Lessons

Lesson Info

The Ceremony

All right, so here we are. We're inside the ceremony. So one of the first things I have to do, we just ended on taking the groom outdoors, which is great. I want to do that outside the church, but at the same point, this is the church it's, big it's, beautiful. And most of all, it's got great light. If you look here the predominant light and here is very, very simple. It's daylight we have a little bit of tungsten, but it's not enough to change our white balance. So the main thing we want to focus on is making sure that we get good, strong, powerful shots of the groom. We want to focus on making sure that we adjust to the elements and he's again finding the light we have, like coming in from both sides and I'm going to add to it a little bit by using my torch light. No, obviously if the white balance here it's set for daylight, what should the torch be said for daylight? So we're going to fill it in. So let's bring our groom in first we're going to bring in the very handsome mr matt. A...

nd again, the key here is not to over. Power him it's one of the reasons that I'm not using flash on if you look around the room, if the video is in a wide shot, you'll be able to tell I've already got my flash is set up and most people think they're set up to be a back light they're not a backlight. The only time I'm going to use flash is when she's walking down the aisle when they're walking down the aisle. Now, mind you, in this case, I'm gonna have to stop the situations to explain my thought process, but that's when they're going to go off right now, they're turned off, so the only thing I need is matt, I'm gonna bring if you notice where matt went, he went to the most distracting place that he could find he's up right at the front he's up here with the podium with the flowers I need mattison powerful in the entity. One of the biggest problems is that photographers tend to make this mistake. They look at this and they put the subject back here, but they shoot from back here because they want to show the totality of it. What I want to do is bring my subject to the forefront of the image, so when this case meant going to ask you to come right over here, please, you're gonna hop over that be careful going over and I want you to just put your right hand there, turn your body so it's a little bit. Of course your feet for me. Good course over the other way left over. Right good. And now make sure the jackets here tilting hand in a pants pocket. And now from here cleaning forward. So the key here is where the light come from right here, it's very simple. All I need at this point is to add, just look up at me for a second turn your head slightly to the left. I'm setting up this light just like I was finding light in a two thirds view with a face so it's going into his face he's in a basic pose. We're set for daylight. Okay, it's a little strong here right now, so I'm turning it down. I don't want it toe overpower the existing light, tilting your head to the light nice and relaxed there on let's look and see how we set up our crop. We're going to be working at this point from back here. No, obviously I don't always have this much matt turner head to me can you stand up a little bit or sent off a little bit taller and tilt your head to your right? Lean your weight on your back hip a little bit leaning forward chin down just a tad tilting right there and I want to make sure they got enough like turn your head to me handsome just a little bit perfect got to catch any eyes lean forward chin down and here we go so now I'm photographing from a little lower because I want to pretend that there's something in the background besides a blue curtain will assume that there's a crucifix or something that's going to kind of make it work from here my white balance is easily set for daylight at this point so I'm in a vertical set up and take a look right in their eyes up here matt you doing terrific? I'm at sixteen hundred s o and let me just make sure that this point turn off my flesh so I don't get anything I don't want and here we go where fifty eight three point five stay there let's take a look at our image stay right where you are not each pose needs to lead to the next segment so I'm a little bit hot on side of it which means what I'm reading into a suit too much or I think I actually left my exposure compensation let me take a look yep I left my exposure compensation up from where it was before chin down just a tad matt good just like that look in there excellent. So now at that point, I'm going to bring it and tone it down because I was up point seven and you see the difference in this setting, but there's clearly a difference between the way he's cut out of the background. Okay, from this standpoint, I'm going to turn him towards me and I want you to lean forward on the chairs towards me, spread your arms wide, come over just a little bit because I don't want the boat to be a distraction. So come over here just a tad good now leaning forward, turning your head in this direction just like that. So I adjust my light again going into his face it's amazing what the little like khun do at this point, so I'm going to change it. He had matt turn your head back to me, but a little bit, not so much till chin down turned to make just a little bit and from here I'm going to set myself up nice and wide there, I'm off centering him just a little bit. Hold on, let me make sure I get the exposure lock that I'm looking for and let's see what we got so again, right there I'm going wide, I'm thinking about setting up a page on let's look and see what we're doing so again look at the separation between him and the background we'll get out clean it is look at the deep into blacks and look at how we see the christmas lights on the back side the reason we're able to see these things is because we're exposing again in the shadow area and allowing that to burn him so matt what I want you to do at this point it's slide over that way just a little bit you're going to put your right hand on the chair there left hand in the pocket and now what you going to do is turn your head is there you looking out tilt the top of your head to may and turn your head again just simple groom shots I'm gonna use the existing light that we say and go from there and matt so that I don't have to move our camera man can I ask you could you use to go that way that if you don't mind that I'm going to step you up into the row in front sorry you're going to do the same thing right there perfect stop there just like that and now look at way we set it up the key to exposing for this is setting his head up inside of an area that doesn't have a lot of light because then I'm gonna worry about blowing it out and now look even though the cameraman's there let's just you stake your perfect you can go behind him you're perfect move over a little bit because I need no over this way because now you're going to be my window good just like that what I would do is hide him behind him you know what I'm saying so using that there I'm exposing at this point for the highlights and the shadows I'm setting it up and I'm tilting in the direction they're so let's see what we get now if I expose this correctly not only should have beautiful wraparound night from the front said that tungsten light should start to glow in just a little bit while that window blows out it's a nice little effect at that point s in it so notice again beautiful wraparound night is coming into his face the eye zahra pie and what you're not seeing is going right in here and I got beautiful like a disappoint im its sixtieth over second I believe four so we're going to bring matt back into the center aisle excellent you're gonna come right in here bring your left hand here cross your feet just like that again switch it over them and a new pants pocket and tilt your head do you low shoulder nice and relaxed head here and these are just my last minute shots to get the groom alone before the ceremony starts little light into the face look at me matt turn your head to may a little bit more right there and now I get a traditional full length image ok, so from this standpoint I'm ready to go just about okay looking right here stay there matt you are doing great don't move just like that then I go one vertical then I go one horizontal matt, turn your head to your left more look out the window a little bit hold on one second matt you doing terrific make sure I got it where I want and now from there I get beautiful soft light you could see the light is changing again what a little bit of phil close his eyes but notice is flowing straight out to the left. Okay, so now from here matt can relax you're going to come back here because we know that the ceremony is about to begin. One of the biggest problems that the photographers have today is that they choose to put a light on camera it's one of the worst things that you can deal I understand the temptation to put the light on camera. What I don't understand is the temptation to point that light directly at them and blast them with light. Now here's the thing in this case I have beautiful window light here all I need to have at this point is balance so what I've done if we could take a wide shot and take a look as I've set up two alternate lights I haven't a light never be like I have them evenly set and I have them consistently set to bounce into the middle this is to help freeze it it's to help fill it but I'm not blasting because I want the background to remain open if I put that light on camera and I bless them like what's going to happen to the back when everything's going to start to go dark so what I'd like to do is ask all of my guests to kind of bill trade into their seats with the exception of the parents at this point so if my guests can kind of make their ways into the seats that would be greatly appreciated ok, so is there doing that? I'm going to explain my thought process again on the whole thought process right now is quite simple you're looking at it your understanding that you have light coming through and for the most part right now it's pretty even the only way that will change is if you have sunlight flowing through one side in this case I don't if I did and I was getting hit hard from one side what light I probably saying it was coming from this side I probably up the amount of light from here so let's talk first about dynamics so what we're going to dio is we're gonna have this gentlemen stand up for a second and what he's going to do he is going to be that annoying uncle he is here to drive me absolutely crazy so is I am back here he is going to be rude he's going to be obnoxious on what he's going to do is step out over put one foot over and he's going to turn and face this way and he's going to put up his ipad because he is the only one in the world who matters not the paid guy so you have a choice right now that you can d'oh I am getting paid if I miss it isn't his fault no so it's very important that you know how to contact and you read not me them it's very important that you know how to deal with the situation before it happens as soon as I see him stepping up you need to have a big peripheral vision soon as I see him going up excuse me sir sir sir lightly touch can you step back in circuit he stepped back in police thank you very much thank you thank you step up in front of him you step up and not let him block you I cannot you could take a seat thank you I can't sit back here and get a shot of his back I need to step up excuse me sir excuse me sir excuse me sir excuse me sir do I touch him? I try not to touch him at that point because then it's going to be who he is pushing me out of the way. Okay? Yes are you worried at all about being too loud during the ceremony? Are you quite a choice at that point I have no choice and I going to be remember depending what's going on I'll walk up human I could do that. Excuse me sir, can you move over a little bit? Sir? Can you move over a little bit? Can you move over a police please please move over move over move over he's going to move over? I could do it but I may be loud because of state point I gotta alert when I say it loud the bride's mother who's sitting right here what is she going to do? Move over, johnny, move over, johnny, move over she's going to do the work for may? I need to let her know what's going on I can't just let it sit there who's the disruption at this point is it may or is it uncle bob he's the disruption because when I don't get the shot you may say well, you could step to the side but the way my lighting is set up a this point he's going to probably care shadows and complicate the situation or here's what I do all right, I walk up to all the guests those of you have ever seen me back? Sure no, this I walk up and introduce myself I walk up and be like I am dog I'm the photographer I hope you have a great time today if you could please whatever you do when they're walking down the aisle please remain in your seat and don't step out into the iowa of course me a lot of grief if there's anything I can do for you all day please don't hesitate to let me know but please I'm begging you please don't step into the aisle because it'll ruin my photo and I'll have to blame you. Ha ha ha! And they laugh if I do that before the ceremony of a starts have I not gotten rid of all conflict? At that point, I've eliminated all my issues so I could be pushy and the reason I showed you that was because most people are going to go up and introduce themselves to the guest. But the guests like it when I come and talk to them it's like oh he's acknowledging I exist. Okay, so it's important that you do that it's a matter of taking control and if I introduce myself, I'm in control at that point because they're going to be more receptive to make if they know me rather than if they don't ok so now let's take a look one of the things with ceremony that I see photographers dio on the reason we come across his obnoxious is we tend to walk down the center aisle like we're the only thing that matters it's a matter of working from side to side seeing the elements and also knowing where your light is one of the things actually photographers do with stop stop stop you don't need to stop someone what you need to do is get their attention so looking through the camera can I have one of my first couples can I have a bridesmaid in an usher please can I have one of them do have any of my bridesmaids inside here beautiful have my perfect or stern ali you're going to come right over here so I already know ahead of time what I roughly want to shoot this at I know that I'm generally going to be about fiftieth of a second I'm going to be about five six how can you just alec and I swing that over your feet under your feet I should say thank you so now from here do I have any more to the left or is that everything that's everything I got ok so we'll have to work around it a little bit more than I generally would and we'll get more tethers we go on so now here's the thing I want to take them that guest if you could rise please and look that way as though they're coming down the aisle start walking towards me a little bit and watch what I do keep walking now look, I could be here like this or I could be cooking and then get right in and shoot. Okay, now I want you to look at the different stop right there right now I chose to go and not fill it. You look it's it's all right lighting but back up let's see what happens when we add our fell one of the key things that you need to concentrate on when doing this is making sure that your horizontal lines of straight and making sure that you have enough phil so I'm just look at my horizontal lines that's a nightmare at this point because I have to go in and re crop and reset so it's just a matter of keeping it simple now look coming towards me guys start walking looking right here looking now I just got enough bill to go in stop if I blasted them with light it changes the whole complexion because what's going to happen the backgrounds going to go dark they're going to be over exposed coming in from the front side there we go just like that, okay, because I'm not what's happening here something happened did anybody notice what it was what changed during it no yes the clouds the light went town so what changed along with it the aperture the color changed so these this is why you have to know ahead of time okay back up just a little bit you need to always constantly be looking oh I'm under exposed right now so let me change that out so looking in coming in here on what happened was I was on programs so I forgot to change it walking towards me again smiling looking nice and happy right there good hold it that's got it noticed my slow steps notice my balance of camera and let's see what happens now I'm gonna open the whole exposure up because I balance the light according to what they're rather