As a pro wedding photographer, one of the areas of your business that is important to dedicate time to is your shooting. Couples meet and book you because of your unique style, and you constantly want to improve this! Before each shoot, you may scout the location to see what you have to work with and then head back to the office to make a shooting plan. On your list are the must-have shots for getting ready, the ceremony, and the reception. For you to create unique and dynamic images during these moments, it is necessary to capture images with a bit of drama in them. We’ve put together 7 ways for you to add drama into your wedding images that your clients will love!
1. Find the best light
As a wedding photographer, you have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to lighting. From shooting in natural light to harsh light, you can use many techniques to capture beautiful images. To create drama in your images with this kind of light, be sure to position your clients in front of the source. When the light is directly behind them, that’s the first place the eye is drawn.
You can also choose to restrict the light in your image, which will create mystery within your image. With restricted light, you can focus solely on the subject of the shot. Think of this technique as a cinematic effect that creates drama and directs the eye to the bride and groom. Another way to use this is to eliminate the light in the room and allow the natural light to flow through the window or door.
2. Play with light to create silhouettes
Silhouettes are a simple outline of the couple that you are shooting. This shooting style creates curiosity as well as drama within your images. The bride and groom will be shadowed in this type of shot, so it becomes a mystery of what they may be wearing, what they look like, and what emotion is coming from their facial expressions. When shooting silhouettes, using strong and defined poses is a must! Since you cannot see their expressions, the power of the image comes from the pose and the background.
Related: How to Shoot Silhouettes
3. Opt for black and white images
Converting images to black and white can create an atmospheric and dramatic look for your images. After shooting the wedding day and you get back to your studio to review and cull the images, determine if any images would look best in black and white. When you receive your images back from ShootDotEdit, you can convert selected images to black and white to give a different feel and look to those photos. To speed up the process, be sure to create presets so you do not have to manually convert each image to black and white each time.
4. Use creative post-production resources
While creating dramatic images can happen during the shoot with lighting and posing, there are post-shoot edits you can do as well to add your Signature Style. Start trusting specialists to take care of your post-production needs to help with this process. Once you get your images back, you can add in your Signature Style to create a more dramatic effect. Just like you may create presets for your black and white images, create presets for your Signature Style to save you time!
5. Pose clients for drama
The message that you send from your images can lead back to the poses you suggested for your clients. Take an example from boudoir photography – most of those images convey emotion based solely on the pose. Mix it up by posing different body parts in ways that allow for drama – have the bride stand sideways with her arm hands placed on her lower back (be sure that she has proper posture and that her arms create an angle that allows them to look proportionate). You can also have your couple stop smiling for these pictures – they’ll probably be thankful for the break! The genuine emotion on their faces can help create a dramatic image.
6. Shoot bold colors
Depending on the location that you have to work with, it is possible that there may be opportunities for you to shoot with bold colors. Bold colors make the image stand out while creating interest for the image. Some images tell a dramatic story through black and white, but there is something to be said about including bold colors in your shot. Just ensure that the color of other aspects in the image do not distract too much from your couple.
7. Change your shooting angles
As you pose the bride and groom, try to change up the angles you are shooting at. Sometimes, shooting from a lower angle will create longer features and more drama. Use angles that are different in every few shots to avoid creating stale images. If you have the opportunity, try taking some aerial shots of the couple. This gives you the opportunity to pose them in ways that will create interest in the image.
When you add drama into your wedding images, your creativity shines through and your couples are sure to be pleased with the outcome. Learn how to incorporate the right poses in your images with our Posing for the Wedding Photographer Guide!
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