The Best of Wedding Photography.pdf - Free

things happen spontaneously and use my background and
experience to put myself in the right position to anticipate
those moments.”
When asked about what kind of wedding photojournalist
he is, Gibson responded, “I’m not a true fly on the
12 THE BEST OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
wall. I laugh and joke with the client, getting them to relax
with my presence. We’re going to spend a lot of time together
and I don’t want them to feel like there’s a stranger
in the room. If I find myself constantly in conversations
with the bride and family members, then I withdraw a bit.
I don’t want to be talking and not taking photos.”
TRADITIONALISTS FIGHT BACK
Those photographers who still provide traditional coverage
argue that the wedding photojournalist’s coverage produces
below-average photographs. In truth, the photojournalists
(who do not disrupt the flow of the day to make
pictures and don’t isolate the bride and groom) can’t possibly
be as in tune with posing and lighting principles as
the masters of the traditional style. They don’t claim to
be—nor do they stop the natural action to dictate posing,
which, in their view, ruins the flow of things.
However, in the traditionalists’ defense, one must acknowledge
that the most elegant features of traditional
portraiture are being thrown out in this “creative new”
approach. Looking at a masterful bridal portrait taken by
a photojournalist, the trained eye will often observe hands
posed poorly (or not at all), a confused head and shoulder
axis, unflattering overhead lighting, and so on. The photojournalistic
portrait may be spontaneous and the expression
full of life, but many feel the classic refinements still
need to be preserved.
For example, in 1909 a Muñoz opened a small photography
studio in Cuba. Nearly a hundred years later, the
Muñoz family still takes pride in their history. Fathers
taught sons, and grandfathers taught grandsons, the skill
that it took to be known as a Muñoz photographer. Today,
there are six independently owned Muñoz studios in the
South Florida area.
Twenty-something Tom Muñoz, is a master wedding
photographer who photographed his first full wedding
alone at the age of twelve (even though he had to have
the couple drive him everywhere as he had “no ride”). As
a fourth-generation photographer, Tom appreciates and
TOP—Tom Muñoz believes in good solid posing and “treating his brides
like princesses.” Here Tom used a small softbox positioned to the right
of camera to illuminate the couple with elegant studio light. LEFT—
Tom Muñoz is a fourth-generation photographer and well schooled in
the traditional techniques of posing and lighting. His images are a
blend of traditional and modern as you can see here, where he combined
Photoshop softening and grain effects with a beautiful, formally
posed portrait.