Options
Marie and Chris wedding
Some of you may remember their e-session from last fall , and if so you will definately notice a difference in what I am posting here. I really struggled finding my "chee" yesterday. The worst case of uncle with a video camera I have ever had. And his brother, the dj, wasn't much better. Grrrrr!
So anyways, here are a few early faves,
*edit* more pics at the bottom of this page!
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11. *edit to add*
As always any c&c is more than welcome.
Matt
So anyways, here are a few early faves,
*edit* more pics at the bottom of this page!
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11. *edit to add*
As always any c&c is more than welcome.
Matt
My Smugmug site
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
0
Comments
Sam
Don't worry. I can fix you in photoshop.
Great snag with the reflection on 3!
Especially love the moment and light you captured on the last.
(Your chi looks just fine to me!)
#9.... I would ditch. You can't tell what is going on... and she looks as though she might be "picking a winner".
You kill me Heather! "picking a winner" Ha!!!:lol4 Point noted.
Patrick had nothing to do with that shot! Has he done that before? I had no idea...yeah right! I tried to steal one of your recent ones too Heather but it wasn't great so I haven't worked it up yet.
I wanted more of that reflection but it would have involved a chair or maybe me leaning over piano... ah well.
The last one was a requested posed shot believe it or not... actually 2 shots. The expression I liked on mom and the expression I liked on the bride were never together so I cropped the brides head and massaged it into this one. That took a few hours but I am satisfied. At that point it was stress level 10, and I had about a minute to snag what I got before she took her walk down the isle. Mom has an old photograph on her wall that she purchased many years ago showing a mother ironing the brides dress while it was on the bride. I'm not sure if this looks anywhere the same, but hopefully it will be something that will hang next to the old one. I killed the lights in the room, opened the windows and shot ambient and then gave it some old-love in post.
[rant]As for my chee/chi... The jerk literally tried to take over the photo shoot. He regurgitated every cheesy cliche' imaginable all over. These two, more than any couple I have ever shot, need no direction posing. As soon as they got into it he would yell out "OK, kiss her, now look into her eyes", now put your hands on your head like "what the hell did I just do". I really really wanted to belt Uncle Ashat in the mouth like you wouldn't believe. Then he wanted to do his poses after every thing I set up. We started over an hour late. We were fighting the rain. When the rain came we hadn't even made it down to the water, and I didn't hardly get to do anything I had wanted to. We were supposed to then make a stop at a bar near the venue and then walk through downtown to the reception. We ran out of time and didn't get any of that. The whole day he was in their face shooting, jumping between the b&g and myself.[/rant]
The b&g apologized and thanked me many times for being so tolerant of him, but they are the ones who are missing out. I could have done a lot more. I should have 50 that are as good or better than these but I don't. The worst part is that the guy shot from 8 am at the salon until 11 pm or so at the reception. I'm guessing that he recorded a good 10 hours of footage. It will take years to edit that all together, so I bet he just gives them a ton of raw footage that they will watch once and never see again.
I am going to add another disclaimer to my contract over this. I have shot with video guys before and almost never see them. OK, I guess NOW the rant is over!!!
Thanks for the comments.
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
I really like the ironing photo but the rack and plastic gown cover bugs me, that part reminds me of a dry cleaning backroom, I would try to dump it somehow, but that is just me. I think it is a very nice sentiment. The mom doing the last tiny bit to make her daughter look her best at the very last moment, her send off loving touch, something the bride could not do for her self, and it will stay perfect down the aisle until she is married, I love it.
Nice job under such trying circumstances. Sadly for the bride and groom their polite attitude toward the uncle will cost them in missed shots by you.
www.CottageInk.smugmug.com
NIKON D700
Particularly like the fountain shot. ANd yeah, have to say that I too looked twice at the little girl. She does indeed have a bent finger to make it clear she's simply got her hand in that position, but you do have to look (lol @HF's turn of phrase! Boy, you can tell YOU have kids
ETA: The iron shot is BRILLIANT!!!
Awe Mom! I didn't even realize that was skin tone in my frantic rush to get them some previews before the honeymoon! That is the MOH's shoulder. Grass was wet and she was holding up the dress. I saw it but though it was just a refraction of light off the water drops! I'll clone that out. The color on the umbrella and flowers will be changed back... that was another oversight on my part. This bride loves her pink and will want it true.
I couldn't agree more on the sentiment that you related to the iron shot. They dropped that on me right then and there and I was super anxious to do it for all the reasons you stated. I wish they would have sent me a photo of the actual photo so I could have planned for it and replicated it. I also agree about the hangers and plastic, but I'm not comfortable cropping it any more than it is already. There was an empty box on the right side of the frame also that I cropped out. I did a vignette and blur on the photo before cropping so it did darken that left side quite a bit from the original... any more and it would be out of place imo, and cloning it out would only make the room stark, so I think this is where it will stay. As an 8x10 it will be mostly gone but not the entire end of the ironing board, which is important to my eye, so I think it will stay as is.
Thanks Diva! Keep in mind they aren't all this nice, but thank you for the compliment. These are my dream clients and I really wanted so much more than I got, but such is life and I have another great couple next Saturday as well as a second shooter who was my personal wedding photog mentor. He is an awesome shooter and together we make quite the team. Last time we shot together I was as green as green can be and I was shooting 2nd for him, so I'm super pumped for that one.
Thanks for the kind words ladies!
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
Well that is so cool that we have two such brilliant photographers here at dgrin... I absolutely love your shot! It is amazing! When I mentioned Patrick, I was thinking of this pic.
I have never shot a fountain... we seem to be in a shortage of them up in AK, lol.
Oh no! You missed the sarcasm in my post Heather! Of course that is a 10 ripoff!!! I should have credited him in the original post! I didn't even have to click the link to know what shot you are speaking off and I'm pretty sure I posted a few times in that thread! I am learning here like everybody else and you better believe I learn from Patrick! He did it here another time last winter. I bow to Patrick and he knows it!
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
love the water in 4, great perspective on 8, and 11 is just great!
As for these, I think 4 and 11 are my faves.(although I would def clone or patch out that little phone jack outlet or whatever it is to the right of the mirror on #11. Just me maybe. I despise those things) I agree with dropping #9. At first sight, it really does look like she's...well, you know. In fact, even after I know she's not, when I go back and look, the assumed image is in my mind.
I really love bright umbrella wedding photos, and you really nailed a good one. Overall, I think you did great, and I'm jealous you got to shoot such a cool couple.
Rock on!
My Weddings Website • Blog •
Looks like a fun couple.
I love the brides look in the ironing shot....says it all.
You have a lot more patience than I do.
I would have had that "uncle" in the back room hashing it out.....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21695902@N06/
http://500px.com/Shockey
alloutdoor.smugmug.com
http://aoboudoirboise.smugmug.com/
Thanks Z!
Maybe I am winning in the patience department, but you certainly have a lot more sense than I do! That is what I should have done, though I'm not sure it would have mattered. I did tell him before the first dance that I didn't want to see him, and that he had to stay behind me and shoot. For my dance shots I like to shoot some close, some wide, and a lot of them with crowd in the negative space. We all know how it is... you can shoot 1000 first dance shots but only a few are going to have both faces with pleasing expressions! Other than his video light in my face a few times and him in only 1 or 2 pictures, that part of the day was fine.
I wasn't sure on that dip shot, so I'm glad you noted that one as quality. I was looking for something a little different so I shot low and long and then cropped a bit to fill the frame. You are also reaffirming to me that I did the right thing photoshopping the iron shot. I hate to do that kind of thing but she wasn't into the shot at that point and mom was trying to be June Cleaver on most of them. I feel like a cheater doing this but when the customer gets what they want it is all good.
Just for fun here is the original , and the one I took the crop of the bride from. Even with switching out the reflection in the mirror this wasn't that tough to do. She ended up a little taller and I added about 6" to the height of the mirror, but that chalks up to wide angle distortion!!! Ha!
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
#4 rocks my world. That shot dude has "magazine" written all over it. #8 is a real nice comp and look. #10 is a nice shot and I think could really make a statement beyond black and white. Hope things are well with you and you're staying busy.
NAPP Member | Canon Shooter
Weddings/Portraits and anything else that catches my eye.
www.daveswartz.com
Model Mayhem site http://www.modelmayhem.com/686552
Thanks Swartzy! No worries friend, we don't work off of any time-lines, but very glad you stopped in. Those are some mighty kind words coming from you. Thanks for the comments. Please explain to me what you are thinking on #10? I'm not sure I am following you.
I am staying quite busy for now. I'm trying to get these done by the 14th and I have another one, a 2 shooter gig, that I shoot Saturday and will want that done by the first part of July. I leave to go to FL on the 21st to take care of my Dad while my sister's family is in WY, so it's gonna be a busy few weeks for sure. I would love to say I'm shooting every weekend between now and winter but that isn't quite the case unfortunately.
Dropping this set, and another 8 or so shots on the couple 2 days after the event and a day before they go out of town only added to their already fevered desire to convince the people of Fond Du Lac, WI that I am the best wedding photographer on the planet. Now we all know that isn't true, but it certainly won't hurt for next year! They have been gushing on me since last fall when we did the e-shoot, and I know I will be getting business as a result of them. In every way these are the perfect clients.
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
Funny, but you know what grabbed my attention before anything else in the series? How bright, crisp, and sharp #2 is. Was the church brightly lit, or were you using one of those lenses that costs more than my car and can almost see in the dark?
