Country Style Elegance- Wedding

jeffreaux2

I was out in the country until the wee hours last night photographing a wedding. The lighting was very poor, and I was resigned to use flash as the primary light source. At the rehearsal, a few nights before, I fired off a shot at ISO800, 1/80, F3.2....just to see where it would land me. The resulting frame was inky black with a few pinpricks of light from the indoor fixtures. I could have bumped up the ISO, but my thinking was that the little gain in ambient light would hardly be worth the added noise.

Well, enjoy!!!....It was a packed house to be sure!!

1- I arrived early, and snapped this as final touches were being made to the decorations. The location was a rustic building out of town that was formerly used as a resturant. Note the ceiling fan blades.


2-The cake was delivered shortly after my arrival.


3-


4- I took some advantage of the remaining daylight for a few windowlit photos.


5-



6-Then outdoors...framed in jasmine.


7-


8-


9- With her father, about to walk down the aisle. Yes, the vests and ties were camo.


10- Almost ready!!!


11- Here she comes!!


12- There was a small wedding party....


13-


14


15-The food was great...Smoked brisket...among other goodies!!


16-


17- Money Dance!!!


18- Toss



19- Lucky Catch!!!


20-



21- ....and lastly....this shot of them caught just after the ceremony as they were walking out together. Just Married!!!

jayegirl

All I can say is WOW and I really like number 3.

ShepsMom

jeffreaux2 wrote:

bowbowbowbowbowbow

jeffreaux2

jayegirl wrote:

All I can say is WOW and I really like number 3.

Thanks Jaye.

jeffreaux2

ShepsMom wrote:

bowbowbowbowbowbow

er...uh.....did your keyboard stick or something?


I took about six shots of the dress hanging. Some with fill some without. This was the second frame...windowlight only.

Thanks for commenting!

adpace

Beautiful job!

jpendley77

Great Job!!

Agnieszka

Wonderful shots Jeff! I Love the dress shot!! And you did an awesome job with the bride portraits (I especially like the bw ones).

Boy, photographing a reception in a rustic house (with such a high ceiling) is NOT easy and you did an excellent job!!!

jeffreaux2

A few more now that I have made it through my first round of edits.

A-


B-


C-


D-


E-


F


G-



H-


I-


J-


K-


L-


M-

Shima

Fantastic job. I see that you own a 17-55 in your sig, did you shoot a bunch of them with this? the 17-55 I'm trading someone else on dgrin for should be here on Wednesday... in time for my other 2 weddings this month

Love the angles you used and some of the facial expressions are priceless, great work here

(I love weddings)

jeffreaux2

Shima wrote:

Fantastic job. I see that you own a 17-55 in your sig, did you shoot a bunch of them with this? the 17-55 I'm trading someone else on dgrin for should be here on Wednesday... in time for my other 2 weddings this month

Love the angles you used and some of the facial expressions are priceless, great work here

(I love weddings)

I used it for ALL of the photos. I lent my 28-75 F2.8 to the Gal I was shooting with. I had put on the 85mm F1.8 at the rehearsal, but it was too long for that room! You are going to knock yourself in the head for not getting this lens sooner.

jeffreaux2

Agnieszka wrote:

Wonderful shots Jeff! I Love the dress shot!! And you did an awesome job with the bride portraits (I especially like the bw ones).

Boy, photographing a reception in a rustic house (with such a high ceiling) is NOT easy and you did an excellent job!!!

Thanks Agnies!!

As for the location.....I liked it, but pointing the flash at a wall or ceiling and expecting to get any light to bounce back was asking a bit too much!!:D

It was very earthy...and seemed to be a perfect choice for this couple.

Shima

jeffreaux2 wrote:

I used it for ALL of the photos. I lent my 28-75 F2.8 to the Gal I was shooting with. I had put on the 85mm F1.8 at the rehearsal, but it was too long for that room! You are going to knock yourself in the head for not getting this lens sooner.

