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The Best of Wedding Photography.pdf - Free

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Marcus Bell is brilliant at posing large groups. Here he has composed a lyrical free-flowing group with lots <strong>of</strong> spontaneity and fun. Notice how<br />

the “end pieces” <strong>of</strong> the group, the two kids on either edge <strong>of</strong> the composition, help keep your eye returning to the central members.<br />

stand two and, with heads close together, making the line<br />

<strong>of</strong> the eyes parallel with both the top two and bottom two.<br />

Strangely, this seems to work, without the monotony one<br />

would expect.<br />

Bigger Groups. Compositions will always look better<br />

if the base is wider than the top, so the final person in a<br />

large group should elongate the bottom <strong>of</strong> the group.<br />

Each implied line and shape in the photograph should<br />

be designed by you and should be intentional. If the<br />

arrangement isn’t logical (i.e., the line or shape doesn’t<br />

make sense visually), then move people around and start<br />

again.<br />

Try to coax “S” shapes and “Z” shapes out <strong>of</strong> your<br />

compositions. <strong>The</strong>y form the most pleasing shapes to the<br />

eye and will hold a viewer’s eye within the borders <strong>of</strong> the<br />

print. Remember that the diagonal line also has a great<br />

deal <strong>of</strong> visual power in an image and is one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />

potent design tools at your disposal.<br />

<strong>The</strong> use <strong>of</strong> different levels creates a sense <strong>of</strong> visual interest<br />

and lets the viewer’s eye bounce from one face to another<br />

(as long as there is a logical and pleasing flow to the<br />

58 THE BEST OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY<br />

arrangement). <strong>The</strong> placement <strong>of</strong> faces, not bodies, dictates<br />

how pleasing and effective a composition will be.<br />

When adding a sixth or an eighth person to the group,<br />

the group should still retain an asymmetrical look for best<br />

effect. This is best accomplished by creating elongated,<br />

sweeping lines and using the increased space to slot in extra<br />

people.<br />

As your groups get bigger, keep your depth <strong>of</strong> field<br />

under control. <strong>The</strong> stepladder is an invaluable tool for<br />

larger groups, because it lets you elevate the camera position<br />

and keep the camera back (or film plane) parallel to<br />

the group for optimal depth <strong>of</strong> field. Another trick is to<br />

have the last row in a group lean in while having the first<br />

row lean back, thus creating a shallower subject plane,<br />

making it easier to hold the focus across the entire group.<br />

As your grouping exceeds six people, you should start<br />

to base the composition on linked shapes—like linked circles<br />

or triangles. What makes combined shapes work well<br />

is to turn them toward the center. Such subtleties unify a<br />

composition and make combining visually appealing design<br />

shapes more orderly.

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