(1) For ring shots I always use a point-n-shoot, my Canon G11. As I wrote in this post, point-n-shoots are far superior to using macro lenses on your dslr, and will result in a much higher hit rate with greater depth of field, which is a big plus when shooting macros. G11, ISO 400, f2.8, 1/40 sec.
(2) Embrace the smile! I like to take more contemplative portraits of my brides, often without having them smile. However, this would have been problematic for Sandy, as she is a chronic smiler. Rather than trying to force it, just let your subjects be who they really are. I didn’t tell her to smile – I didn’t tell her not to smile, I just let her be her natural, beautiful and happy self. 5DmkIII, 70-200mm f2.8, ISO 400, f3.2, 1/1250 sec.
(3) The 5DmkIII was a revelation – I shot at ISO 6400 all night long. The images, like the one above, were crystal clear. This shot was at ISO 6400, f2.8, 1/50 sec at 200mm. There is simply no way I could have gotten this shot with the 5D Classic. 99% of the time it is the Indian, not the arrow – but there are exceptions…… 5DmkIII, 70-200mm f2.8, ISO 6400, f2.8, 1/50 sec.
(4) Get down low to add drama. This shot, taken by my 2nd shooter Johnny Arguedas, is a good example. Imagine this shot taken at eye level, it would not have had nearly the same impact. Nikon D700, Nikon 70-200mm f2.8, ISO 200, f2.8, 1/500 sec.
(5) Think like a movie director. Don’t just grab a shot and move on. Take a series of shots that tell a story. Canon 5DmkIII, Canon 70-200mm f2.8, ISO 400, f4.0, 1/200 sec.
(6) Pull back. Not all your shots need to be up close. Its okay to sometimes stand back – way back – and make your subjects small amidst a large, dramatic backdrop. In this case, Grand Central Station. Canon 5DmkIII, Canon 70-200 f2.8, ISO 400, f4.5, 1/250 sec.
(7) A 35mm lens is your best friend. Not too much distortion, yet wide enough to get shots like this when you don’t have room to back up. One more step back and I would have been run over by traffic. F6.3 is all you need to ensure enough depth of field to get 4-5 rows tack sharp. Canon 5D Classic, Canon 35mm f1.4L, ISO 400, f6.3, 1/60 sec.
(8) Set up your “action” shots. This shot took a bit of work, but I knew it would look great. First, I had to sprint ahead as fast as I could to get in place (wedding photography is physical work – stay in shape!). Next, I picked a spot where I knew the background would have been most dramatic. Then I squat down – remember to stay low for drama. Finally I set the camera on a slow-ish shutter speed of 1/40 sec. Fast enough so I could get my subject sharp but slow enough that there would be a slight movement-effect. 5D Classic, 24mm f1.4L lens, ISO 1600, f2.0, 1/40 sec.
(9) Embrace the videographer! Many of you probably get annoyed with the videographer when you’re trying to shoot a wedding. But think about all the advantages! In particular, having a videographer is like having a separate off-camera light source. In this case I made sure to position myself with my couple between me and the videographer, whose light provided perfect rim lighting. Even better than bringing my own off-camera flashes! Canon 5D Classic, Canon 50mm f1.4, ISO 1600, f1.6, 1/200 sec.
(10) This image is blurry, far from tack-sharp. Yet it’s one of my favorite from the day. I don’t go out of my way to create blurry images, but don’t be so quick to toss them out, they might turn out to be hidden gems. Canon 5D Classic, Canon 50mm f1.4, ISO 1600, f1.6, 1/320 sec.
(11) EZ black and white. All of my b&w conversions were done with pretty much one click just by clicking the “Black & White” button just above the white balance sliders in Lightroom’s Develop module. Not only is this the quickest method of converting to b&w, in my opinion it’s also one of the best. I wrote about it in this post. Canon 5D Classic, Canon 24mm f1.4L, ISO 1600, f2.2, 1/125 sec.
(12) Direct flash does NOT suck! I use direct flash all the time. I point that sucker right at my subject. I rarely bounce as I prefer direct flash. Now this shot is obviously is taken outdoors so direct flash is the only option, but I used direct flash the entire wedding even indoors. People think direct flash sucks only when they don’t know how to set their camera. They shoot in the dark at ISO 200, f4.5. That will definitely suck. To make direct flash look great, it’s important to gather plenty of ambient light. Don’t be afraid to shoot at high ISOs. When you blend the direct flash with the ambient background, it looks great. Canon 5D Classic, Canon 24mm f1.4L, ISO 1600, f2.0, 1/40 sec.
