The Best of Wedding Photography.pdf - Free

4. CAMERA TECHNIQUE
Whether you’ve grouped your subjects and
posed them beautifully or are shooting candids
from across the dance floor, using good
camera technique can make or break your images. From
lens selection, to depth of field, to exposure, there’s a lot
to keep in mind as you capture each important frame.
FOCAL LENGTH AND PERSPECTIVE
If you use a “normal” lens (35–50mm in the digital 35mm
format), you often need to move in too close to the subject
to attain an adequate image size. Because this alters
the perspective, close proximity to the subject exaggerates
subject features—noses appear elongated, chins jut out and
the backs of heads may appear smaller than normal. This
phenomenon is known as foreshortening.
Short- to medium-length telephotos, on the other
hand, provide normal perspective without distortion. They
provide a greater working distance between camera and
subject, while increasing the size of the subject in the
frame.
For groups, some photographers prefer long lenses; for
example, a 180mm lens on a 35mm camera. The longer
LEFT—Reminiscent of the memorable VJ day photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt, Ron Capobianco posed this memorable kiss in New York City trying
to mimic the focal length and angle of that famous shot. Using a short focal length, he was able to incorporate the background into the scene, as
well as widen the foreground portion of the image. RIGHT—The use of a short telephoto lens creates good perspective and no distortion even when
working at close distances. Joe Buissink made this wonderful image with 67mm (equivalent) lens on Nikon D2H in late afternoon light. He helped
out the glow of the light in Adobe Camera Raw.
38 THE BEST OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY