The Best of Wedding Photography.pdf - Free

LEFT—Joe Photo always makes it a point to photograph the rings with the wedding invitation. That makes it imperative to carry a macro lens.
RIGHT—An outdoor reception with very little available light proved a challenge for capturing the bride and groom dancing. Parker Pfister
wanted to record the twinkle lights in the background so he increased his ISO and lowered the exposure down to 1/25 second at f/4.5 with a 20mm
lens on his D1X. Spotlights illuminated the couple from behind and no fill light was used to retain the romantic feeling of the photograph.
close-up image of the rings, you will need a macro lens,
and you will probably have to light the scene with flash—
unless you make the shot outdoors or in good light.
THE CAKE CUTTING
Cakes have gotten incredibly expensive—some cost more
than $10,000! For this reason, a stand-alone portrait of
the cake is a good idea, both for the cake-maker and for
the bride and groom.
THE FIRST DANCE
One trick is to tell the couple beforehand, “Look at me
and smile.” That will keep you from having to circle the
couple until you get both of them looking at you for the
first-dance shot. Or you can tell them, “Just look at each
other and don’t worry about me, I’ll get the shot.”
96 THE BEST OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Often, photographers will photograph the first dance
by whatever available light exists (often spotlights) on the
dance floor. This is possible with fast lenses and fast ISOs.
Just as frequently, the photographer will use bounce flash
and a slow shutter speed to record the ambient light in the
room and the surrounding faces watching the couple’s first
dance. The bounce flash will freeze the couple but there is
often some blurring due to the slow shutter speed.
THE BOUQUET TOSS
Whether you’re a photojournalist or traditionalist, this
shot looks best when it’s spontaneous. You need plenty of
depth of field, which almost dictates a wide-angle lens.
You’ll want to show not only the bride but also the faces
in the background. Although you can use available light,
the shot is usually best done with two flashes—one on the