than what the flash thinks is goingto happen see the difference okay and I still could open it just a little bit I could still open a little bit from a tad under but you need toe always concentrate on paying attention to what's going on can I get our pride and our dad please so the couple's we're going to keep filling quite soft to be honest you guys step out one second so notice how the phils coming in we have even fill on both sides so now I'm going to change the way I do thinks can you put the veil over like we did at the house and you're going to lock arms. I'm going to set up to take multiple shots as she walks down the aisle, but I need to give my flashes a chance to recycle. So the first one, I'm generally going to d'oh right about back here that I'm going to do another one here, then what I'm going to do is change it up just a little bit by letting them walk past me because I want to get their backs going into a black and white, so let's, take a look. You guys are gonna walk towards me again, you're gonna have conversation with each other, so I'm looking and saying, ok, what do I wanted to bay start walking guys some all the way, appearing beside good, just like that? And then I switch it up and I let them walk past and now I flip behind and there I go so the lights coming as almost a phil look at how clean and beautiful the light is. That's pretty soft, light and non directional, isn't it? Because I'm using the light? When it reflects off the wall, it becomes something off softness and great because it's omni directional now, when she gets up here, do I need to worry about him taking off the veil? Why I did it already but if he takes it off I can go and do it but what I have to realize is because I'm not using the guests can take a seat because I'm not using a camera like dad pretend you're taking off for bail I have to adjust my setting so I'm looking into an ok excellent the lights coming from behind so I need to be accurate on the front is there any need for phil light from the front at this point not really because if I fell from the front what's going to happen to the background it's going to go darker now dad turned towards your son and war shake his hand good getting close there I go in excellent and I have my image I'm keeping it simple now he comes back here can I bring in our officiate please now one of the things that's going to happen immediately after this moment dad you can go take a seat you'd sit in the front next to mom where are my parents can they take a seat and grand parents on usher's and all of that can you take a seat as though you walk down the aisle okay from this standpoint what I'm going to do now is go and kill my flash because I want to shoot everything available so everything's going to go available so the bride and groom are going to turn and face each other ok this is what they'll generally dio so the probably hold hands the maid of honor we'll take her flowers can I have the girls right up here ali you're gonna hold up okay ushers and best men can I have you stand right up here so what this standpoint I don't need any flash but what I need to be conscious of is making sure that I moved my lights the first thing that generally happens immediately after they walked down the aisle and god gives him gives her away is what the thing that happens is probably going to be the readings the officiant will say something quick and then they'll be some type of reading in this scenario they won't be turning towards each other because we're not up to that they'll be holding hands with their back to me I hope that the maid of honor spread this out I'm going to have roughly two minutes to get this done if that before the officiant brings them over and takes a seat now the ushers and the bridesmaids would not be looking at me mike first shot that I am going to take is going to be the bride and groom I hope that they're centered and it's generally going to be a vertical image looking straight out so they're looking over at the officiant and now again I'm working with a day like balance ok keeping it very very simple at this point you're looking ahead towards the efficient, just like that, I'm spot meter and exposure locking on the back take a look. The first one is a vertical image generally showing the family the maid of honor and the best man, and then we move into our first vertical image it's cropping from side to side it's going to crop from hunt here and I'm going to the top to see whatever that symbol. Maybe if it's a symbol of the cross, whatever it may be, I'm working from there, it's all available light at this point, so from here what we're going to dio we're going to change it up on what we're going to do is go horizontal, and the reason for me going horizontal at this point is because I want to show all of the bridesmaids and ushers, so I'm going to back up just enough everybody's probably looking towards them, the officiates there, it's all set and then I have my secondary image at this point. I'm well on my way, so the horizontal image is going to cover all of the bridesmaids it's going to cover all of the bride and groom and be set that way now from here generally what's going to happen is the bridesmaids and ushers will step off to the side whoever is doing the first reading is going to be coming up, probably right behind a podium so let's assume let's have the official play the role of that first reading. Can you go right up there for a second, sir? Now one of the things that happened so let's just say the bride and groom come off to the side because there's going to be two chairs or whatever it may be in a moving them now, just for