– This video is sponsored by Skillshare. (soft gentle music) What's up? This is John from John Branch Photography and today you're gonna
be hanging out with me at a wedding in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Proximity Hotel. This wedding was on leap day this year, so February 29th. It's a 10 hour day and I'll be
using my Fuji gear as usual. If you're new to the
channel and wanna learn more about using Fujifilm cameras
for wedding photography, you found the right place. Make sure to subscribe to the channel and check out all my videos on me using Fujifilm cameras at weddings.
I actually have a playlist
of other full wedding days that you can check out right up above. This day, I'm gonna be
using my standard gear, the 23 F2, the 35 F2, the 56 1.2 and the 16 2.8 for my wide shots. I also brought along an extension tube for any macro shots I need and then two flashes and flash modifiers. For anyone who wants to learn
more about this wedding day, make sure to check out my Patreon page, where I'm gonna be
sharing the full gallery of the wedding day, for you to view all the photos as well as breakdown some
of the portions of the day just a little bit further, for you all on Patreon.
So let's go ahead and get into this day. – [Woman] Yes, who is it? – It's the photographer. Hello, everyone dressed? – Maybe I should check out.
– Dressed enough, yeah. (chuckles) So it's the start of the wedding day and I show up about an hour early. As you just heard for all
of you male photographers, make sure you don't just barge
in the room when you show up.
Make sure to check that
everyone is dressed so you don't end up becoming
the creepy photographer. I like to show up early
so I can get a headstart on all the bride's details as well as to get a look at the room and get an idea of where I'd
like to take photos of her when she gets in her dress. So when I first show up, I greet the bride, meet her bridesmaids, meet her mother and then get a quick look at the room. Figure out where my light is, figure out how much space I have and figure out where I can put her when she puts her dress on. Once I've gotten the lay of the land then I start on the details. For my flat lays, I always talk to my
bride before the wedding and let her know what details
I want her to gather up for me so that when I show up, I'm not hunting down
for different details.
So one quick tip, having
two invitations helps because you can use the front
and the back of the invitation to fill out your flat lay. So while I'm looking at all the details, I'm also asking if she has
another invitation for me. So here's our second invitation and we're ready to start our flat lay. A couple of tips for making flat lays, first off you wanna find a well lit area. As you saw this hotel room
has lots of nice big windows. So we're all good to go on light. Second off, you wanna
find a nice flat surface that also looks nice and compliments the
invitations of your couple.
You can see here, this is a
marble table in the hotel room and it looks really, really good and it fits extremely
well with the flat lay. It was basically the first thing I saw when I showed up to the hotel room and I knew the flat lay
was gonna happen there. So our invitation suite is always gonna be the center of the flat lay. It's typically the biggest piece and it really sets the tone
for everything else around it. So I always use the invitation as the centerpiece of my flat lays. You can see here, I was
having trouble with the card and I wanted it to lay flat. So what I ended up doing was
actually getting some tape, which the maid of honor, her
sister came in extra clutch and had double-sided tape and bobby pins and everything you could ever dream of. So it really helped
out with this flat lay. After I've gotten my centerpiece in place, then I start laying out
the rest of the details around the centerpiece.
Typically you have things
like perfume, shoes, maybe some ribbon, the rings
and any other flower details if the wedding has some. And basically the main thing I'm looking for with my flat lay is to keep the weight of the
scene looking fairly equal. I want a centerpiece
with the main invitation and then everything around it, keeping the weight fairly even. Things don't have to line up perfectly, I actually prefer things misaligned but at least keeping the
weight nearly the same helps.
And so I've heard before
that some photographers don't really like to focus on the details and or they think it's a waste of time and they're not gonna be
able to get nice candids of everyone hanging out together but if you have a couple
who really does want some detail shots, make sure you put some
effort into that stuff. Like you see with most of my wedding days, I show up about an hour early, that way when I'm doing
the flat lay and details, there's really not that much going on. I wasn't even supposed to be there yet.
So no one's expecting me, no one's ready to even be in photos at all and I can do the details real quick and also save myself some
time later on in the day. And the last tip I have for you all is don't be afraid to practice and try different things
in your flat lays. It took me years to get
where my flat lays are today and it just came from practicing at home and in style shoots. Try something new, try something different and find your own style of how
you like to handle flat lays. (soft music) So we're just about
done with our flat lay, I have everything lined
up the way I want it and I'm just putting in
the final touches now. Typically the last thing
to go on my flat lay will be the jewelry, especially the rings. I usually let my bride
know before the wedding day to have both of the rings
together with her in the morning so that I can go ahead
and take the ring shot with the flat lay. (soft music) And once that's all set up, I'm ready to start shooting.
Typically I start out with
my wide shot with the 23 F2. Keep in mind, if you have enough light for your flat lays, you're gonna wanna stop
down just a little bit. So maybe the 2.8 or 3.2. After I've taken my wide shot, I switched to the 35 F2 for closeups. Make sure to get both
horizontal and vertical photos of every detail in your flat lay. This gives you more
content to submit to blogs and also more photos
to give to your couple. (soft music) As a wedding photographer, make sure to always be
aware of your surroundings. While I was taking my flat lay photos, the bride was doing her makeup and I forgot she's a makeup artist. So while I saw her there, I thought it'd be a great opportunity to get some cute candids of
her doing her own make up.
Never get so focused on one single thing that you miss what's happening around you. As a wedding photographer, you basically have to have spidey sense of everything that's going
on around you at all times. Now back to my flat lay. To finish up, I'm gonna take a
nice macro shot of the rings. For this I'm gonna use an
extension tube with my 56 F1.2. This way I don't have to have an extra specifically macro lens and I can just use the things
that I already have on me. When using the setup with the 56, I finally have to stop
way down to about F5. Make sure you have
enough light in the area and or just come up on your ISO a bit to help you make these shots.
Now it's time to officially start the day with the groom prep photos. Hello, hello. – Hey. – I'm back. So like with the bride, I
always start with the flat lay. Typically the groom's flat
lay is not as detailed but this groom had a lot of
details, which is super awesome. Because I'm not using invitations in this, it's an easier flat lay with
typically all the details, maybe some jewelry or
a watch and the shoes. Once I have everything set up, I go ahead and start out with
my 23 F2 for a nice wide shot.