Is that the groom playing piano in #3? I can't really get a clear view at his face in the other shots; he's got his face plastered to his lovely wife in all of them! (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)
I've got to go against the tide on one thing, though - I really like the concept of #4, but if it were mine I wouldn't be 100% satisfied with the final product. I LOVE the idea of shooting through the fountain - and you better believe I'll be trying it next time I'm shooting somewhere with a fountain available - and you got perfect pose and framing, but... it's too much water. It blocks a little too much of the b&g. Still, it's a great shot and the b&g will certainly select it as one of their faves.
My fave of the series is the Dip Shot, #8. Perfect in every way, IMHO, and a real magazine cover/advertizing staple shot. If you can get away with making your watermark a bit larger, in the same spot, that pic would be the perfect choice as a cover photo for your portfolio, or your printed brochure materials, or even your business cards. I think it's that good.
Thanks Will! I appreciate the kind words. I put the church shot in just to show the room. It was very bright in there, and was shot with a 24-70 f2.8L , which would maybe fund an 83 chevette but not much else! The sky was cloudy and overcast, a "not a sky in the cloud" kind of day. I wonder how tough the lighting would have been with direct sun... that may have been a tough room! Glass all over, front to back... GORGEOUS church!
That is the groom playing piano. He and the bride are both pro musicians and she does some acting as well. At cocktail hour they had a Jazz quartet playing and after dinner they fired it back up and the groom sat in, and then 2 of the groomsmen threw down as well. They are both super talented and many people there were singers and musicians. The most musically talented wedding party I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing.
As for the fountain shot I have to agree with you. I shot it a few different ways, and you see basically the first and last shots here. I should have done somewhere in the middle of the two comps and I don't think I did. Not to make excuses but this is me really trying hard to keep my cool and not flip out on the uncle. I also didn't get any non-kissing shots here because he was trying to direct them as I was struggling to find focus through the water. I still like what I got, and it is already in my portfolio, but I agree that it could have been better still. I'll shoot this again and do it a little different. I actually copied Patrick's technique like this once before here and did what you are suggesting. In most ways that isn't as strong an image, and it wasn't even from a wedding, but from the standpoint of the water it was better.
thanks for the comments Will.
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
12. The best man. I'm not sure what my deal is on the past 2 weddings, but I chopped the bottom of details off a lot more than I normally do. I was also having problems with slight tilting more so than normal. Going from the 5d to the 5d mkii. Maybe there is a difference in the 5d mkii viewfinder, or maybe just me! I like this one either way but it could have been better.
13. This is another one from the iron seies... I'm not sure I don't like this one better than the first one I worked up. Distractions on the edges but they would be gone as an 8x10.
14. Both bride and groom wrote songs for each other, recorded them, and put them on ipods to give as presents just before the wedding. She was laughing and crying as she listened.
15.
16. Mother of the bride
17.
18. I really didn't think they would do it! notice how the pink umbrellas made a mess of the skin tones on their faces... mental note.
19. This is another shot from the fountain. By pushing the blacks a little harder I was able to get a little nore detail on the couple. this didn't work as well on the original one I posted.
20. Again from the fountain with a little different perspective on the water
21. One of Marie's Aunts.... Love the expression but not sure about the $20 in the lower right! Ha!
22. The video uncle actually helped me here with a little hair lighting.
23.
24. God I love this bride! she is so expressive.
I guess that is it! Thanks again for looking.
Matt
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
Lately, I've been on a "square crop" kick, and I think a number of this batch would work very well in square - #14 to get rid of the boring empty space on the right #15 to concentrate on just the ceremony; #21 tight on her face, her hand, and the flower; and #23, again to concentrate the frame on the subject.
#19 is definitely an improvement over #4.
I'm kinda thinking that #20, which is a fountain shot, would work better as either a square or portrait crop, eliminating the fountain altogether. Cropping tightly in portrait orientation, with the sides coming very close to their backs, would be a nice, "intimate moment" shot, I think. But I'm just spitballing; I'm more of an armchair quarterback than an actual photographer, so you can take my C&C with a big grain of salt.
I do appreciate your comments Wil, but I wholeheartedly disagree with your comments about cropping. It is all about the negative space for me. To my eyes, shots that show only the subject are boring and snapshotty unless they are otherwise stellar or close cropped. If I have 1 thing that is definable as my style, that is it. I leave 99% of my shots in the original 2x3 format to allow for more options in printing and to allow for better use of the negative space. To me it is the difference between a 20 year old TV and a nice HD flatscreen.
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
Really REALLY nice set. I would be proud to have all of those shots in my port.
Your just saying that so I don't spend my profits from this one on putting out a hit on the Uncle.
Ahhh... have you seen your portfolio Ms. Feather? Not quite there yet but I'm working on it.
thanks for the kind words.
Matt
Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes