As a wedding photographer, you have a unique opportunity to capture the intimate details of a very special day. The pictures you take will stay with your couples for years to come, so it is necessary to shoot the moments that count. Couples often spend a lot of time planning out every single detail of their wedding, so it’s important that you showcase some of the details! From getting ready to arriving at the church, and the cake cutting, these details matter! We’ve put together 3 tips that will help you find interesting and dynamic ways to shoot the detail shots during a wedding.
#1. Master Depth of Field
Using depth of field in your images helps isolate the parts of the image that you want your client’s eyes to be drawn to. For example, if your focus is the bride’s dress, blur out the rest of the background by using a larger aperture so that the dress is highlighted in the image. You can also focus on a specific part of a detail to showcase a portion of it. One way to do this is to take the bride’s bouquet and focus on one main flower in the assortment – blur the rest of the bouquet out for dramatic effect. Also, try placing a few different details together, such as flowers and jewelry, and focus on one of these details while the others create a soft background.
Image Compliments of Sarah Zimmer
#2. Select a Complimentary Background
Choosing which detail shots to capture at a wedding is the first step of an interesting detail image, and selecting the background is the second step. Focus on colors or textures for your backdrop that will enhance the detail you are photographing. Finding unique patterns and designs with complementary colors can add depth to the images. Remember that the background can also be simple – find a sofa or curtain with one main color and use that to showcase the bouquet, shoes, or rings.
Image Compliments of Sarah Zimmer
#3. Focus on Composition
Composition is one of the most important aspects of photography, so it is necessary to focus on this when shooting the detail shots at a wedding. Shoot with the rule of thirds in the back of your mind – try several ways to compose photographs rather than continuously shooting with the details in the middle of the frame.
Once you have captured your safe shots, take some time and experiment with different angles! Try taking some photos with negative space in them to balance out a dramatic detail you are highlighting.
Image Compliments of Sarah Zimmer
Bonus: Find the Right Light
Knowing how to use light in a beneficial way can really make your detail images stand out. When shooting details at a wedding, look around to see what lighting you have to work with. If you are indoors, search for any window light to give your detail shots a soft, natural glow. During the reception, give some details, such as the cake, a dramatic look by using off-camera flash.
Related: Pro Wedding Photographer Tips: 3 Tricks to Posing the Groomsmen
Understanding exactly how to capture the details of the wedding day can help make dynamic images your clients will love. After your images are color corrected by a wedding photo editing company, find out how you can add Lightroom presets to add your artistic style to your photos with our Posing for the Wedding Photographer Guide!
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