Again, don't forget to stop down. (upbeat funk music) Once I've gotten the
wide shot out of the way, then we go in and use the
35 F2 for our closeups. Again, take horizontal and verticals of each and every detail. So the groom's room did
not have as much space as the bridal suite. So I wanted to see how
things are gonna look on these different walls
that I have access to. If you ever need to, it's a good idea to
either take a test shot or just look through your viewfinder to see what you're gonna have
before you start shooting it. Don't just show up and
start taking pictures of random whateverness. Line up your shots. I know I talk a lot
about how I shoot candid but it's like a controlled candid. I wanna set up my subject
where I want them, where I know it's gonna look good and then let them interact
with the area and my direction.
So I end up choosing this wall and I move some of the
background out of the way for a cleaner shot. So basically and yet again, this goes for everybody too. I mainly shoot candid, so you don't have to like stop and like, hey. Most of the time I just
want you to do stuff. So if you see me roll up on you, don't do hey. Give me some of those if you want to but for the most part, I want you all to just be natural unless I'm asking you
to look at the camera, don't worry about it. So that goes for you as well Markel so you gotta hang out and chill.
While we're here, your
light's coming from this way, so if you do turn your head, try and turn it that way. Exactly. And you're wearing this first. – Yeah. – Now that we've gotten our
direction speech out of the way and the groomsmen know
exactly what I want from them, we start getting the groom dressed. Basically for this, I hand
him one piece of clothing and then have him put it on naturally. I don't like him to stop and pose for me, he just puts it on normally and I take photos of him
while he's doing that. My 23 F2 is gonna be
taking the main shots, a nice wide shot of what he's doing. With my whole fast moneymaker, it's easy to switch between
each focal link quickly even though I'm using prime lenses. Having two camera bodies
on me at all times, really, really is
awesome for wedding days. Don't forget to remind
your groom to take his time while he's getting dressed. Some guys I've seen get dressed in less than like two minutes and it gives me no time to take photos.
So while I want him to just
naturally put on his clothes, I also tell him to take his time. Don't rush it. Let's just put the
clothes on nice and calm. Nobody rush. And we get nice photos. If I do need anything
from him like a smile or to stop for a moment, I just let him know real quick and grab the shot and then have him
continue getting dressed. Shoes are typically
gonna be the last thing I have the groom put on before his jacket. Also, yet again, let them
know to take their time. As you see here, this
groom is wearing loafers. So obviously he's just
slipping his feet in there.
So I had him do it a couple times to make sure I got all the shots and the closeups that I needed. (upbeat funk music) It's not often that I get
grooms who are wearing jewelry so this was really nice to
have some earrings in there. So for his earring shots, the main shots I wanna take, is when he turns his
face towards the window, it's gonna be nice lighting on his face coming from the side. And last but not least, it's his jacket. Typically I'll have him
button the jacket up a couple of times. This way I can get some closeups and also some action of him
buttoning up his jacket. Once the jacket's on, this is where you can get
a couple of nice shots of him just hanging out, a good smile, just something nice facing forward. Typical photo. (upbeat funk music) So his father-in-law came
and did his boutonniere. Obviously I'm gonna want
some photos of that. Any kind of interaction you can get with a father, a mother, a
brother, the best man, make sure you set that stuff
up and get nice photos of it.
Also make sure to make
them hug or handshake or something of that sort. A lot of times, you know, guys
don't wanna be touchy, feely but make them show some emotion. They'll make for better photos and in the end, everyone
will be more happy with those photos. So before we head out for
the groomsmen portraits, typically groomsmen will do a shot or either groomsmen gifts. So here we're doing gifts. Yet again, I want them to
be natural with each other. So all I did here was set
them up in a semicircle in front of the window, so I know that they're gonna be lit well. Then I had them go ahead
and pass out the gift and just interact with each other. For group shots like this,
I typically use my 16 F2.8. This way I can get a nice wide shot and include most of the guys in the photo. And then if I need any closeups, I switch over to my 35 F2.
Cool, so we're just gonna kind of chill. Also, it's cold so (laughs) – Oh, it's 2020, John. – I'm stuck in the past.
– That's right. (group chattering) – (laughs) Yeah (mumbles) (indistinct) – No top button's good. Yeah, that works. You guys… Oh no, you're fine. Y'all scoot in just a little bit and then turn out toward me just a tad. There it is. There it is. There it is. Will come back just a little bit. So it's groomsmen portrait time. If you're able to do the bridal
party in separate groups, make sure to do that because
it saves you a lot of time later on in your day. So for this shot, I'm
gonna use a wider lens. I'm using the 23 F2. Stop it down just a little
bit again to F2.8 or 3.2.
This way you can get everyone in focus. So what are y'all? Y'all silly guy, stupid guy? You wanna do something stupid? You wanna do something fun? Yeah, y'all can go ahead. (all laughing) So I'm gonna let y'all pick
what you wanna do anything. Three. You ready? No thought, just do it. Three, two, one. Let's come… Let's come out here real quick. (all applauding) Y'all hang out right here. (all laughing) And if you could for me, I'm gonna have y'all
just kind of posed out like you're chilling.
If you need to put your
hands on the front. You can act like you're
adjusting something. Just look cool. Y'all can look off to
the side or something. Just be like… That's perfect. Let's do solos with Markel real quick. That's each one of you guys separately. Whoever wants to go first is fine. And let's actually start kind
of right where you are Markel. That's great. All the rest of you guys
take a step back this way. This one's solo, so Ethan's definitely up. And then scoot over to your right. Right there. Come, come back right
there and then close it up. Yeah that's perfect. Whatever's comfortable but the rule for today for you is, if you have your two arms up,
you're gonna get pull-ished. So then unbutton it. If you're just one arm, that's fine but the moment you start doing
this it's gonna get weird. – Okay, how about this? – Yeah, that's perfect. And then throw your other
hand in your pocket. After you finish up
doing your group shots, make sure to get solos
of each of the groomsmen with the groom.