mohr of the purpose ofthe working with what we have, one of things that's happened is our officiant speaks to the crowd, I have to look and wait for his face to go in the direction of the light if it doesn't go in the direction of the light, I need to know, okay, where is the mean like coming from in this room right now with charlie it's coming from over here, so I have a choice, I can wait for him and shoot from this side, but what I'm going to do is make our officiant look heavier or and I so I need to be conscious of that. And while he's speaking, I'm going to go to the other side by going to the other side, I'm now going to get what type of light I'm going to get a beautiful profile light. Which is going to go from here so what's going to happen is I'm going to change my angle. I'm gonna hope I have enough tether to try and get this, so I'm going to move up the whole time I'm working again with my tripod, so I stay on tripod, I break the legs down, generally making it into, like a mano pod. So right from here, sir, if you don't mind speaking, that would be greatly appreciated e e e I'm a trait. So what we created was a perfect profile light, so what's happening is that point I have the profile night kicking in on him that would be my reading. So I'm in this position. Now, if the bride and groom go back to the natural spot right in the center here, I'm exposing again for the face could you walk up on the first step per se? I need to focus on one element. I have the parents sitting right here, so what I'm going to do is I want to begin to do my cut away images. What am I cut away images my images would be of the bride's parents, they're married, I'm going to do a solo shot of mom that I'm going to do the dad and the girlfriend some people say, well, why don't you do or dad and the wife why don't you do all three of them together because if I do all three of them together how many images of my going to sell just one so the idea behind it is I saw one from mom one for dad because mom will probably never ever put an image of heart and you don't like her do you yes so if you could come over here we're just going to ask you a few questions of course susan come on over what have we got maybe just stand to the side of us so that he can still okay ex pope bazan photography wants to know if you're using the seventy two, two hundred on the tripod during the ceremony like you are right now or are you hand holding during a we'll let you know generally I'm always using the tripod it gives me good balance that makes my life easier and if you could tell I found a way to kind of collapse around it and make things the exact way I want so I'm generally always on tripod always keeping it simple because I think it's much faster and of course it's much more balanced all right, so question from tier k how did you handle getting behind the bride and dad when they're so small? I'll well what I'm generally going to do in this case is I would probably walk into an isle and I set that up ahead of time by talking to the guests or putting my equipment bag in that aisle and pushing it out to leave it vacated, so I'm gonna push it so I can walk in and really get to where I want to go. At that point, I walk in, let them walk past me because this is a short I'll it's only six rows and being able to do it notice I didn't work with seventy two, two hundred there, I worked with the twenty four to seventeen my preference is toe work with the twenty four to seventy two, two hundred, but in this case showed ill I need to work with that. Ok, ok so tien photo man had asked, how do you handle churches which allow no photos during the ceremony? And how often has that happened to you? And how do you him that they used to happen? It was a problem when I shot film, but it's not a problem anymore. The reason it was a problem when a shut film was because they did everything would flash the fact that I don't use flash during the ceremony have never had an issue so what's happening is I'm going to use what's existing so nobody's going to say anything to me as long as they do not make myself disruptive. Notice I'm staying off to the side and a corner to shoot the officiant to shoot the readings to shoot the cutaways of the parents and everything in between if I do that I'm going to be in great shape so again mrs patty ursula laura are kind of freaking out about what happens in the dark, dark dark church way live right you have to be able to understand where like comes from I'm not afraid of high arias so because if I know there's a direction of light if I was going to try to light up a dog church that would mean idea multiple flashes which is it gonna work the way I really wanted to because his light bouncing all over the place and remember it's not about that it's about making it so that it's out of studio right it's a place of worship on I need to make sure that I respect that well, I mean that's what they're acknowledging that so many churches don't allow its they don't allow flesh but I'm never using it anyway they're going to let you use it when they're coming up and down the aisle and that's ok? And even then I don't always need it because I have my torch fight you know? I've used my torch right on many occasions I'm not afraid to up my arse all because I know these aren't generally going to be huge images they're going to be smaller story telling him against going to made up so I'm not worried a little bit if I get a little bit of noise or green or anything like that, the main thing is understanding the light and having good white balance like I said, if you have good light, you have good white balance good color