Awesome You make me all the more excited to receive it in the mail this week!! Although I think I did decent with the 24-105 f4 at my friends wedding outside yesterday (see my recent post)... but yeah for the indoor stuff where the sun don't shine... I've been thirsting for 2.8 hard core, hence the trade :ivar

evoryware

Really nice shots all the way through!

My faves: 3, 4, 8, 10
A, B, C, E, F, G
Lens aside, that's great flash work again!

jeffreaux2

Shima wrote:

Awesome You make me all the more excited to receive it in the mail this week!! Although I think I did decent with the 24-105 f4 at my friends wedding outside yesterday (see my recent post)... but yeah for the indoor stuff where the sun don't shine... I've been thirsting for 2.8 hard core, hence the trade :ivar

Yeah....you did do well with the 24-105......

All I am saying is...:D

I will sit here and twiddle my thumbs...and wait....until you get it and have a chance to use it. When you come in the forum with a fresh set of photos and gush on about the lens....I'll just say I told ya so!!

It is a terrific piece of glass that is tailor made for Canon's 1.6X sensor cameras and will be a PERFECT match for your gear. It is very nearly as sharp as my primes.

If you aren't getting it with a hood, you definately need to get one. It is a MUST have for that lens. Not only for lens flare, but also as a bump guard. It is a rather beefy lens, and I am constantly....accidentaly...bumping it into things. Scuffs and such on the hood are no biggy, but the same bumps on the lens itself might warrant a trip to the repair shop.

There is much hype about dust getting into them....yet all complaints are followed by a comment saying the dust does not affect image quality. I bought mine in January. I have never used a filter....as I have had trouble with IQ in the past because of filters. I have no dust in mine, and use it outdoors 95% of the time. I had it on a beach recently to photograph a guy on horseback...running back n forth...all kinds of dust. My gear was covered. I got home ...cleaned it all off...no dust inside the lens.

You will Love IT!!!

jeffreaux2

evoryware wrote:

Really nice shots all the way through!

My faves: 3, 4, 8, 10
A, B, C, E, F, G
Lens aside, that's great flash work again!

Thanks E.

I am particularly excited that you chose "A" as a favorite. I have spent a lot of time using flash as fill. This photo is quite the reverse...as it is primarily lit by flash. I am not crazy about some of the shadows in it, but I do like "the look" that was the product of lighting it this way. It sure made that veil pop off the BG.

Thanks again for commenting. As always, it is much appreciated.

jeffreaux2

adpace wrote:

Beautiful job!

Thanks for commenting Angela.

jeffreaux2

jpendley77 wrote:

Great Job!!

Thanks for commenting....and welcome to DGRIN!!!:D

Moogle Pepper

Man.. these are fantastic!

I like A, M, L, H and I!

Shima

Pindy has the hood for it, so the hood will be coming with it too... I never shoot anything without the hood for my lens on.

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Yeah....you did do well with the 24-105......

All I am saying is...:D

I will sit here and twiddle my thumbs...and wait....until you get it and have a chance to use it. When you come in the forum with a fresh set of photos and gush on about the lens....I'll just say I told ya so!!

It is a terrific piece of glass that is tailor made for Canon's 1.6X sensor cameras and will be a PERFECT match for your gear. It is very nearly as sharp as my primes.

If you aren't getting it with a hood, you definately need to get one. It is a MUST have for that lens. Not only for lens flare, but also as a bump guard. It is a rather beefy lens, and I am constantly....accidentaly...bumping it into things. Scuffs and such on the hood are no biggy, but the same bumps on the lens itself might warrant a trip to the repair shop.

There is much hype about dust getting into them....yet all complaints are followed by a comment saying the dust does not affect image quality. I bought mine in January. I have never used a filter....as I have had trouble with IQ in the past because of filters. I have no dust in mine, and use it outdoors 95% of the time. I had it on a beach recently to photograph a guy on horseback...running back n forth...all kinds of dust. My gear was covered. I got home ...cleaned it all off...no dust inside the lens.

