The bride and groom spent a lot of time planning the wedding: months and months of preparations in advance. More than anything else, great care will go into choosing the location, even at the cost of moving and having relatives and friends move for many kilometers. Wedding photography must be able to adapt to the chosen location.
Outdoor wedding photography to chase the bride and groom's dream
It is vital for the photographer to understand that the choice of the event location is a way of making the day special for the guests and for the spouses themselves. The goal as wedding photographers is for friends to look at the album and say “wow, what a beautiful idea for a wedding”. Of course, this is also what the couple wants to hear.
Inevitably this will require the preparation of the photographer for outdoor photos, whether they are taken within the walls of the chosen location, in the streets to reach it, or even to respond to specific personal choices of the bride and groom, such as an unusual transport vehicle for the bride and groom or for themselves.
Two newlyweds in front of a professional wedding photographer
Wedding photography in urban environments
Weddings that take place within cities or in urban environments offer different opportunities for creative images. It is the almost incongruous combination of the bride and groom in the otherwise mundane aspect of the scene that in itself makes the image incredibly interesting. Milan street wedding photography, for example, can produce powerful images in various presentation styles. Even just having the cathedral as a background can create photos with unforgettable effects. Wedding photography in Milan, in the urban environment, is not to be underestimated at all.
Monochrome reduces the elements of a composition to its shapes, structures and structures without the distraction of sometimes intrusive and disharmonious color. With digital processing, then, it is possible to flip the colors from the head down and produce vibrant and captivating images.
We can thank the music, fashion and advertising industries for showing us how to use the natural settings found outdoors in a vibrant, contemporary style. Digital technology obviously helps enable immense creative freedom. It is up to the photographer to take advantage of these opportunities by working on light in different locations.
Light control in wedding photography
Light reflectors are essential
Light reflectors are essential for controlling light outdoors, as well as indoors. Ideal for bringing light back to the subjects' eyes, they are also perfect for protecting them from excessively harsh light. It's easier for a photographer to fully direct attention to the couple if an assistant is helping control the light. (read about other benefits and the need to hire two
Photographers for a wedding). Otherwise a wedding guest can be persuaded to play photographers in this role
Moderate use of flash, but necessary in late hours
You may want to record the dramatic and colorful atmosphere of a sunset. On such occasions, a flash is often necessary to counterbalance the light of the bride and groom against the colors of the sky. The exposure of the spouses would otherwise be too sorry if based on that of the sky; vice versa the sky would be overexposed if the exposure was based on that of the spouses.
The direction of the choreography of the wedding photos
Directing poses outdoors often requires a certain degree of spontaneity, and requires looking around for a graphic representation of the location. Zebra crossings, for example, are instantly recognizable and give the person looking at the photo more of a clue as to where the photo was taken. All you have to do is tell the couple “newlyweds, a shot of you two on a pedestrian crossing might be a fun idea”.
Ultimately, it's also about entertaining the couple on their wedding day, reassuring them that they've taken note of their plans and artistically incorporated them into their wedding photos.
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