you're gonna be in real good shape. Well, speaking of small storytelling images, adrian far from england asked if these images from the ceremony are not the main things that get spot or put in an album, how many would you generally take out the ceremony knowing this? I'm not shooting a lot I'm probably shooting on a typical wedding I may be in the forty to sixty range of the ceremony again remember I don't take a lot of doubles or triples gets I don't do it the most going to take is the bride walking down the aisle so that keeps it relatively simple ongoing probably three to five four of that sequence so they could tell the story that I'm going to plug in my post for the journalistic shots from the house, which is what I think makes you more sorry more um unobtrusive you know say that is that of course you are more balanced yeah it's was alice I don't want to be I'm not there to be a sideshow and you don't have that they're not like you're not doing the spraying pray you're not shooting the shutter is not clicking over and over and over again if you're only doing it because I know what I want to accomplish how many shots could I take of their back right what am I looking for? How many cutaways do I need of the parents? How many cutaways do I need of these different things I need to keep it very simple I like that a lost well so now let's take a look again we got good light there we got good like coming in notice we keep everything out of his face no distractions in a backup but most importantly noticed the color and the depth going through it so now with that being said what do we need to work on next now I go for my cutaways so I'll come back here and I'll see mom and dad looking forward at the bride and groom like they're doing they're set up now this two different ways to go because I'm not an angle with the two of them here if I would've shoot dad what would happen to mom should go out of focus here I got a little bit mohr leverage in terms of availability but I can't go and distract I have to keep it very simple and I need to stay away and respect wary um so mom's looking forward just like that I can go in there but in this case I'm going to be stuck with dad in there but I couldn't deal with dad if mom is with him alone mom close their eyes I bet I saw her blank let's see if we got our image by blinking good she's actually pretty good look at the light there so now with changes I step in a little bit closer and now god and his beautiful new wife or looking forward again focusing on dad good and does it matter if the wife is out of focus no I let the story tell now what I would generally do is I'm doing this all from the side I don't I'm going to do it now but I'm never ever going to do this I don't want to walk over here okay I'm walk across it's just rude it's obnoxious in every way shape or form it's a disruption this is not about me it's about them so now mom and dad are looking forward just like that you're standing looking forward good there we go mom stare and I get it my image and look from there so now generally what's happening is can I have my ushers and best man stand up why wait here for them to stand up? They generally in a certain position where they're going to hold their hands like this there's an image on a story right here what that image and story is is focusing in this case on our best man's hands and locking the exposure and I'm a thirtieth of a second I'm handheld and look at what happens look at the clarity look at the depth at sixteen hundred dollars so so what focusing and letting the hands go in I'm going to burn this into a panel type print on what's going to happen is I'm gonna be burned down the edges and look at the story unfolding now as I'm over here I'm also going to probably focus that same thing on my bridesmaid so bethany if you could go stand up next to them and looking right there so alley, you switch with mackenzie good line up straight girls good bethany go right there it's very simple look at the image but what I need to be constant conscious off is the fact that if I focus on the white ok what's going to happen and meter on my wife okay? The exposure is going to read a little bit brighter and it could start toe under expose us again. What you see out of camera is nowhere near what I'm going to get when I'm done because I'm making my minor retouching and telling the story because I stayed balance and meet it and exposed for the pink and not the white I was able to keep it going now sit down so from here, everybody's running around looking for images to take how many images do I need to take in the sequence? Not really a lot doing it's a very, very simple set up that is easily mastered if you think about what's important, is anybody going to buy any images of anybody from this rollback? Generally they're not going to they're not going to the only the person that matters here is grant park and in this case grabber happens to be disabled in in a wheelchair so I don't want to make grandpa are self conscious. All right, so is I'm looking at grandpa and he's looking at the bride and groom I could focus and not at me grandpa and a grappa looks at me like he's doing right now goes then all I got to do is go and point and he looks at them look at them, sir, and I get one cutaway grabbers usually going toe look cranky note is happy is this guy okay? So from this standpoint here want some set now we could start going through the ceremony. People walked back here and think hope he already did this. He got it he's got to shoot again with their backs to the camera I don't need to shoot with their backs to the camera because I got it the first time