Andrew & Jen Wed

Andrew & Jen were married at the Castle Green in Pasadena. It was a beautiful wedding and the couple, their family and friends were a joy to work with.

Here are a couple shots from the wedding with some commentary on my style and method:

Extreme wide angles can add drama to a shot. I also try to find a unique angle. Usually I shoot a scene in a traditional way to make sure I have a good shot that tells the story, then I will find a unique angle to add some style and drama to the shot. I did not pose this shot I just saw Jen move to the flower and got on my tiptoes and held the camera as high as I could for a few frames. Luckily Andrew took notice and looked up.

I find a bit of a tilt can add to a unique composition. Here I placed the flowers on the right to add color to the composition and the building and title stone above to give a sense of the place. Hopefully the eye is drawn first to the couple then takes in the scene around them. During formals I will do some posing where necessary, Jen and Andrew mostly were already in position and did not need much instruction.

I love detail shots, they add so much to the story and really help fill in the memories in years to come. I always use a macro (special close up lens) and get as many little details as I can. One of the most common mistakes amateur photographers make is that they try to fit everything into the frame. Get some wide shots- but then move in closer to show the small details that make up a time and place.

The most important tools I use are my eyes and my feet. I am always scanning a scene and looking for images. I am very tired at the end of a wedding because I am always walking, climbing and crouching to find the right angle and position for my photos. I was capturing the room details when I glanced back and noticed the bridal door was cracked open. I took a few shots allowing the door to frame Jen naturally. One of the bridesmaids then came over and snapped her own shot with her cell phone. I would have missed this great shot if I had not been scanning the room.

Some of the best shots happen when "nothing" is happening. I encourage my clients to allow time for photography before the ceremony. If the bride and groom are getting ready apart then I encourage they consider a second photographer as well. I was going back and forth between bride and groom and capturing what was occurring when I came upon the groom and groomsmen playing the guitar. As a photojournalist I do not arrange my subjects I move to the best position and take the shot. In this case I am standing on a small wall waiting for the right moment to get my shot.

During the ceremony I always have two cameras; one with a telephoto (for close ups) and one with a wide to medium zoom (for wider shots) I want to capture every moment that I can as quickly as possible. I will quietly change positions to capture close ups of the bride and the groom and some shots of the officiant and crowd as well. This was as Jen was reading her vows to Andrew. I also converted it to black and white and added a vignette (darkening the corners) to simplify and focus the image just on Jen. I always do some custom images like this even when the client has not paid for custom prints or albums.

The reception is a great time to capture the bride and groom and their guests. They are relaxed and just having a good time at that point. I am wandering the room scanning and trying to capture everyone in a natural unposed state of fun. Great moments like these are always in abundance at a wedding you just have to seek them out and be observant. If you are constantly planning what you will shoot rather than observing you will miss many of the real moments.

Josh
Joshua Kline Productions
www.jklineproductions.com
626-676-4458