How I shoot bride and groom portraits at weddings.
Now it's time for one of my favorite parts of being a wedding photographer, the bride and groom portraits. This is now an opportunity to really show my creativity and imagination and produce absolutely stunning and beautiful photography. These are the images that I know will be framed on your wall and on the front cover of your wedding album , so no pressure there. It's also a lovely opportunity for you both to have some quality time away from your guests for a short time and really have some quality time together.
When I take you both off for the bride and groom portraits I will always know beforehand where I am going to shoot, it's not the time to wander around with you and hope I find a good location. If I am shooting at a venue I know well such as Stubton Hall, Washingborough Hall or Prestwold Hall I will have a few go to locations already that I know will look amazing and this is where I will always start.
Sophie and Elliot by the famous staircase at Stubton Hall.
Ivana and David in front of Washingborough Hall.
If I am shooting at a venue I am not so familiar with I will ensure that I either visit the venue beforehand or if I cannot do this I will arrive early so I can get a feel for the place and I can make those creative decisions on where I will be shooting my bride and groom shots before the wedding has begun.
Frankie and Nic at The Pumping House
Louise and Sam at Holthorpe Hall.
One of the ways I love to light these images with with a portable outdoor flash unit. This piece of kit, I believe, gives me an edge over a lot of other photographers as I do not know any others that use lighting such as this. It gives me studio quality lighting that can be used outdoors and allows me to light the couple so that I am not entirely dependant on the available light, I get loads of creative freedom which allows me to produce the quality of images that is just not possible to achieve without using such equipment. This lighting effect can give me really dark, dramatic skys, that I just love, reminiscent of great photographers like Ansel Adams and Salgado (not that I am comparing myself to them).
Alex and Tom at Stoke Rochford Hall.
Sammi and Richard at Stubton Hall.
The other great advantage the flash unit gives me is that I can create beautiful and original images when the sun has gone down, in fact these are some of my favourite images and they are impossible to produce without having the correct equipment. I love venues that have an outdoor ceremony such as at Prestwold Hall, The Old Vicarage in Southwell or Normanton Park, I know I can light these and create incredible images and I just love the reaction of couples when I show them these on the camera screen, as it is impossible to visualize what the finished image will be if you have not experienced being shot in this way before, which lets face it, unless you have been shot by me at your wedding before then of course you will not have.
Chelsie and Philip at The Old Vicarage in Southwell.
Zoe and Matt at Normanton Park.
So that should give you a bit of an idea of how I will be shooting one of the best parts of any wedding, the all so important bride and groom portraits. I love these images and I really do believe that they convey the sense of love and passion that is obviously felt between a newly married couple.