There's gonna be nice
memories down the road. They may not wanna do it but
definitely make them do it. And it's something that
you can do very quickly. Take a horizontal and a
vertical shot with each guy and if they want in let them do something
funny or silly as well. (indistinct) (camera clicking) All right, so the rules for today, is I shoot mainly candid. So don't worry about being perfect. You already look that way. So for the most part, have a fun time. Every now and then I'll ask
you to look in the camera but for the most part, I want you all to
interacting with each other. – Okay. (all laughing) – Oh that list is all up in the shot. If your bride has special robes or outfits for her bridesmaids
at the start of the day, make sure you plan out the day so that you have time to get those photos before everyone gets dressed.
Basically, after I finished
up with the groomsmen, I was able to get the shot real quick and then leave the room
while they all got dressed. Again, make sure you focus on
all the details in the room. All those bags and random mats, we're gonna be in the back of my shot. So I had to go ahead and
move them out of the way. (upbeat pop music) Actually, you four scoot
over just a little bit. – This way. – Yeah. – That's so funny. – There it is. Perfect. Awesome, so everyone right at the camera, nice big smiles. (camera clicks) And then look at each other.
(group chattering) (upbeat pop music) And then if you can, everyone try and hug Mikayla, nice tight group hug. Yes. And then just look at each
other while you're hugging. (all laughing) So now it's time to take
a shot of the dress. Generally, I do not
like to hang my dresses in front of windows but this was the best option in this room. The reason I don't like the
hanging in front of the window, outside of it being very cliche, people have been doing it for years. You're basically fighting the light. You have a white dress
in front of a window.
So getting a nice shot is hard especially if you're using natural light. I made a video on how
to get epic dress shots. Make sure to check that
out at the link above. So I love nice wide
pictures for the dress shot. So you can see here, we're cleaning up the area to make sure that there's no
mess in the back of the photo. Once we've gone ahead
and cleaned up the area then we can go ahead and
start shooting the dress. Because I didn't have a lot of space I start out with my 16 F2.8. After that I take multiple
close shots with a 35 F2. Basically, getting the
details of the dress. If there's a nice hanger, get the hanger, get the belt and just a bunch of different closeups. So after we get all the detail
shots we need of the dress, then I have the bride go
ahead and get into her dress.
At this point, I've already
told the mother of the bride as well to get dressed because I need her in
the photos of the bride, putting her dress on. Now it's time for the
bride to get in her dress. Typically I'll tell
her to get in the dress and not to button it all the way up. Just a couple of buttons
back to the lower mid back. This way I can get photos of
her mother or maid of honor actually buttoning up the dress. I don't want any fake posing photos. I want them to actually
have to button the dress. And then again, because this
is all candid and natural, you don't have to stop or anything. You just go ahead and
button it up for real. So I positioned them
in front of a nice wall where I have the window off to the side. You see here, from my perspective, the window is off to our right. This way I have nice light on the bride and also some nice light on her mother.
I'll typically take most
of the shots with the 23 F2 to get a nice wide symmetrical shot then any of the closeups, I'll follow up with the 35 F2. I really love a good back of the dress, getting buttons in black and white. And I always take those with the 35 F2. While they're getting buttoned up, I do give them a little bit of direction. I let them know to smile at each other, maybe to look back and your bride's not actually
gonna be able to see her mom but just looking back
makes for a great photo. Just joke with them, let them stay in their feels
and talk with them through it. When they're done with the buttons, I have them turn around
and get a nice hug. If they do start getting emotional or having a little fun with it, just let it happen and capture the moment. Remember, do not rush them. Even if there's not a
lot of time in the day. Sometimes the day can fall
behind just a little bit but you want these moments. They're the most important.
After the dress is on
and it's all buttoned up then I have the bride put on her jewelry. Typically that's gonna be your earrings, necklace and bracelet. For the necklace and bracelet, you can have someone else put those on but generally for the photos, it looks better if she's
putting on her own earrings. This time around we only had
earrings for the jewelry. (group chattering) Let's do everyone with each other. So, have someone like back on this end. Yeah, y'all could just hype her up. If you could for me, just
scoot like over that way. – So like this?
– Yes, exactly. Yes that's perfect. Yeah and yeah just pamper up. Make it look perfect. And just take your time with the shoes. Let's do one at a time for the shoes. So if you can include the bridesmaids in the bride getting ready, do so. Get as many as possible because these are some
of her closest friends. You can see here I had
everyone come and help with her putting on the shoes and I was able to get
everyone in the scene with the 16 F2.8.
And again, I'm getting
all my closeup shots with the 35 F2. Just let them have fun. Take some photos. And then after we're done getting dressed, we head out for the bridesmaids photos. So it was pretty cold this day. It's still February. But at the end of the day, photos outside are gonna be the best. So we did go outside for these photos and everyone braved the cold. A question I often get, is how do I keep the bride and
groom from seeing each other before they're supposed to? And generally I know where
the guys are for the day and I let him know where
I'm gonna be for portraits with the bride and bridesmaids.
That way we do not run into each other. Turn in towards Mikayla. I'm so sorry, the pictures will be
nice though (chuckles) (group chattering) Mikayla, do you wanna be
facing that way a little? Or do you wanna be more straight? – I'll do straight. – Because if you do wanna swap that way, I would just move you over. Are you sure? I mean, do you like that side better? – I mean this is my (mumbles) – Yeah (mumbles) – Oh, I like the front too. – Yeah, because this side is
gonna be going in this way. Hold on. Yeah, that's right, yeah. – Oh yeah that's right. – Yeah, so you all will
be facing in this way. There we go.
And then we're gonna… I'm so sorry, move to
the right just a tad. Everyone stream in. Yeah, so three on this
end facing this way. – Here? – Yep. There it is. So try to match bouquets. I know Mikayla is the shortest, so y'all come down to her. Mikayla come up just a little bit. (laughs) Yeah. Yeah, so try and keep the
bouquets around the same level. Since we got taller-ish on the end. Yeah, y'all can come up. Come up a little, so we'll have it even. – Is this okay? – Yeah, except this. Y'all bring your bouquets. Get nice and tight they'll
keep you warm (laughs) All right. Yeah, beautiful. Eyes at me. Big smile. (all laughing) There's a couple more. Mimi look at my camera. No others. I'm jealous only me. So I generally take the
bridesmaids photo with the 35 F2. This gives me a bit of
background separation. Everyone pick a girl. Laugh in her face. Ha. Haha. Now get nice and tight.
