Hey all!
I hope life is treating you all excellently! I've been busy shooting in LA and all other things, but I shot a wedding last Saturday and wedding photography has really been on my mind, so for my second post, I figured I'd get together a selection of wedding photos I've taken. Recently, I've been getting a lot of requests to show these, so the following photos represent a few of the weddings I've shot; most of them are recent (a few from last Saturday!), with a handful from a year or two ago. Thanks to a few photographer friends, especially Brienne Shepard (www.brienne.net), I have really been getting deep into this genre!
Starting as a landscape-detail photographer, I always thought people-centered photography was a bit rough. I'd compose what I thought was a gorgeous photo, only to notice in post-processing that the person was blinking or sneezing or making a weird face, thus rendering the photo useless (besides the occasional awesome blackmail). All my attention was placed only in the composition, not the focal point of the photo: the person. Over these past two years, though, I have begun to realize the beauty of people-oriented photography, especially at a life-changing event like one's wedding.
The challenges and rewards of wedding photography are very different to nature-landscape or location photography, but I usually find myself leaving a wedding shoot far more uplifted and energized that any other type of shoot. I think it is because I really thrive while working with people. I could be at a reception with hundreds of people partying and celebrating or on an emptied 40-something floor executive suite of a high-rise building in LA. While the latter is still awesome, the only company I have then is either good ole' Amadeus (Mozart, that is), Joe Cocker, or the late, great Rev. Gary Davis.
I have come to find the challenge in capturing the character of the person through their expression (facial or otherwise), but the reward when that is found. If you talk to anyone I've shot a wedding for, they'll tell you that I really enjoy getting to know the people I photograph, because capturing their personality is only possible when you know what that personality is. I really cringe at majorly posed, prom-like photos at weddings, when the event seems like a photo shoot where a wedding broke out! The photos turn out best when the enchanted couple just does their thing and I simply capture that organic connection. Nothing manufactured, nothing fake.
So enough of my wedding photography philosophies, how about the photos themselves!
*(note: to enlarge pictures, just click on them. To size them once clicked on, hold down ctrl button and scroll with mouse wheel)*
Jeremy and Melanie had an awesome destination wedding up in Crestline, CA (near Lake Gregory) just a few months ago. I seriously dug the top hat and parasol: Classy. You'll see quite a few of their photos throughout this post, I ended shooting 24 gigs worth of photos at this one wedding! Ridiculous.
With all I said about people-centered photography, I still have the detail bug and always strive to get the entire feeling of a wedding by including the objects involved.
I've noticed that usually, the longest, hardest part of being in a wedding is the session of wedding party photos. Everyone stands in a line with a plastered smile and holds their bouquets, hoping the photog will hurry and get the photo so you can go grab food. I've found that is possible to capture everyone involved in a more exciting, fun, personality-based way that is actually enjoyable, and actually looks good! You'll see what I'm talking about.
Jeremy, the groom, walked up in the middle of the reception and muttered, "Dude, Last Supper-Wedding Party." I was totally into it, grabbed a copy of DaVinci's work off the web, and began placing. I think Leo would be proud.
A few more bride and groom photos...
One thing I enjoy capturing most is the bride's expressions. With so much thought going into this one day, I really delight in catching all the different emotions that go on within her throughout the course of the wedding.
And as all weddings end, so I end my post with my representation of the reception.
Sometimes so much partying can be hard on a kid...
And the final shot:
Thanks so much for checking out my post, I hope you enjoyed viewing it as much as I enjoyed putting it together! If you have any questions, comments, or job-queries, feel free to e-mail me at brandonbphotography@gmail.com.Thanks again!
Thanks for reading and viewing,
-Brandon-
I hope life is treating you all excellently! I've been busy shooting in LA and all other things, but I shot a wedding last Saturday and wedding photography has really been on my mind, so for my second post, I figured I'd get together a selection of wedding photos I've taken. Recently, I've been getting a lot of requests to show these, so the following photos represent a few of the weddings I've shot; most of them are recent (a few from last Saturday!), with a handful from a year or two ago. Thanks to a few photographer friends, especially Brienne Shepard (www.brienne.net), I have really been getting deep into this genre!
Starting as a landscape-detail photographer, I always thought people-centered photography was a bit rough. I'd compose what I thought was a gorgeous photo, only to notice in post-processing that the person was blinking or sneezing or making a weird face, thus rendering the photo useless (besides the occasional awesome blackmail). All my attention was placed only in the composition, not the focal point of the photo: the person. Over these past two years, though, I have begun to realize the beauty of people-oriented photography, especially at a life-changing event like one's wedding.
The challenges and rewards of wedding photography are very different to nature-landscape or location photography, but I usually find myself leaving a wedding shoot far more uplifted and energized that any other type of shoot. I think it is because I really thrive while working with people. I could be at a reception with hundreds of people partying and celebrating or on an emptied 40-something floor executive suite of a high-rise building in LA. While the latter is still awesome, the only company I have then is either good ole' Amadeus (Mozart, that is), Joe Cocker, or the late, great Rev. Gary Davis.
I have come to find the challenge in capturing the character of the person through their expression (facial or otherwise), but the reward when that is found. If you talk to anyone I've shot a wedding for, they'll tell you that I really enjoy getting to know the people I photograph, because capturing their personality is only possible when you know what that personality is. I really cringe at majorly posed, prom-like photos at weddings, when the event seems like a photo shoot where a wedding broke out! The photos turn out best when the enchanted couple just does their thing and I simply capture that organic connection. Nothing manufactured, nothing fake.
So enough of my wedding photography philosophies, how about the photos themselves!
*(note: to enlarge pictures, just click on them. To size them once clicked on, hold down ctrl button and scroll with mouse wheel)*
Jeremy and Melanie had an awesome destination wedding up in Crestline, CA (near Lake Gregory) just a few months ago. I seriously dug the top hat and parasol: Classy. You'll see quite a few of their photos throughout this post, I ended shooting 24 gigs worth of photos at this one wedding! Ridiculous.
With all I said about people-centered photography, I still have the detail bug and always strive to get the entire feeling of a wedding by including the objects involved.
I've noticed that usually, the longest, hardest part of being in a wedding is the session of wedding party photos. Everyone stands in a line with a plastered smile and holds their bouquets, hoping the photog will hurry and get the photo so you can go grab food. I've found that is possible to capture everyone involved in a more exciting, fun, personality-based way that is actually enjoyable, and actually looks good! You'll see what I'm talking about.
Jeremy, the groom, walked up in the middle of the reception and muttered, "Dude, Last Supper-Wedding Party." I was totally into it, grabbed a copy of DaVinci's work off the web, and began placing. I think Leo would be proud.
A few more bride and groom photos...
One thing I enjoy capturing most is the bride's expressions. With so much thought going into this one day, I really delight in catching all the different emotions that go on within her throughout the course of the wedding.
And as all weddings end, so I end my post with my representation of the reception.
Sometimes so much partying can be hard on a kid...
And the final shot:
Thanks so much for checking out my post, I hope you enjoyed viewing it as much as I enjoyed putting it together! If you have any questions, comments, or job-queries, feel free to e-mail me at brandonbphotography@gmail.com.Thanks again!
Thanks for reading and viewing,
-Brandon-
