfway guess what I do. I stand right behind the last pew of people in the aisle. I shoot them coming down who's, the last person that walked down bride okay, so the bride comes down, I shoot her from the front I wait till she passes me I go behind her click, click, click, get him and since I'm here as soon as she's seen I'm on him anyway I'm doing but one of these things so as soon as she's seeing what I may do because I'm gonna have plenty of opportunity to get her walking from the front so my first position will be on him I wait for him her to come and as soon as she comes through the door ways I'm on him because that expression happens immediately right? So boom got him from right here then I go back to her and then I continue this way it's because the other thing that I want here is when if there is a blusher father list the brush because minister will say who gives this child to be married this woman to be married and I mean her mother okay, hell this he hands her over, I want those shots and I get it from here my primary shooters down, he can't really get the shot's too tight and it's an awkward position I'm in perfect position that's I get about this close I will get this close I'm about right here I will get a few of these shots I'll get dad's expression, I'll go at him usually he's looking at her she's looking at him dad is removing the veil they kiss each other, I get that mom will sometimes get up police kit and then I'm gone either I back up if it's too full up front or I scoot out this way and come around and then during the ceremony your back now that's that during the ceremony you know are you shooting right now we're shooting manual um but we need if you're standing in mid ro and you're shooting the groom's expression then switch back to the bread are you shooting in p mode at that time and you shoot me mode with your flash so before you know what of are you up there still can you kill that I'm gonna let you do this first and then I'm gonna show you like ceremony will happen ministers talking it's changing bows and we'll do a little bit of that um did you want to try to do something else because try this for a second yeah now make it a stop and a half underneath stop and a half yeah so two point five about a sixtieth eighty is simon two point eight now leave that two point five and then change the isa until you see minus one and a half so it's thirty two thirty two hundred alright should be lesson that actually is minus one and a half stops right on the ambient light yep ok that's probably cause those around them it's that out it's a twenty five now interest okay, so grab another shot of them like that okay minus one and a half you're tethered good are you pointing at the pillar you are it's you don't even really see that flash do you and a lot of people say when I do these things use flash I didn't see any flash because it's just a hint of it it's two point five worth coming here minister is not bothered by that it doesn't really affect him or her um and what you get is that it so even though we've changed it I think what we're trying to I'm trying to point out in this one there's a little more shadow on her shoulder than there was before the other one was a little brighter so if you went to stops under that's even more dramatic um it's a way to create this mood of having just one highlight on one side and one shadow on the other ok we have flat lighting here right now even though it's completely under what's happening as well is that this flash is bouncing around a little bit but we are getting it off of that and coming this way it would be better had had been there so if they were about right here if you move forward and you aim the same thing right directly at that pillar of him you're going to see a dramatic shift because it's now going to go sideways is that that one? Yes that's a little slow okay, floating now let me try it for a second. I'll take the tether. Thank you, ma'am. Is it gonna take a while to put this bad boy up? Okay, so let me see what I have on you guys. All right? So I guess I'm a two point two still right? So I'm going to switch my eyes so down. Teo, how about that know about two thousand? Almost okay, I'll take it there. Let me see what you got. This is gonna be a little more dramatic on one more let's try one more. You guys standing right there next to that pillar so I can do this. This is how I would flag it right if I if I see that there's spill because now I'm pointing the way flash slightly forward in my right so part of this flashes going to illuminate them from the front if I don't want that I simply block it and this is what you could do with and now you're going to get more side lighting and less from the front. You see how he's lit from his left side over here on your right side actually and shadow on the other side because what's happened when you turn your flash I'm in a short distance here normally I have a lot more distance and I did from a long ways off but I'm turning my flash forward to compensate it to hit that wall, but what else am I doing? I'm illuminating him from the front so I don't have that really defined look that I was looking for, which is better in this one where I have highlight on one side shadow on the other, I want you to take a look at her dress and everything that's there it's kind of cool because you got highlight and you got shadows right in here his pants have highlight and shadow um this is exactly what I'm offering his face has a highlight and shadow her face is lit on this side has the highlight and shadow that's beautiful that's what I want so this is again I'm not telling you anything you can't do this is something you can do youse gotta practice that I wanted to see what the light is here right now, but I got that