You will Love IT!!!

urbanaries

These are so wonderful to look at! Thanks for sharing Jeff!

1- Beautiful "behind the scenes" shot. Looks like a WB mismatch though...the window light is blue, and tungsten ceiling fan might be easier to mask out? Maybe this one would look great in sepia!
2-beautiful cake shot! Nice lighting...off camera flash?
3- Absolutely breathtaking. Wonderful choice of exposure. I like how the green trees are visible outside, and the gown glows with just the right pinch of detail. I love, love, love it!!!
4- Lovely "vintage" take. You clearly are leveraging the country elegance style here. A tad dark, but lovely feel and detail here.
5- Again, wonderful low-contrast treatment, seems like the right approach for this bride. I love the modeling shadows on her face, and her eyes are just huge!
6 &7- Nice, nothing wrong with them but I much prefer 8 of this series.
8- Amazing lighting, looks VERY professional. I absolutely adore this shot! She looks so natural and the only thing I would change compositionally is maybe an angle without the railing going thru her head. Love that weathered siding on the LH side....love the slight backlighting....gorgeous.
9- Awesome job in what looks to be nightmare lighting.
10- So sweet. Like how you framed this...with their reflections in the frame. Adorable!
11- Nice off camera lighting again....beautiful!
12- this is a small wedding party?
13- Lovely shot, they don't look to happy though?
14 - not a big fan, her eyes are totally black...
15- Great lighting again, would love to have seen the "uneaten" food
16- What's with the crowd around the cake cutting!!! Get those ppl out of there! lol. You did a nice job controlling flash shadows with that wall behind. (why do they always stick the cake in a corner!)
17- I love this shot!!! Nice perspective and good to see the groom having fun.
18- These are tough shots to pull off and you did very well balancing exposure of bride vs. catchers. that dress is gorgeous, the side lighting really shows it off.
19 - Beautiful!
20- Nicely done!
21- I love these shots...usually the most naturally beaming moment of the day. Gorgeous!!!

What an amazing set. I just love weddings that truly have their own "feel", and a photographer who interprets them with a desire to maximize the uniqueness of the day. You did a fantastic job in challenging conditions. These are not just good enough...they're much more than that, and you should be very proud of yourself!!! Congrats!

jeffreaux2

Moogle Pepper wrote:

Man.. these are fantastic!

I like A, M, L, H and I!

Thanks MP

I appreciate you taking the time to comment.

Seneca

Ok...I only have one word...

Stunning! You did an awesome job. Gosh I love what you did. Also what a great wedding..I see people wearing shorts and jeans.

jeffreaux2

urbanaries wrote:

These are so wonderful to look at! Thanks for sharing Jeff!

1- Beautiful "behind the scenes" shot. Looks like a WB mismatch though...the window light is blue, and tungsten ceiling fan might be easier to mask out? Maybe this one would look great in sepia!

You are dead on about the WB mismatch. I spotted this challenge right off at the rehearsal, and anxiously waited until the same time of day as the ceremony to be sure the sunlight would be a non-issue. That was the business end of the room for the ceremony and would have caused me complete baldness if the sun weren't set in time!!! SEPIA? you might be on to something.

2-beautiful cake shot! Nice lighting...off camera flash?

Thanks...and yes. Still wonder what a slightly lower angle would have gotten me. The bride held the light on that one!!:D

3- Absolutely breathtaking. Wonderful choice of exposure. I like how the green trees are visible outside, and the gown glows with just the right pinch of detail. I love, love, love it!!!

I liked it too...better even than the other angles of it that I shot with and without fill. That one is all natural light. How to improve? The gals were dressing at the opposite end of the room. There was aerosol hairspray in spades. I ought to have borrowed a can and had someone spray it in the area to create some "God beams". Maybe it wouldn't have worked....or maybe.... ...it would have.