Warm each other up. There it is. Get even tighter, like
all the way in there. There it is, beautiful. Beautiful. Let's get a little bit of attitude. So generally for my group photos I usually do a standard,
nice smiling at the camera then something kind of cutie where they're all close together
and smiling at each other. And then last but not least, I'll do something that I
like to call Vanity fair or just very magazine editorial-ish, where I have everyone posing with kind of straight faces and trying to look like models. There it is. So we're gonna start
out with straight faces, like think like Vogue
magazine or something.
Yeah, Mikayla is already there. – Mikayla is all about it.
– She knows. – Great (laughs) Oh yeah. (upbeat music) And then now smile at the camera. (upbeat music) After we finish our group shots, then it's off to the solos with the bride. Yet again, take each photo
horizontal and vertical and then ask them if they
wanna do something fun together or something cute. That lends for a lot of awesome photos. (upbeat music) Yeah. Let me just get one picture
of you and Mikayla real quick. Could you just come over here? So a huge tip for you all. If you have time to take
solo portraits of your bride, take them. Even if you've already taken some, always take solo portraits of the bride when you have a chance.
Because if the weather turns
bad or you lose your lighting or anything happens, at least you have the solo
portraits of the bride. Seriously, if you have a moment, go ahead and take them. (upbeat music) So I took these quick safety shots but I do know that I'm
gonna be taking shots of her later on in the day
during our portrait section. All right, so we have the groom
dressed, the bride dressed. We have groomsmen photos,
bridesmaids photos. Now it's time for the first look. There's generally two ways
that your wedding days can go, either traditional, where the are couple are seeing each other for the
first time at the ceremony or non-traditional where you
do things like a first look.
First looks are great for wedding days because they give you a
whole bunch of extra time to take portraits with your couples. I highly recommend them but obviously pass it
by your couples first. It's not something that
you wanna force on them, just suggest it and
see if they're into it. Generally with the first look, I go grab the groom first and set him up and then I'll have the bride come to him and him turn around to see her. So let's go ahead and get into that. And you, so you just
hang out where you are, she's gonna come in like
touch you on the shoulder or something, when she touches you then you turn around.
When you turn, – Turn this way? – Yeah, turn to your right. Obviously forget about us. Don't worry about us at all but (laughs) have your moment. So after I've set up the groom, I give him direction on what
I want for him for the photos. This way I can have my
second photographer, take her a nice symmetrical wide shot, and then I can get the closeups. You're in a good position here but don't try and look into the windows just kind of keep facing that wall and I'm gonna go grab her. So right now, my second
photographer is set up by the groom and I'm leading the
bride over to the groom for their first look. I'll typically take a couple of shots while she's approaching as well. It's a fun moment, little smiles, kind of some nervousness. Then once she's ready, I let her know to walk up and I switch over to my 56 F1.2.
For me, focusing on the groom
is gonna be the main point. I wanna get his reaction and
how he first looks at her. And then my second photographer
is getting the safety shot of both of them together
when he turns around. So here are the shots from
the second photographer. She's also using Fujifilm and she was shooting with the 23 F1.4. And then here are my shots with the 56. Let your couple have this moment. Don't try to direct them too much.
Just let them enjoy each other and you can take shots
while that's happening. Just kind of stay like a fly
on the wall in the background and give them maybe
like five minutes or so. Also, if you have any
friends or family around, make sure to keep an eye on the area. You can see here, her sister
was totally in her feels and I was able to grab those shots. Now that we're all done
with the first look it's time for some couple portraits.
So yet again, if you
have a first look day, this is a great chance for
you to get some portraits of the couple together
before your ceremony. That way when the cocktail
hour comes around, you're not stressed trying to get family, bridal party and couple of
portraits in just one hour. I can take 15, 20 minutes of
photos now before the ceremony and then when cocktail hour
comes up after the ceremony, maybe another 10 to 15
minutes of couple portraits. For my portrait time, I'm generally trying to
find a couple of nice areas that are close by that won't
have the bride out in the open for all the guests to see
once they start arriving, I generally will stick
to my 23 F2 and my 35 F2 for these shots but the 56 does come
out every now and then.
As far as how I'm choosing locations, first and foremost, it's gonna be lighting and then after that, I'm gonna look for the background. Keep in mind with photography, taking things out of
context is kind of our job. It doesn't have to be
the most perfect place to take a photo. As you see here, there's kind of this weird
wonky door behind them but what I'm really focusing on is kind of that greenery behind them. The door does show up
in a couple of the shots but I don't think it's anything that will ruin the shot altogether. Also make sure you're not
spending too much time at different locations if you do wanna get a
couple of different looks. Go to one location, hit a couple of poses, have them interact with each other and then move on to the next location. So, unfortunately this
wasn't the best lighting but it was all I had to work with.
Basically there are windows behind me and they're reflecting the sun. And especially when you have couples with different skin tones, you can see here one of them
is lit more and one isn't. So that's not the best
option in the world. I was able to fix most of it in post but if I could have chosen
somewhere else to shoot at, I would have For walking shots, you
wanna change your camera to zone focusing and continuous focusing. Point the larger square at them and use back button focusing to be able to continuously focus on them while they walk towards you. This way you don't really
have to worry about the focus. You know everything's basically in focus because you're using continuous focus and you're right there on them.
For these shots I used the 16 F2.8. Now we're gonna set up
for a brenizer shot. If you're not familiar with brenizers it's basically taking multiple photos with a telephoto lens and then merging them in
Lightroom as a Panorama to get a larger, wider photo but also have the depth of
field of a telephoto lens. A tip for your brenizer shots is you want something that has some type of depth of field to it. You want foreground boke
and also background boke. You don't just want
something that's very flat. Then there's not really a whole point to the brenizer method. For this I'm gonna use my 56 F1.2 and you see here I'm
taking multiple shots.
My hand over the lens is because
I don't have the lens hood and I'm just being lazy, I was getting glare in the photos and if you know the 56 F1.2, the lens flare in it
looks actually really bad. Here's the final shot
I got from the brenizer and keep in mind because
it's multiple shots, I can crop it however I want to. So I usually end the
first look and portraits with about 15 minutes until the ceremony. This way the couple gets a second to chill before their big moment. Also, if you love the video so far, don't forget to hit that like and also make sure to check out this video's sponsor, Skillshare. Skillshare is an online learning community with thousands of classes to help you continue learning
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camera and taking photos. In this class, Justin goes over everything from the very basics of understanding shutter speed, ISO and all
the other things of light in your camera.
This is definitely a class
you're gonna wanna take if you're very brand new to photography. And another class that
I've absolutely loved is street photography
with Craig Whitehead. Now, one thing I did when I first started wedding photography was actually practice by
doing street photography. One thing that's very similar with wedding photography
and street photography is capturing candid moments and knowing that those
moments are about to happen. In this class with Craig Whitehead, he really, really goes over this very well and I think it's something
great to practice before you really get
into wedding photography. So definitely check out those two classes. The first 500 people to use the link in the description below, get two free months of
a premium membership. It's definitely something
that you wanna check out. Now, let's go ahead and
get into the ceremony. So 15 minutes or so before the ceremony, basically anybody shows up. I start taking detailed
shots of the ceremony area. First I start out with a nice wide shot of the ceremony area.
And then I'll pull in
closer for a closeup shot. After that I just take any
shots of details around, keep in mind, your florist are
probably decorating this area and you wanna have nice photos
for them to have as well. You can see here they had a violin player, so I took some photos of him as well. So now we're at the start of the ceremony. Typically I'll stay right
up front in the center to get shots of everyone processing in. This ceremony was a little bit challenging because I had the worst lighting ever. Even though that they had
shades on the windows, the sun is coming right through and only one particular spot you can see it kind of cutting
through at a weird angle and everyone's gonna walk in shadow and then into that light.
So I had to adjust and deal with that. So you can see here when the
groom starts coming down, at first I take a natural light photo based on exposing for the shadows but it left all the guests and everybody totally overexposed. So I ended up choosing to expose for the light coming through the window and just have all the
guests kind of underexposed. I ended up doing this for the rest of all the guests processing in. Also, if I'm allowed
to stay up at the front of the ceremony area I will, this way I can get shots of the parents hugging the bride or groom.
You can see here I got a couple of shots. One was a little bit blurry but honestly the moments matter more than if I miss the focus a little bit. And also my second photographer
came in, in the clutch and got a nice shot as well. After the groom comes in, basically I followed the same steps. Come to the center, take the shots of the
next couple processing in and then move out of the way and do that over and over for everyone until we get up to the
bride processing in. For my second photographer, I'll typically have them set either on the left or right
side of the ceremony area up towards the front.
They're gonna be focusing on
the groom and his reaction. That's all I want them to take photos of. I'll take a nice safety shot real quick before the bride starts
coming down the aisle but I'm mainly focused on the bride while she comes down the aisle and my second photographer
will get the groom and his reactions. You can see here my second
photographer got amazing shots. This is exactly what I wanted. Nice closeups of him in his feels. After the bride makes
her way down the aisle, I'll immediately get behind them so I can get some shots of
her walking down the aisle, depending on how long the aisle is.
I'll also get a couple of shots of maybe the groom standing
there waiting for the bride before she's handed off by her parents. This is a great time to wait for hugs. There will always be hugs or kisses or something at this point in time. So make sure you're ready for those shots. You can see here, I
stayed close to the front and took these with the 23 since everyone's hugging at the same time. Now at this point, I basically started hanging out and taking nice shots of
everything that's happening. Big tip for your ceremonies is, make sure you're paying
attention to the ceremony. Don't just zone out because
now the officiant's talking and in you're in the ceremony and everyone's kind of standing around. Make sure you're paying attention to what everyone is saying because that way you'll be able to tell when there's emotion about to show. I step back, sit in the middle, take a couple of shots with my 35 and 23 and then at that point, I back up take a wide shot and then start changing my lenses up.
So when I changed my lenses, I'll change my 35 F2 to the 56 F1.2. I really love the way the 56
looks during the ceremony. It also gives me a nice distance so I don't have to be
too close to the front but on the same end I
don't mind being close. Unless for some reason, the wedding tells me
that I cannot be close. I'm gonna get as close as I
can without being in the way. So I love this hold fast bag
that I'm using on my back. It makes it extremely
easy to switch my lenses and keep all my gear on me. Make sure to check out
my video about this bag 'cause it's super awesome. So again, pay attention
to what's being said and look for emotion. That's the main part you're gonna be doing during the ceremony. For any close-up shots, I just pull in a little bit closer and get some nice tight atmospheric photos of them holding hands or
something of that sort.
For my second photographer at this point, I basically tell them they
can do whatever they want to, just focus on the couple
and things happening during the ceremony. So they're gonna grab things
like parents and guests and alternate angles
of the couple together that I may not be getting
since I'm dead-center. After I've gotten enough
shots with the 23 F2, I typically switch that
over to the 16 F2.8. I'll take one nice big wide
shot with my widest lens and then when I'm gonna use this for is when they process out, I'll be able to get shots
of them walking towards me with the 16 F2.8. So you get a nice wide shot, you can see all the guests and you can see them kind
of cheering themselves on that they just got married. Once you start nearing
the end of the ceremony, make sure you're ready for the first kiss.
Sometimes in some ceremonies
they come out of nowhere. So that's why I like to
stick towards the middle so that if it comes up, I can catch it. My second photographer is running around, grabbing different and alternate shots and I'm in the center taking safety shots, getting shots of them exchanging rings, exchanging vows and being
prepared for the first kiss. For the first kiss shot, I back up and get a nice
tight but full body shot of their first kiss. I typically use the 56 F1.2 for this and when the first kiss happens, I go to high shutter and I literally just
hold down the shutter. Another cool part of doing this is, is that I can get a nice gif that I can give them of their first kiss. – [Officiant] I now pronounce
you husband and wife. Markel you may now kiss your bride. (congregation applauding) To present to you for the first time, Mr and Mrs Markel Quinn. (congregation applauding) – So now it's time to process out.
