 |
Wedding Photography at Barona Resort - San Diego, California
Barona Resort in San Diego County (California) is probably one of the few wedding venues tucked away and off the beaten path; this makes for a nice, romantic venue to have a wedding. I was fortunate enough to make my trek from Riverside to Barona Resort to photograph this awesome wedding. I immediately saw that great potential for photos once I drove up to the front of the resort. The only thing I wish I had was lots of time to work with the couple, however, despite the short timeline, capturing stunning wedding photos here was no problem.
Getting ready shots can be the most interesting to capture at a wedding. It's a time when the bride, gorrm, bridal party, and parents show their real characters. You can have celebration, or chaos just moments before the "show" is put on. For me, I enjoy capturing the human side of things as they unfold prior to the wedding. In this black and white, getting ready photo, the brides brother is helping her with her shoes as her bridesmaid holds her in balance.
Wedding dress details are a must. Most brides, and I would say almost all brides (there are a few exceptions) love to have detail photos of their wedding dress. Natural lighting allowed for this classic shot of the back of this brides wedding dress and veil.
Love bridal portraits. When I have the opportunity to use natural light indoors for bridal portraits, I try and seize the opportunity. Turning off the room light and only using natural light from the large sliding glass door allowed for this pleasant portrait of this radiant bride.
Barona does have a chapel where you can get married at. However, this particular wedding was photographed outdoors, with the lake as it's backdrop. One of the challenges was the setting sun behind the hotel. However, I used it to my advantage to create a little sparkle and realism in the photo of the bride being walked down the path by her brother. Check out the stunning landscape. Everything was well maintained.
I like exploring different angles when photographing weddings. Here, I've got my Nikon on the aisle floor shooting down at the couple. I think the bride and groom do appreciate the details as I'm certain they didn't pay much attention to the rose peddles in the aisle during the ceremony. On another note, the weather was perfect. Notice the blue sky, you wouldn't have thought there was a fire in San Diego earlier that day. But there was, however, luckily the wind blew the smoke out just in time for the wedding ceremony.
More detail shots. It's the "little things" that brides like. Here, I'm standing at a distance with a 200mm lens just watching the bride as she sits on the grass, waiting to be called in by the DJ. I caught her fidgeting with her rings. I don't think I would have got a candid shot as nice as this if I would have asked her to pose. It's always fun to hide amongst the crowed and just "find" those "little things" thank make a bride smile when she sees her wedding day photos.
What would wedding photos be without a few romantic shots. Here, the bride and groom engage in a kiss on the crest of a hill at the resort. Just behind them, the lake and the San Diego rolling hills. As a photographer, just pointing the camera and hoping to capture a good shot is not enough. I like working in post production as much as I do shooting the wedding. Here, I created a selenium toned image to give it a cool, romantic feel.
The reception, where the part just gets started. Here. teh bride gazes in to the eyes of her new husband. During the first dance and most of the evening, reception venues tend to dim the lights. I like this as it adds to the overall mood. Using my assistant, we strategically place wireless lighting behind the couple to "pop" them out of the background and create a warm, inviting, romantic first dance photo. |
|
Tips for Wedding Photography at Shopping District or Urban Setting
It's not too often wedding photographers think of capturing their brides and grooms in a shopping district; most brides may frown on the idea and photographers face the challenge of maneuvering their couple through crowds and distracting backgrounds. Personally, I like the idea of working in urban settings such as shopping districts. It allows for some unique wedding photography opportunities.
The wedding photos below where captured at Victoria Gardens Plaza in Rancho Cucamonga, California. As a wedding photographer, I personally like the challenge of taking pictures in busy areas; it ads a nice ambiance to the photo. Plus, I think my brides and grooms like the added attention they get on their wedding day. Below, I have listed a few tips for photographing weddings in public places.
Wedding Photography Tips For Shooting In A Shopping or Busy Urban District
- Check if a permit is required: In most cases, you will not need a permit to photograph your subjects in an urban setting, but it's always best to check beforehand if a permit is required and if so, obtain one before the day of the shoot.
- Respect the Patrons: Respect the people shopping in the shopping center. This means, avoid knocking people out of the way or obstructing their ability to enter stores or facilities.
- Don't obstruct businesses: Business are there to make money. The last thing they want is to have a pushy photographer blocking potential business. Be sensitive to this. If you need to photograph in an area that may potentially block a business, ask permission first and work quickly.
- Research the area before the photo shoot: Do your homework first. Scout out the area, looking for areas to photograph your wedding couple. By being prepared, you speed up the shooting on wedding day (or portrait day).