4- Lovely "vintage" take. You clearly are leveraging the country elegance style here. A tad dark, but lovely feel and detail here.
5- Again, wonderful low-contrast treatment, seems like the right approach for this bride. I love the modeling shadows on her face, and her eyes are just huge!

She nice big eyes!!! She wasn't even wearing her dress. A pair off shorts and a tank top!!! but the veil was on...hair done. Windowlight...and ...I got a dozen or so very nice shots here.

6 &7- Nice, nothing wrong with them but I much prefer 8 of this series.
8- Amazing lighting, looks VERY professional. I absolutely adore this shot! She looks so natural and the only thing I would change compositionally is maybe an angle without the railing going thru her head. Love that weathered siding on the LH side....love the slight backlighting....gorgeous.

The first two need more work. The exposure seems a tad hot to me on the BG especially.

9- Awesome job in what looks to be nightmare lighting.

Had I not JUST gotten the STE2 I would be very dissappointed right about now. It worked like a charm!

10- So sweet. Like how you framed this...with their reflections in the frame. Adorable!

Good eye!! The reflections do it for me too!!.

11- Nice off camera lighting again....beautiful!

ALL of the flashed shots utilized OCF. Thank you!:D

12- this is a small wedding party?

That was a joke. They were lined up wall to wall for the ceremony.

13- Lovely shot, they don't look to happy though?

Yeah...he isn't much of a smiler.

14 - not a big fan, her eyes are totally black...

I agree....could have been much better. I was trying to isolate her hand...tried several times....needed a different light angle for sure.

15- Great lighting again, would love to have seen the "uneaten" food

I would have like to have seen it as well!!! It wasn't set before the ceremony, and was well disturbed by the time the group shots were taken.

16- What's with the crowd around the cake cutting!!! Get those ppl out of there! lol. You did a nice job controlling flash shadows with that wall behind. (why do they always stick the cake in a corner!)

Not only in a corner, but in a 10x10 room ....and there were around 200 guests!!! There was barely room for me in there!! I have several nice shots....a series of cake cutting photos with the end of my monopod in the frame!!!

17- I love this shot!!! Nice perspective and good to see the groom having fun.

I eventually got the hang of where to light for the dancers.

18- These are tough shots to pull off and you did very well balancing exposure of bride vs. catchers. that dress is gorgeous, the side lighting really shows it off.

A VERY good wedding photographer here in the forum gave me tips after my last Ho-Hum attempt on angles for this. I think you know her!:D

19 - Beautiful!
20- Nicely done!
21- I love these shots...usually the most naturally beaming moment of the day. Gorgeous!!!

I got a half dozen or so really good frames of the exit, but he barely broke a grin....lucky one here!!!

What an amazing set. I just love weddings that truly have their own "feel", and a photographer who interprets them with a desire to maximize the uniqueness of the day. You did a fantastic job in challenging conditions. These are not just good enough...they're much more than that, and you should be very proud of yourself!!! Congrats!

Hmmmm....maybe the windshield today...but the bug tommorrow

I appreciate you taking the time to give me detailed feedback.Thanks so much!!

Photosbychuck

Great Photos!
In photo G I noticed that there is someone behind the groom that has some of there face blocked by the goom. I did not see any other problems awesome job.
What flash did you use?

Take Care,
Chuck Cassidy,
http://aperturefocus.smugmug.com

jeffreaux2

Seneca wrote:

Ok...I only have one word...

Stunning! You did an awesome job. Gosh I love what you did. Also what a great wedding..I see people wearing shorts and jeans.

ahhhhwww sheesh!!!

Thank you for the compliment:cry ...

I appreciate it!!!

Your right about the wedding. It was a very non-formal atmosphere. Tuxedos to ball caps. All were in attendence.

jeffreaux2

Photosbychuck wrote:

Great Photos!
In photo G I noticed that there is someone behind the groom that has some of there face blocked by the goom. I did not see any other problems awesome job.
What flash did you use?