out of it by hitting that yellow piece of wall go ahead. Yeah, I just it's not really a question I just want to point out I don't know how it looks on video, but I'm amazed at how dark it is in here and I'm watching their faces when the flash is firing and if I don't turned where I can see other corum I I really don't see much anything you want it's almost I'm positive it's a kiss of light and at two point two two point five that's what this is it's just simply a kiss of light coming to illuminate him because the cameras go so high and I s no oh, now that you can adjust for it right so me shooting my mark two at four thousand that was unheard of a few years ago yeah it was it was never mind I mean six forty was max on some of the older cameras that were digital now if I got the mark three and I'm talking twelve thousand eight hundred that's ridiculous but I'm saying the reason my lenses air one point twos and so I can add two point two this is sharp a two point two this is sharp and I've led her from the side thie ambient light is there I didn't blast it out and create shadows in a dark hole behind her I didn't do flat lighting with a diffuser that and it's beautiful to do that but I wanted to see the shadows an address and all that what that's here detail thank you detail and that's what it does it also gets what it does to people when you give them a highlight in a shadow you shape them you know what you do with people that are a bit overweight and self conscious you take weight off by adding light from the side because that shadow helps bury some of that weight so you shape them and I like that that is really flattering light to me it's like someone had what over there what does that light look like? Its so soft box or a window it's a window it looks like there's a window open right here and that's that you see the highlight on his cheek right there on the side of the nose look at his nose highlight shadow that's the third dimension depth that's what I want I want this to look natural but I want you to see where you're at this is a big dark hole right now with a little light in the altar in the background gotcha question about your lying in the way you like you're saying that you're going one stop under is that like a value to media renos that spider or no that's in for nike honest matrix metering yeah for cannon value right? So it's always in a valued of meeting okay, so it's in a variety of your one stop under you trust t tl to know to put the right amount of the ego manu no no no e t t l okay oh yeah I'm just telling him what I want and I've already died I'm in manual right? So I'm warning manual and I'm overriding what my meter would have said I want one stop underneath it so my meter says invalid of meeting because it's taking in all of this in this whole picture where is the meter gonna go? It's going to try and balance it out? All right, I'm gonna go one stop under that, whatever its shining right? And now flash fill me in because what happens is if I kept this at the meter reading that program suggested in terms of manual in the way that it's dialed in and I went to write zero okay, that would be the program, the metering program in evaluative uh and then added light it would have been completely flat I would have over exposed it a little bit because I'm now the meter's taking concert in consideration how under thei r is going to adjust for it and bring it up, right? You because this is the large part of the scene as well. So this is dark that's where I'm focusing is going to adjust for to try and balance out as much as it can overexpose a little and then I'm going to add light. It will slightly blow it out or at the very least it won't give me the highlight and shadow so the one stop under brings that out, okay, yes, where I'm from there's a lot of the churches do not allow flash photography and I know you said the balcony issue have the second up there and you down in front of uncle joe but when they don't allow flash for they say that two guests to you don't allow flash what's ugo you're stuck I I've had that scenario before where I am not allowed to bring out any flash I'm usually able even if that's the rule via the church lady I'm usually able to talk to the minister and let the minister know you know I really appreciate all that's necessary here if you don't mind they saw my work they love the photos of me grabbing them coming back down the aisle smiling and they're just so overjoyed um do you mind if I you know it'll be just like a hint of flash it won't be overpowering but it's at the end of the ceremony I won't step anywhere near the altar what if I do this from same behind the last row of people and I photograph them coming down I usually get a yes you know if you come into a church with respect for what's there and who's there usually you're given a little more freedom because they get who you are and that you're not going to be this obnoxious photographer that's just gonna blow the heck out of everything run through the church to get this shot I mean there's nothing worse to a minister, a rabbi, a priest and to be interrupted because this is a you know this this is a ceremony it's religious and you're interrupting it and I get that so my things always look I won't come near the altar I'll stay back here but if you don't mind it's available light that I'll shoot mostly but coming down the aisle they're gonna be so happy and they're gonna be moving and it's gonna be really difficult for me if it's low light like this too get that beautiful smile on their face and I really explain it from the heart and the minister usually says no no that that's fine because I'm done with the service so it's okay yeah and you do the best you get and what I usually say look, if that is the case with the church gets what you get before you get there you get a letter that you sign that says that you are fully aware of the rules of the church and if you break that rule they will stop the ceremony and ask you to get up and they make no bones about it. And so at that point I will let the bride and groom known here the rules of the church usually they say no, I know that minister talked to us it's okay? You don't need we don't need to maybe we could stage it later or something like that but okay, I get it or the bride and groom who have a better relationship with the minister and I do I asked him nicely do you mind my photographer is really good at doing these kind of things and I really want this in our book and he promised that you know whatever rules you have he's not going to break them but can he take two three frames as we're walking out with flash on camera? I mean come from that place? This is a sanctuary and it needs to be respected and that's the truth and yeah there's times where the bride insists we've gotten nowhere so I am uncle joe but no flash and I am in that first pew with one camera in my hand okay, usually there is no objection to people taking pictures except with flash flash is annoying that's why how much flash that you see on them? Very little but I lit it but the church lady doesn't understand that no that's why I don't go to the church lady right best I bypassed the church lady at all costs and if I can't and she's looking for the photographer, I point to my primary shooter I just point to him yeah, no, I'm actually part of the family it's him and you gotta kick out and you know again I'm still going to come in with respect but I've had it front you know this is why they hired me this is what they want these are the rules of the church now how do we bend them without breaking those rules to where she can get a little bit of something and I don't step on anybody stows that that that's you know that there's always a compromise somewhere near and yes you will run into very hard core situations I've had them photographer not allowed in church at all not allowed at all sometimes those churches have beautiful little windows in the doors that they close on me right through the window man I'm right through the window it is what it is but you know if you let your clients know here are the parameters of what I could do and and you know she said I really love those moments during the ceremony that you get I can't get those unless you can convince the pastor whoever it is that it's okay for me to be near the altar not on it near it off to the side not interfering with anybody in the front this is annoying if you think about it and that's mom okay and here is you yeah alright hang on I'm gonna get him hang on hang over yeah that is annoying and I've seen photographers do that at all costs get the shot well this is why sometimes you get a bad rep in churches it's really an affair ing I mean that it's not about us when we're here it's about what's going on right here. Okay, respect first. Okay, um ceremony you wanna like that for me and now they're facing each other okay, so typically and we could go over a little bit to heck with this um so now I'm a thirty two hundred I'm an available light it's wherever I want don't need to be programme mode here's where I am so I usually have this room to do it and I'm usually there and they're holding hands the minister saying something so the first thing all dues when that's happening yes that's very ice he's got that right she's got that right so I will move over as they're saying and speaking and I'll be right here and when he says his vows, I'm on her because I don't want to be focusing on him when he's speaking so what I want to see is her eyes and now this is again not the ideal situation but they love each other. They're already married she's thinking about exactly how she's feeling about him and how she felt can be I'm this close and usually it's behind sometimes I see in between the things right here yeah I'm over the shoulder and then I time it the minute she starts to say her vows or is about to I go behind the last pew of people come around this side with my soft little shoes and now I'm on him and now I keep her in the frame I want to make sure oh no get out that's beautiful that's nice okay that's pretty much what it is for me okay and then you stand by for the kiss so for me right now this is all available light with this lens I don't do anything else I move around with one camera and then just towards the end I suit up with the other one the kiss happens so here's really what's cool about what I showed you guys yesterday while I have this and let's say I'm ready to shoot that way and this is the camera that I will shoot with and this is a low light situation whatever it might be it's on my shoulder I turned this thing elbows on this and I'm ready for the first kiss and it's a slow shutter whatever I'm trying to do the ending the ending the ending gotcha over the shoulder back on fine line measure and boo do you have this set up with the flash and everything before the ceremony stars you've got it sit where you want it to be absolutely and during the ceremony if I'm in the back and I'm having my fourteen millimeter because thie paintings on the ceilings are insane they're so beautiful, and I want to get all the people the whole bridal party. The entire church is fourteen millimetres there's, no flash that I'm using its program mode. It's. I'm just grabbing this shot, so, again, it's flash as they're walking up, always that's. The procession is good and usually the recession's. Good with flash the rest of the time, all p mode, all available light. And however high I need to get this up four thousand on the mark. Too much as I want to go.