- Safety first: Don't place yourself or couple in an unsafe situation. Some shopping districts have both foot traffic and vehicle traffic. Work with an assistant or spotter who can look out for potential safety issues and warn you about them, i.e. oncoming traffic.
- Use portable, wireless lighting: If you're going to use lighting, I would recommend that you use a wireless system and travel light. You don't need to be setting up lots of lighting in a crowded place. Stay as light and flexible as possible as you will be moving around quite a bit.
- Capitalize on your location: Find spots that stand out or are markers of the location your are photographing at. For example, if there's a marque water fall or statue there. Or perhaps a historical building. Or maybe the location is famous for it's row of kiosks. By doing this, you create lasting memories for your couple and the location they had their wedding photos taken.
- Capture candid style images: While you may take some formal wedding day photos, remember you are in a casual environment. Take lots of candid's as the couple interact with one another.
- Work quickly: If you're photographing post wedding ceremony pictures in your urban location, work quickly. Your bride and groom will be tired and have done plenty of walking. Be sensitive to their needs and work as quickly as possible,
- Bring business cards: You will be in a public setting. As people see you working, they may ask you for a card. Make sure you have plenty of them to hand out.
  |
Wedding & Portrait Photography in Long Beach, California
One of the things I like about photographing destination weddings on the east coast, especially the New England States, is the abundance of light houses along the coast. I found quite a few in my travels to the English Channel in England as well. However, if you're looking to photograph around lighthouses, you don't have to go far in Southern California. Long Beach is one of the best spots to photograph weddings, engagements, as well as family portraits.
Aside from it's lighthouse located at the Shoreline Aquatic Park, Long Beach offers many spots in such a small geographic area. You have the Queen Marry; good for both engagement and weddings. There's downtown Long Beach, with it's train system; makes for great urban and off-beat bride wedding photography as well as engagement photo shoots. There's the ferris wheel as well as other carnival type attractions, as well as the civic center and bridge that runs across the shoreline drive. And let's not forget the beach. With so many photographic options Long Beach offers, it's the ideal Southern California spot for photographers, and brides!
The image below was captured at the lighthouse in Aquatic Park, Long Beach, California.
|
|
|
Portrait Lifestyle Stock Photography; A Couple in the Park
One category of stock photography which sells well is lifestyle portrait photography. Just as its name implies, lifestyle photography captures people living their lives. Whether it's an image of a family sitting at the dinner table, senior citizens enjoying a game of golf, or a couple in love (spending time together) the lifestyle stock photo should capture the natural moments of a couple. In addition, I like to talk to my couples when I photograph them. It allows me to interact with them for a more natural photo, rather than a stiff, posed image.
I do work with both amateur and professional models when photographing stock images. While working with the professional model is somewhat easier as they are more comfortable in front of the camera and can "act" the part to bring life to a photo, I find that the non-professional has more of the natural look I'm looking for when it comes to good lifestyle stock photography. The main reason, and perhaps the only reason is, that the individuals have a connection amongst each other. They have that history together.
This weeks photo of the week, captures the true emotions and expressions of this married couple photographed in a California park. They are not professionals models, yet, they work well together in the series of stock images I captured of them in a park. From the 1 hour session, I had several images that are suitable for inclusion in my iStockphoto.com portfolio. The photo can easily be used for valentines day, insurance, health images, and a number of lifestyle photo applications.
|
Romance in a Phone Booth - Wedding Photography at Disneyland Hotel, California
A big part of how I photograph a wedding is creating a mood and romance in the photograph, after all, isn't a wedding all about the couple being in love, romance, and making a commitment to one another for the rest of their living lives? Why not capture these intimate moments in their wedding day photos?
This particular image is one of my favorites for several reasons. I like the chemistry between the bride and groom; This couple shared a lot of love and romance on their wedding day which always helps when taking photos of couples. Next, the close quarters of the phone booth, brings focus to the couple; the phone booth itself, suggesting the location somewhere in the U.K. (this image was actually photographed at the Disneyland Hotel, California, near the rose garden). Finally, the darkness that envelopes the couple giving bringing importance and focus to their love and intimacy, a sign that they only matter and nothing else does, in this brief moment captured to last forever.
In addition to the overall composition, the wedding photograph actually allows for space to add a poem on the right side of the phone booth which might come in handy when designing a wedding album.
The original photograph was captured in digital color and converted to black and white, more specifically to emulate Illford FP4 negative film; a film I used a lot when shooting film. I used a remote SB800 Nikon flash in the phone booth to back light the couple. By illuminating the couple in the booth, it allowed me to darken the surrounding area. Shooting this photo at night also helped with darkening the sides. OnOne Photo Frame was used for the edging.
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 8 |
Blog
