Display preferences and how we shoot for art
Neil December 14th, 2007
Display preferences don’t change how we shoot…but good communication from you can free us up to do our job the best way we can!! For example, this is the front of Tanya’s thank-you card:
To get this shot I had Tanya sit on the diving board of the pool and Erik jumped in to get some hugs and poof the picture was made. I had communicated with Tanya about her picture preferences and she didn’t want anything too posed and didn’t want to spend precious time away from her wedding posing — and that desire was balanced by the somewhat traditional need to produce a representation of herself and her husband on the thank-you card. So in this shot she enjoyed the mood - as well as the representation - and was freed from any expectation to go all out on the back:
I feel this image provides a very good representation of the ‘empathetic’ side of display preferences I first started talking about in another page(link). Now from this shot you can better understand my opening statement “Display preferences don’t change how we shoot…but good communication from you can free us up to do our job the best way we can” you see it’s very easy as a wedding photographer to become afraid of black. By afraid of black, I mean the fast pace and the stress of the job can lead you to only make ‘normalized’ images. Exposures that capture the action or emotion, but the tonality within the image itself does not represent the same emotions and mood that the subject matter does. In this nearly silhouetted photo, where Tanya and Erik nearly kiss, and the nearly setting sun speckles the tenting with golden drops - I’ve achieved a photo who’s emotions, visuals and actions parallel each other and drive home the same golden experience.
The most expressive and unique images may be found, but in the process of doing so we fall short more often than we achieve the goal. As we are talking with you about your wedding day and plans, it’s good to encourage us that abnormal is ok. Hiring a real artist, who will express your wedding is a risk; a risk worth taking for sure! A risk that you minimize by actually looking through many of the events your artist has shot and really taking stock of the expressive powers of the artist. When you really know your artist you can then commit with confidence to those talents.
You can also read more of our thoughts on photography display preferences or choosing a wedding photographer in those categories.
This photo is my favorite from our wedding day. It was taken early during the reception and I was sitting on the diving board and Neill was taking portrait shots and lot’s of our guests were watching. Everyone was nervous that I was going to fall into the pool or get my dress/hair wet and kept yelling out comments, i was having fun with the guests and not really paying attention to Neil, suddenly Erik popped in for a few seconds from somewhere and this was the result. When I look at the photo I remember feeling like Erik and I were in our own little blissful world for a moment and yet we were surrounded by all our friends and family at the same time. Its what a wedding celebration is all about and I never left the party!
As for the dancing photo, I must admit, I didn’t get the nearly kissing during the nearly setting sun connection until Neil pointed it out. I just love how romantic the shot is..I don’t remember that particular point in time (which is why you need a photographer), but again, to me it just looks like Erik and I are catching a quite moment during our large, loud, fun reception. The range of emotions I went through on the day was incredible and I never wanted to be out of the moment to pose for pictures. We feel very fortunate that Neil was able to capture the emotions we felt during various parts of the day as well as a chronicle of all the other details and people. I still get weepy and happy whenever I look at these pictures. Thought its a bit surreal to walk into peoples’ homes 5 months after the wedding and see our photo on the fridge.
[...] in the photoshopped image? The light in this image makes a romantic flip side for this version of Tanya’s thank-you card. Her real favorite photo is described in this other post. But without Photoshop I wouldn’t [...]