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Wedding Photography Approach

Wedding Photography Approach

Getting Ready

For a majority of both Bride and Groom getting ready portions of the wedding day, we utilize a candid photographic approach. While getting ready, we may provide subtle guidance such as advising you to stand in a particular area with more flattering light or looking a particular direction.


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When entering a getting-ready location, we may opt to turn off all lighting sources to avoid competing light sources of varying color temperatures. Typically, natural light from the outdoors appears blue when indoors, while indoor light appears yellow. By turning off all light sources indoors, the overall coloring of an image will be much more pleasing to the eye.

Details

We typically photograph wedding details such as jewelry, dresses, and shoes in a more hands-on manner as would be expected. Positioning wedding jewelry requires delicate hands, discerning eyes, and attention to detail. An exception to this approach is when the bride is putting on her jewelry by herself, or with help. For these moments, we adopt a more candid photographic approach.


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Have you ever wondered how wedding photographers capture such close-up photos of wedding jewelry? The answer is a Macro lens, a well-known lens in the nature photography specialty. These niche lenses excel at one thing, and one thing only. That is focusing at extremely close distances while offering high magnification, usually a 1:1 ratio, meaning the object appears life-size. Costing around the price of an iPhone, most wedding photographers only employ this unique lens once throughout the entire wedding day and that is while photographing details.

First Look

We always photograph the First Look with a hands-off candid and photojournalistic approach. Typically, the only guidance we will provide is the location for the groom to stand and face. We may provide some additional cues, such as which way for the Groom to turn so that we don't miss his split-second reaction. Other than these few subtle cues, we document these moments as they naturally unfold from afar.


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Did you know that you don't only have to have the traditional Bride/Groom First Look? There are other First Looks including Father/Daughter, Mother/Son, Mother/Daughter, Bride/Bridesmaids, Bride/Daughter, and more!

Bridal Party

While photographing the Bridal Party, we will alternate between a candid & formal approach. Action shots of the Bridal Party are typically candid, while traditional portraits of each bridal party member are more formal in approach.


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When photographing bridal parties, we will typically have the entire party in motion, even intentionally bumping into each other. Movement not only raises the overall group energy but also results in genuine reactions.

Ceremony

We photograph the wedding ceremony in a purely candid, documentary, and storytelling approach. With our vast wedding experience, we typically pre-position ourselves in advance of moments happening, so that we have the best angle and vantage point. Depending on the ceremony location and setup, we usually move about in a semi-circle pattern from the bride to the groom's side and vice versa. For the kiss, we are usually in the middle aisle, and for the grand exit, we pace backward in front of the couple as they exit.


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Did you know that most professional cameras these days offer an electronic shutter mode that is 100% quiet? We utilize this mode during intimate or emotional moments to remain discreet. The drawback of electronic shutter mode is that certain LED lights can cause "banding" or lines that can ruin images. We remain aware of this and typically turn off interior lighting when possible.

Family Portraits

Family portraits are photographed in a more formal manner and generally require a more hands-on approach. We almost always use off-camera lighting to fill in unflattering shadows, unless the ambient light is perfect.

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Early in our wedding photographer career, we made the mistake of taking a single photo of a particular family grouping, a big mistake! Later, while editing the family portraits, we noticed that a member of the family had their eyes closed. Luckily, we had photos of this specific person in other portrait groupings with their eyes open! After HOURS of Photoshop, we were able to take their open eyes from one photo, and "overlay" them onto the original photo. Lesson learned! We now take 5-8 images per formal grouping, per zoom level, and per camera orientation.

Couples Portraits

We photograph couple's portraits with a combination of candid and guided approaches. Photos of couples interacting are generally more candid in nature, while when creating a bold and cinematic image, we will be much more hands-on. Our cinematic style typically incorporates one or more off-camera flashes and we do not cut corners when it comes to creating this signature look!

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Did you know that most wedding photographers don't know how to use off-camera lighting and are under-equipped? In our "opinion," this is a required skill for any wedding photographer to have and excel at, especially since many wedding receptions occur in the evening, or at night. When it comes to your wedding photography, we don't cut corners! We will always pursue knowledge and improvement when it comes to our craft, as well as bring along and know how to use, lighting equipment. So that no matter if your wedding is in a bat cave, we will create beautiful photos for you!

Cocktail Hour

During cocktail hour, most photos that we take will be candid in manner. Some wedding guests may request more formal photos, and we are happy to oblige!

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Did you know that by having a cocktail hour, you can not only keep your wedding guests entertained, but you can also knock out some quick couples photos so that you can enjoy more of your wedding reception? Setting aside 15 or 20 minutes of the cocktail hour for some couple's photos will allow you a great set of photos, without having to step away from the wedding reception for an extended period of time.

Reception

Our approach to wedding reception photography is mainly candid and documentary. We aim to capture moments as they unfold naturally during this part of the wedding day. During the formal dances, we will capture emotions and moments from afar, usually employing our long telephoto lenses. For speeches, bouquet tosses, and garter tosses, we will always attempt to find the most advantageous position.

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Talk to your DJ about their lighting plans for during your formal dances! For DJ lighting during the formal dances, we always advise for non-colored light. Think about it, do you want a photo of green laser beams all over your wedding dress during your first dance? We think not! Save the lasers for the more rambunctious reception dancing later in the night!

Knoxville Photographer - Golightly Studios - Knoxville, TN - (865) 234-2580 - info@golightlystudios.com - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use - Copyright © 2024