WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER’S HANDBOOK BILL HURTER Amherst Media® PUBLISHEROFPHOTOGRAPHYBOOKS Copyright © 2007 by Bill Hurter. All rights reserved. Front cover photograph by Frank Cava. Back cover photograph by Cal Landau. Published by: Amherst Media, Inc. P.O. Box 586 Buffalo, N.Y. 14226 Fax: 716-874-4508 www.AmherstMedia.com Publisher: Craig Alesse Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-191-4 Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2006925660 Printed in Korea. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechan- ical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher. Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................6 Wedding Photography Evolution . .8 Digital Takeover . .9 2. The Wedding Photographer’s Mindset . .13 Dressing for Success . .14 Idealization . .15 Proactive vs. Reactive . .18 Powers of Observation . .19 Vision . .21 Storytellers . .22 Assistants . .25 Preparation . .26 Uniqueness . .27 Style . .27 People Skills . .30 The Emotion of the Day . .32 3. WHY IS WEDDING PHOTOJOURNALISM SO POPULAR? .....................................33 Traditional Wedding Images Lack Variety . .34 Traditional Wedding Images Are More Time Consuming to Make . .34 Emerging Styles . .35 4. EQUIPMENT ....................................38 Cameras . .38 Removable Storage Media . .39 Image Sensors . .39 Things to Consider When Purchasing a DSLR System . .43 Lenses . .47 Zoom Lenses . .47 Prime Lenses . .49 Retouching . .67 Telephotos . .49 Ordering . .67 AF Technology . .49 Album Ordering . .67 Incident Flashmeters . .50 Print Sorting . .67 Lighting . .51 Folders and Mounting . .67 On-Camera Flash . .51 Shipping . .67 Barebulb Flash . .51 Archiving . .67 Studio Flash Systems . .53 Basic RAW + JPEG File Workflow . .68 Remote Triggering Devices . .54 Workflow Stages . .68 Two-Way Radios . .55 WiFi Technology . .55 7. THE WEDDING DAY: PREPARATION AND 5. DIGITAL WORKING KEY MOMENTS . .72 TECHNIQUES . .56 Meeting with the Bride and Groom . .73 Metering . .57 Engagement Portrait . .74 Evaluating Exposure . .57 Pre-Ceremony Coverage . .75 Histograms . .57 Photographing the Ceremony . .76 Evaluating an LCD Image . .58 Photographing the Reception . .80 White Balance . .58 Lighting . .82 Other Camera Settings . .59 Rings . .84 Sharpening . .59 The Cake-Cutting . .84 Contrast . .59 The First Dance . .85 Noise . .59 The Bouquet Toss . .86 Metadata . .59 Table Shots . .86 Reformat Your Cards . .60 Little Ones . .86 Color Space . .60 RAW File Format . .60 8. GROUPS AND FAMILIES . .88 What is RAW Mode? . .60 Posing . .90 RAW File Converters . .61 The Head-and-Shoulders Axis . .90 How JPEG Differs from RAW . .61 Weight on the Back Foot . .92 Working in Adobe Camera RAW . .62 Head Angles . .92 The Gaze . .93 6. WORKFLOW . .64 Hands . .93 Basic JPEG Workflow . .64 Camera Height . .94 Uploading . .64 Portrait Lengths . .94 File Backup . .65 Three-Quarter- and Full-Length Poses . .94 Edit and Adjust . .65 Head-and-Shoulder Portraits . .94 Image Manipulation . .65 Formal Portraits of the Couple . .95 Rename . .65 Scheduling . .95 Copy Again . .65 Formal Bridal Portrait . .96 Proof Setup and Printing . .65 Formal Portrait of the Groom . .98 FlipAlbum . .65 Formal Portrait of the Bride and Groom . .101 Uploading to the Internet . .66 Group Portraits . .101 Consolidate Orders . .66 Variety . .102 Thumbnails . .67 Compositional Elements . .102 Album Layout . .67 Number of Subjects . .102 4 WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER’S HANDBOOK Panoramic Groups . .105 The Design Factor . .113 David Williams’ Casual Brand of Formals . .105 David Williams’ Technical Considerations . .108 Award-Winning Album Designs . .114 Hands in Groups . .108 Album Features . .117 Title Page . .117 9. WEDDING ALBUMS: Double-Trucks and Panoramic Pages . .117 TYPES AND DESIGNS . .109 Gatefolds . .118 Design Principles . .110 Border Treatments . .120 Guiding the Eye . .110 Collages . ..