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The Best of Wedding Photography.pdf - Free

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the reception goes on and guests relax, the opportunities<br />

for great pictures will increase. Be aware <strong>of</strong> the bride and<br />

groom all the time, as they are the central players. Fast<br />

zooms and fast telephoto lenses paired with fast film or<br />

high ISO settings will give you the best chance to work<br />

unobserved.<br />

Be prepared for the scheduled events at the reception—<br />

the bouquet toss, removing the garter, the toasts, the first<br />

dance, and so on. If you have done your homework, you<br />

will know where and when each <strong>of</strong> these events will take<br />

place, and you will have prepared to light it and photograph<br />

it. Often, the reception is best lit with a number <strong>of</strong><br />

corner-mounted umbrellas, triggered by your on-camera<br />

flash. That way, anything within the perimeter <strong>of</strong> your<br />

lights can be photographed by strobe. Be certain you<br />

meter various areas within your lighting perimeter so that<br />

you know what your exposure is everywhere on the floor.<br />

<strong>The</strong> reception calls upon all <strong>of</strong> your skills and instincts.<br />

Things happen quickly, so don’t get caught with an important<br />

event coming up and only two frames left or a CF<br />

card that’s almost full. People are having a great time, so<br />

be cautious about intruding upon events. Try to observe<br />

the flow <strong>of</strong> the reception and anticipate the individual<br />

events before they happen. Coordinate your efforts with<br />

Cal Landau created this beautiful<br />

first-dance photo by shooting<br />

from overhead. He used two<br />

flash units from behind to spotlight<br />

the couple and lowered his<br />

ambient light exposure down to<br />

1/25 second at f/5.0 to make the<br />

shot. He used a Canon EOS 10D<br />

with a 17mm lens.<br />

the person in charge, usually the wedding planner or banquet<br />

manager. He or she can run interference for you, as<br />

well as cue you when certain events are about to occur,<br />

<strong>of</strong>ten not letting the event begin until you are ready.<br />

I have watched Joe Photo work a reception and it is an<br />

amazing sight. He <strong>of</strong>ten uses his Nikon D1X and flash in<br />

bounce mode and works quickly and quietly. His Nikon<br />

Speedlite is outfitted with a small forward-facing internal<br />

reflector that redirects some <strong>of</strong> the bounce flash directly<br />

onto his subject, making the flash both key and fill light at<br />

once. If he is observed and noticed, he’ll <strong>of</strong>ten walk over<br />

and show the principals the image on the LCD, <strong>of</strong>fer some<br />

thoughtful compliment about how good they all look, and<br />

quickly move on. Other times he just shoots, observes, and<br />

shoots some more. His intensity and concentration at<br />

the reception are keen and he comes away with priceless<br />

images—the rewards <strong>of</strong> good work habits.<br />

RINGS<br />

<strong>The</strong> bride and groom usually love their new rings and want<br />

a shot that includes them. A close-up <strong>of</strong> the couple’s hands<br />

displaying the rings makes a great detail image in the<br />

album. You can use any type <strong>of</strong> attractive pose, but remember<br />

that hands are difficult to pose. If you want a really<br />

THE KEY SHOTS 95

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