Take Care,
Chuck Cassidy,
http://aperturefocus.smugmug.com

Good eye on "G". I noticed that myself after I posted it. There was more than one prankster in the group to be sure. Luckily I do have others where he isn't hiding behind the groom...and the Lady I was shooting with says she has a few too. I haven't seen her photos....and she has been reluctant to let me see in the past....but I spoke with her yesterday and she has promised to let me have a peek this time. She used a bracket mounted flash.

For flash I used a single 580EXII. I attatched it to my monopod's ball-head using the plastic stand that comes with the flash. On the flash I used a Phoxle CTO gel and a Lightphere Cloud with the lid removed. The flash was fired using an STE2. For the ceremony and formals I used the little legs that screw into the bottom of the monopod that allow it to freestand. It was located about 5 feet to my right for the ceremony...although I moved it once to my left in anticipation of the candle lighting. For the reception I left the light on the pod, but propped the end on my hip...and swung it wherever I chose to light the shot from....while shooting with only my right hand. It was a bit awkward, but worked out okay...even though I would have to let the camera down by the strap to zoom in or out one handed.

Swartzy

Way too many pics to comment on each one...Lynne...you're the greatest! Jeff, these are great...really great. Excellent captures and the noise is non existent. Very nice processing to boot. They will be more than happy! Way to be.

heatherfeather

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Good eye on "G". I noticed that myself after I posted it. There was more than one prankster in the group to be sure. Luckily I do have others where he isn't hiding behind the groom...and the Lady I was shooting with says she has a few too. I haven't seen her photos....and she has been reluctant to let me see in the past....but I spoke with her yesterday and she has promised to let me have a peek this time. She used a bracket mounted flash.

For flash I used a single 580EXII. I attatched it to my monopod's ball-head using the plastic stand that comes with the flash. On the flash I used a Phoxle CTO gel and a Lightphere Cloud with the lid removed. The flash was fired using an STE2. For the ceremony and formals I used the little legs that screw into the bottom of the monopod that allow it to freestand. It was located about 5 feet to my right for the ceremony...although I moved it once to my left in anticipation of the candle lighting. For the reception I left the light on the pod, but propped the end on my hip...and swung it wherever I chose to light the shot from....while shooting with only my right hand. It was a bit awkward, but worked out okay...even though I would have to let the camera down by the strap to zoom in or out one handed.

Wow.. that is quite the process. I was just going to ask your technique with the ste2... I am not sure if I could be that coordinated to hang on to 2 such expensive tools (1 in each hand) and not drop something... Do you think the monopod was more effective then a light stand? Probably less obtrusive, and more portable to be sure. But still, you must be amazingly coordinated.

All these shots are stunning! I love the light, and the lack of noise in each.

jeffreaux2

Swartzy wrote:

Way too many pics to comment on each one...Lynne...you're the greatest! Jeff, these are great...really great. Excellent captures and the noise is non existent. Very nice processing to boot. They will be more than happy! Way to be.

Hey Swartzy...thanks for the kind comments....and yes...that Lynne is a trooper!!

jeffreaux2

heatherfeather wrote:

Wow.. that is quite the process. I was just going to ask your technique with the ste2... I am not sure if I could be that coordinated to hang on to 2 such expensive tools (1 in each hand) and not drop something... Do you think the monopod was more effective then a light stand? Probably less obtrusive, and more portable to be sure. But still, you must be amazingly coordinated.

All these shots are stunning! I love the light, and the lack of noise in each.

I could certainly have used a light stand...in the 10FT tall range for the ceremony. Using this technique for the reception/ dancing wasn't that much trouble really. I was using a stabilized lens, which I am sure helped some. Ideally, to get the same effect, I would have had an assistant hold the light. A light stand being less portable would have had to be used differently and would have resulted in a much differently lit set of photos. For better or worse I guess would be a matter of choice.....but definately different.

..and THANK YOU for the vote of confidence!!! Very much!