Yet again, I push up
nice and close on them. Use my widest lens, the 16 F2.8, go into zone focus, continuous auto-focus and take shots of them walking out. This way I get a nice wide shot, it includes the guests
and you can see them nearly full body. After that, I'll typically
just follow the couple. They're usually in their feels, they're having a good time, they're celebrating and just
get some nice candid shots of them enjoying each other
right after getting married. A lot of times their bridal
party will follow along and then you'll get
shots of them altogether kind of hanging out
congratulating the couple and just some nice candid
shots of their reactions. So you'll see here, I'm hanging out in the back with my 56 to get some candid shots of
them reacting with their guests. So the ceremony is all done now and this is probably one
of the most crucial parts of the day. Immediately after your ceremony, you're gonna wanna get family portraits. Make sure you get the
family portraits here.
If you're doing a traditional day, usually this is when the
cocktail hour happens and you do family
portraits, couple portraits and maybe the bridal party. On a first look day, you're
also doing that stuff but the couple portraits
aren't as important because you already have some portraits. So it saves you some time to kind of split up your portraits.
I'm not gonna be showing the
family photos in this video but I do have footage of it, which I will be sharing on Patreon. With that footage, I'm also gonna share how I like to collect all the names for the family photos to
make them go extremely smooth because one part of the day that's gonna eat up all of the time, is your family photos. Make sure you have a process
for the family photos and I will be sharing
that stuff on Patreon. So we just finished up the family photos and now it's time for the bridal party. Keep in mind I took the groomsmen and the bridesmaid separately. So all I really need is one big group shot of everyone together. All right it's cold so
let's do this quick. If you're dropping your drapes, drop them back here by me. Keep your bouquets about same height. – We make the V this time.
(indistinct chatter) – Wait, wait, wait. We'll do that in a moment. Line up straight. Guys, hands in pockets. Ladies, bouquet's about the same height. So you have to come down a little bit. Shorter folks come up just a tad. At the end come up just a bit and then y'all three altogether
to follow and come down. No, not yet. That's okay. Guys, scoot in nice and tight. Keep that line straight nice and tight. There it is. We're gonna do this quick
so y'all can warm up but first, everyone
take a step to the left. Right there, good. (indistinct chatter) Eyes at me. Everyone give me a big cheer, yay. – [All] Yay. – Give me a silly pose. Three, two, one, go. Change it, three, two, one go. One more time, three, two, one, go. Y'all wanna make a V? Markel, Mikayla come here. Come all the way up to me. – [All] Yay. – Next two beside them but like back here. No everyone's straight. Yep, exactly straight to me. Markel, Mikayla, just
take a tiny, tiny, tiny… Right there. (indistinct chatter) Yeah, that's perfect, perfect.
Good. So Mikayla, Markel first look at me. Yep. Everyone look at me. Mikayla, Markel look at each other. Guys, look out that way. Ladies, look out this way. And then Markel and Mikayla kiss. Perfect. Bridesmaids, excuse me y'all done. (all cheering) After the bridal party portraits, we go ahead and go into
the couple portraits. Since I took some earlier
in the first look, I only need a couple of portraits of them and wanna free up their
time for the cocktail hour. Oh yeah. So there's a lot of wonky
shadowing happening. So what we're gonna do, Mikayla, you are perfect like that, scoot over into Markel
just this right there and you scoot closer to her.
Don't hold her around the summit, but you can put an arm like… You would hold her arms
or something (mumbles) Yeah. Cool. Yeah and at first I want y'all
both to just turn your faces over towards the light a bit. I know you won't be able to see, so if you want to you can
close your eyes at first and maybe you'll open
them for two seconds.
I know the sun is like right
there beat down on you but. So since I already took some portraits during the first look section, basically what I'm looking for, is just a couple more settings to get some portraits of them together. Also during this time I'll be taking portraits of them separately. Okay. We're gonna open eyes, ready? Three, two, one. (camera clicking) Okay, now look over at me. Let's not stare at the sun. Try to bring your heads close. Markel you don't come
down to her at this way 'cause you're like to the side. She'll just come over to you a little bit and you can almost like
look down over at her, yeah.
And then look over towards him. Just the tiniest bit. – [Mikayla] This good? – Yeah. (upbeat pop music) Whenever you're doing
portraits with your couples, you should have already established a pretty well-working
relationship with them. Make sure that before your wedding day, that you're actually establishing a relationship with your couples. Meet with them multiple times, not just one time before
you're about to book them. Make sure they know who you
are and what your approach is, especially if you have
an engagement session with them together and consistently send them emails so that they are in the know
of how their wedding day is gonna go down.
This will make your portraits
much more comfortable and it won't feel awkward
taking the photos. That is the hugest tip I have for you all when getting nice
portraits of your couple. I know you wanna focus on things like lighting and lenses and cameras but relationship is first and foremost, when it comes to taking
comfortable portraits. Here's a small handful of the solo shots we took up each of them
separately as well. I usually take about five
minutes for these photos and they're still together
while I'm taking them.
So I'll have the other
spouse hype each other up. So you get nice candid laughs and smiles in some of the photos. So at this point we had one
of the hotel workers come and let us know that they couldn't have their drinks on the floor 'cause they had put them
somewhere on the ground but then he also was like, "Yo, y'all wanna come take
some pictures on the roof." And we were hype and we get up there and honestly the roof wasn't
that good looking (chuckles) But we made do. Basically on the roof, I didn't like this wall that they had up, you couldn't really see anything. So me and my second photographer, we went ahead and took some shots and I took a very low
shot using the 16 F2.8. What I ended up doing, is my second photographer
was using a prism which gave some pretty cool shots. So I took some of her shots
and one of my main shots and merged them together and
also added some extra effects to get this photo. Now I did some couple
portraits at this point and we thought we had some time to save and gave the couple about 30
minutes to go to cocktail hour but someone messed up
the timeline somewhere and we saw everybody congregating over to the reception area, which meant the reception
was about to start.
