Just got home from this shoot today. Wedding season's going great -- flat out with work. My run of incredible luck with the weather continues! The very minute that James and Karen completed their outdoor ceremony and walked out of Queens Park, it began to rain. Not just a little bit, but torrential, heavy, driving rain. Unbelievable. I had promised them that I always brought good luck with me, and so it proved. Such an easy couple to work with; the whole shoot was flawless, relaxed and fun, despite (or maybe because of) those thundery skies we had today. Best regards, Joshua Winterson.
The bride and bridesmaids prepare. Karen was a modern bride with edgier tastes than usual, and I kept this in mind when considering framing and lighting. I wasn't surprised at all to discover her bridesmaids wearing black. For my bridal portraits, although severely limited by time and lack of opportunities in the home, I found ways to convey a sense of her personality with some simple set-ups and dramatic filtering.
The wedding ceremony was held at Queens Park, Moonee Ponds. I was interested to learn that the local council does not control bookings for the site -- it's simply first come, first served. If you're thinking of holding your exchange of vows there, it might pay to have your friends arrive early, set up chairs, and hold the ground for you. I love shooting outdoor civil ceremonies under trees -- it's always so relaxing, and easy to light. Usually, I never use flash in these occasions, and rely on the diffused natural sunlight instead.
Signing the register -- I couldn't resist showing the whole of Karen's amazing bridal dress, with it's elaborate Chinese themed ribbons, reflecting her rich heritage. The following shot I conceived when I first arrived at the bride's house, and noticed that she and 2 of her bridesmaids had tattoos. So I designed this simple combination of arms to showcase them in one shot, and we created this funky, modern take on the sisterhood in action.
It was natural to do a twist on a classic romantic pose. Tilting the camera is something that beginners do too much (or sometimes by accident!), but it should only be done for a genuine aesthetic reason. Here it is completely natural, and a good example of utilizing what I call the "dimensional space" that surrounds people and objects. It's a bit complicated to explain my theory here, but basically it means creating pictures that appear more dimensional than flat 2D would normally allow.
If you'd like to see more of my wedding pictures, you might like to check them out on Facebook, or have a look at this posting. To find out more about me and my services, click here.
For those interested in the technical side of photography, this was a particularly exciting shoot, because I've just bought the new Canon 5D Mark2 -- an awesome 21 megapixel monster, and combined it with an awesome lens -- the new Canon 24 - 70 mm f2.8. Wow, what a combination those two are! I've never seen a zoom work so well before. Beautiful, sharp, clear pictures that I thought only prime lenses could deliver. My 1D Mark3 now has a serious rival in the camera case -- hard to choose which one to reach for!