This was the absolute worst 'cause it did not give me a moment to actually get the detail shots. So now we're starting on
the reception room details. And I mean, we ran up
there as quick as we could and pulled off these shots
in less than five minutes. And you have to be able to do that. If you see the guests going to reception and you haven't gotten
your detail shots yet, you've gotta make some magic because they're gonna
take up all the space and you won't be able to get your shots. So here we are rushing to get
the reception room details. I always start out with a nice
wide shot of the full room. And yet again, since the
guests were coming up, I had to get that as soon as possible. I used my 16 F2.8 for that. Then after the wide shot, I switched over to my 35 for
close ups of all the details. Typically you only need
like one or two tables. You don't need to shoot every single table unless they have some
kind of special details on each one separately.
So pick a table with a nice number, shoot a couple of details on it, shoot some closeups and then
move on to other things. After I get some of the tables, I head over to cake and grab
my cake shots real quick. Make sure you get your cake shots early 'cause a lot of times
guests will come over and they'll wanna take shots of it as well and they'll get in your way. This part of the day, you're gonna wanna find a
place to put down your bag if you have an extra bag with you.
You see here, I find a nice
safe spot close to the DJ because if someone's
gonna steal your stuff, they're not gonna do it when
it's close over by the DJ. After you find a spot for your bag, just continue grabbing any
detail shots you can find. So guest seating area,
any signs, just anything. And a lot of times I actually
like to take these photos with the guest congregating around them because it kind of shows the action. My second photographer did a great job also doubling up on all
these details for me. Once we're all done with that, I usually take a moment
to situate all my gear, make sure I'm ready for the reception and also back up some of my data.
If you haven't seen my
video on the gnarbox definitely check that out on the channel. But the gnarbox is basically
a portable backup device and I can back up all of my SD cards right onsite at the wedding. With this, I can get my
second photographer's footage without having to worry
about keeping their SD cards. I just download it all and then I have it on my little hard drive and I can import when I get back home. I also back up my own data and this way I can import
everything at one time. So now it's time to start the
reception with the intros. We're gonna be intro-ing the bridal party and also the couple. For this I'm using my
widest lens, the 16 F2.8. And while they're coming in
I'm using zone auto-focus with continuous auto-focus. For my flash I have it pointed straight up but with the Mark four on it, it's gonna bounce toward them and also off the ceiling as well.
Power is typically around 132nd because I'm gonna be
fairly close to my subject since I'm using such a wide lens. I follow them as they come
in and I'm on high shutter so I can get a lot of shots of the action. This also reduces the
amount of shots I might miss because of focus. Since I'm using on-camera flash, I typically push my ISO
up just a little bit to fill in the ambience
of the room lighting. I'll usually sit around ISO 800 or 1000. With the couple intro-ing, it's gonna be the same setup.
Just make sure to watch
out for your surroundings while you're following the couple in. Always be aware of what's around you, so you don't run into a
guest or trip over something. Generally after the intro, this will lead right
into their first dance. You're gonna see the bridal
party leave the dance floor and then we'll start with our first dance. I'm also lighting this the same way. On-camera flash with the
Marks Fear as my modifier and generally I'm shooting fairly wide.
I have my 35 F2 and my 16 F2.8
is still on my other camera. Sometimes I'll switch that to the 23 but this time I just
decided to keep it on there. So for your first dance, you just gonna kind of
hang around the floor. I do like to be generally
close to my couple but I know some photographers
like to stand outside of the dance floor and take longer shots. The main reason I don't like
to use longer focal lengths is if your couple's gonna
do any spinning or dipping, it's hard to line up those
shots and compose them well when you don't know when
they're gonna happen. Whereas when you're shooting wider, if a dip comes out of nowhere, it's easier to catch that stuff. Make sure to keep an eye on
your backgrounds as well. A lot of times guests
are gonna wanna stand up and take videos of the
first dance, which is fine but sometimes they get a little too close and kind of ruin the shots.
So I will let guests know
to move out of the way, depending on where they are, to make sure I can get the
cleanest shots possible. for the most part. There are gonna be sections where you take a shot towards everybody and you have the guests in the background and that's fine. As when they get up and get into an area where there's not a lot of guests where it really gets in the way. Directly after your first dance, you typically have your parent dances. These are gonna be lit the same way. The biggest difference here is make sure to focus on the emotion. Typically your bride or groom
are gonna get very emotional with their mother or father. And those are the main shots that I really wanna focus
on during this time. I'm shooting this basically the same way. The nice way about shooting
everything like this is, is there's not a lot
that I have to change up.
I have my flash on my camera. The flash is set. The lighting looks good and
not much is gonna change. I also know that I don't
have to worry about where my flash is placed and if they end up moving
somewhere different since I'm using on-camera flash. Also again at the end of the dance, make sure to always catch the hug. There's always gonna be a nice
hug at the end of the dance.
Make sure you grab those. A new trend I've been
seeing at weddings recently, is mother daughter dances,
which I think is really cool. Especially stereotypically, the mother's putting in the
most work with the kids anyway. So why can't the mother also
dance with her daughter? So this was really awesome to be able to take these photos as well. I approached these the same
way as a father daughter dance.
Another big tip for your parent dance is make sure to pay attention to the rest of the room as well. The other parent and or bride or groom are gonna be in their feels as well. And it's a great time to
catch some candids of stuff that's also happening around the room. Sometimes these parent
dances can be a little slow. You're not gonna wanna
take a thousand photos of someone just dancing. So take your main shots
and then also pay attention to what's happening around the room.
I was able to grab this
great shot of the grandmother and the bride hanging out
while the mother-son dance was going on. Next up on a reception formalities, as I like to call them, are your speeches. Speeches are pretty straightforward. Basically what I do is I use my 56 F1.2 and just kind of stand back
and listen to the speech. I'll get a couple of
shots of the speech giver and then mainly focus on the couple. During this section of the day, I'm focusing on the couple
and their reactions. Try and find any shots of them laughing or smiling at each other or
smiling at the speech giver. Also, if the speech
giver starts tearing up or getting in their feels, make sure to catch those photos as well. But typically you're gonna
be focusing on the couple and any of their reactions. As far as my camera settings, I'm basically doing the same thing. I'm at around ISO 800 to 1000 to get the ambience of the room and my flash is about at 132nd power. And I'm usually around F2 maybe a little bit lower with the 56 F1.2 Shutter speed tends to stay
around 160th of a second that way I don't get any motion
blur when people are moving.
And again, like with the ceremony, make sure you don't just zone out. Make sure you're listening to the speeches because that's gonna cue
you when the good photos are gonna happen. Don't just be shooting randomly. Don't just spray and pray. Listen to the speech and
you'll know when the moments are going to happen. And the number one biggest
tip with your speeches, is always wait for the hug.
After the speech giver is done, they usually walk up to
the couple for a hug. So stay focused on your couple
and wait for that moment. Do not miss it. So before we get into all the dancing, it's time for the cake cut. The cake cut can actually
be kind of hectic, so make sure you're
communicating with everyone. You see here, I'm talking
to the venue coordinators, letting them know where I want the cake. Unfortunately, I couldn't
really move it anywhere else. Those windows behind it
aren't the best option, especially while using flash. We're rearranging the table just a bit so it's a nicer photo and
I can get them together. And also there's people
in the background outside. So I'm letting the guests know to move out of the way for the photos. Once I get everything set
up the way I want it to, I let my couple to know, give me one nice smiling
photo at the camera and then they can just
cut it like normally.
I'm typically gonna be
using a wider lens for this. This time I had to use my 16 F2.8 because I was very close to the cake and there was a table right behind me. So there just wasn't any space. My flash settings are basically the same and I go to high shutter speed and just kind of shoot while they cut it, to get some nice funny photos of them kind of struggling with the cake and having fun together.
After that, I reposition just a little bit to capture when they eat the cake. I just wanna get a little bit closer and not focus on the cake
so much in the photo. Then I'm just shooting this
while they're having fun, they're feeding it to each other and making sure I catch the
kiss that usually happens at the end of a cake cut. And now we're onto the party. So I have a really awesome
video that I already made talking about how I handle
reception and everyone dancing. Make sure the check that
out in the link above but basically my flash is still on camera. I'm using the same settings and I switch to my widest lens, so I can get on the dance
floor with everyone, dance with them so I don't
make them feel awkward and really get nice
interactions with everyone on the dance floor dancing.
I typically don't do the standing outside of the dance
floor taking photo shots. I really like the nice
wide in there photos because it really makes you
feel like a part of the party. I'm basically just trying to find whoever's having the most fun and showing the most facial expressions and grabbing those photos. And for the whole night, I'm just kind of hanging
out, taking photos. Don't take too many,
make sure to take breaks, go get yourself water and
just have a great time. Your guests will see if
you're having a good time and if you're enjoying it and they'll notice if
you're just standing around and you don't care about anything. You can even check out most
of my reviews on the night and everyone absolutely loves the fact that I'm out there with their
guests and dancing with them and kind of keeping the party live. So don't think you have to just stand on the outside of the dance floor and act quote unquote professional.
Keep in mind, what makes you professional is how you talk to your clients, how you deliver their photos, how you edit their photos and
how you treat them overall. Just because you have a little bit of fun does not mean you're not doing your job. You can make it a part
of your job as well. And I just wanna give you a
different perspective on that. I'm not hating on any other photographers.
If you do wanna be totally
clean, cut and straight laced, you can do that as well. Just make it a part of your brand so that your couples
know what they're getting and what they're hiring. All right. So the party's all done, it's the end of the night. It's like 10:00, 10:30. And now it's time for an exit. So a lot of weddings what they'll do is like a sparkler exit or something but this time they chose to do confetti.
So one big difference between
a sparkle exit and confetti is that the sparklers can
last for a little bit of time. Usually they'll have like, I don't know, 12 inch sparklers. So you have a couple of
minutes to get that shot and you can go back and forth but with confetti, they throw it once and that's it. So what you're gonna see here is me really controlling the group. I want a controlled shot. I know this may not seem like
it's the nicest for the couple and you wanna have a moment but if you want the picture, which is all they will have
left after the wedding day, make sure that if this is the
only way you can get the shot, just do it. Everyone was extremely cooperative and the couple loved
their photos afterwards.
(group chattering) So again, everybody listen up. Everybody listen up. Do not throw it until I count it up. I will go three, two, one throw. Do not throw it before then. (indistinct chatter) Everybody off the stairs, when they come through, close this hall. So all y'all here close this
hall after they come through. Yeah, 'cause it's gonna be controlled. I'm not gonna like lock
the door and stuff. So like I said, I'm gonna
stop y'all on the middle and he's gonna make (mumbles) Don't throw. – [Woman] Don't grow. – Nobody to throw it.
– Don't throw. Don't throw. Come on in. – [Man] Wait. – [Woman] Wait. – Yeah, do not throw it. (indistinct chatter) – Don't throw it. Keep coming, keep coming. Yep, close the hole, come closer to them. Just stop there. So yeah, y'all hold each other. You can dip, you can kiss. Ready? Three, two, one. (crowd applauding) (upbeat pop music) (crowd applauding) And that is a full 10 hour wedding day. I hope you all have fun watching the video and you learned a little bit.
Don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more full wedding days and Like it so that everyone can see this. Share it with your friends, share with your family, share it around for anyone
who wants to learn more about wedding photography. There's links in the description below of all the gear I used in this video. Make sure to check out
anything you're interested in. And if you have questions, leave them down in the comments below and I'll be happy to answer them.
Also, don't forget about Skillshare. The first 500 people to sign up get two free months of
a premium membership. Thanks again you all for
hanging out on the channel. I put a lot of love in this
video and I hope you enjoyed it. Also, don't forget about
all the exclusive content I'm gonna be putting
up on the Patreon page from this wedding day. Stick around for more
full wedding day videos, creative entrepreneurship video and tech. And I will catch you all next time. All right. Peace. (upbeat music).