(13) Funky color is okay! When you’re at a dark reception that has high-end lighting, quite often the colors will be funky – red, blue, green, etc. Don’t try to color-correct – just go with it. That’s what the light looked like – and I think it looks great. 5DmkIII, Canon 35mm f1.4L, ISO 3200, f2.5, 1/50 sec.
(14) I can’t emphasize enough how great the “silent shutter” is on the 5DmkIII. I didn’t have to cringe hearing the shutter sound like a cannon in a quiet church. 5DmkIII, 70-200mm f2.8L IS, ISO 6400, f2.8, 1/200 sec.
(15) The Canon 5DmkIII worked like a champ. Jaw-dropping image quality at ultra-high ISOs, fast, accurate auto focus with an incredibly high hit rate. Backup card for peace of mind. It’s just an awesome wedding camera. I’m not sure what I would change about it if anything.
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Another great post. I'm inspired by every of your post, Mister :) Questions: Pic (7): would u take another shot because 1.5 faces were blocked by the "hats" of the two green ladies & the annoying face of the little girl? Pic (14): would u calibrate the photo to make it balanced? (November 05, 2012 | 10:01pm)
Thanks for the post. Enjoy your blog always. Was wondering if you'd ever consider a walkthrough of how you deal with image storage? I work in Lightroom, and run out of space on hard drives every so often, and I know some photographers purge images at some point. I was considering doing this, as I ran out of space yesterday, and realized it would mess up my catalogs to do so. I'm wondering if you have a better workflow process that you wouldn't mind sharing that helps maximize storage space. Thanks. (November 08, 2012 | 06:48am)
I have to say you never stop impressing me Laurance. I am not a professional photographer, but an amatour. I just bought a pentax k-30 wich is a fantastic camera... One of the reasons I bought it is because altough the camera can make a differece in the pictures, it is the photographer that matters most. When you use your old Canon 5D classic, a camera with almost 10years, the pictures keep coming out beautifull. People take too much time thinking about the cameras and resolution and Iso and lens, that they forget to go outside and shoot. Your pictures are inspirational, and your advices are just fantastic. O loved the direct flash advice and will try to do it, as I always bouced the flash on a wall or in a small white thick paper in the back of the flash to bouce the light.. I guess you can make a wonderfull post about flash use, and I (and others) would love to read it.. Thanks, You're great! (November 08, 2012 | 09:16am)
@Vinh: For big group shots like this I always take 3-4. There's never enough time to get each individual person perfect at a wedding. Not sure what you mean by "calibrate" a photo. (November 08, 2012 | 09:39am)
@Kim: after a couple years I move images off my internal hard drive and archive them on external hard drives. (November 08, 2012 | 09:40am)
I have always wondered where do you focus your camera in group photos? And what aperture do you normally use for group portraits? I liked all your photographs. Thank you for sharing. (November 08, 2012 | 12:32pm)
@Octavio: I focus on the bride. Aperture depends on how many rows of people. This group shot is f6.3. (November 13, 2012 | 05:04am)
Laurence, Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you for pointing out that direct flash can be perfectly great many times. I shoot direct flash frequently just as you described. I find I rarely get red eye unless I am straight in line with my subject and there is very little light. Direct flash actually can be stunning and unique especially at high iso and large apertures. So many photographers shoot eveything bounced so it can even be "unique". I think so many photographers are so used to seeing adapters and talk on modifying flash that they forget that it is also perfectly acceptable to shoot direct flash. (November 13, 2012 | 12:32pm)
Hi laurence. Have you had a chance to compare colors between the old 5D and the new mark iii. You always spoke highly of the 5d's colors and crisp image files, does the mark iii finally deliver the goods in this regard? (November 13, 2012 | 02:21pm)
@Joel: I don't know if I can describe the difference - they look pretty similar to me. But the thing that stands out is that although the mkIII is 7 years newer, the files (at anything below ISO 1600) don't look any better. That tells you how remarkable the 5D classic was/is. (November 14, 2012 | 08:43am)
I loved my dual D700's for weddings, sold them and am now in complete love with my D800 for slow architectural work. BUT, I am wildly jealous of the silent shutter of the MK III. These Nikons have an amazingly audible shutter, that seems to echo off of church walls. After recording concurrent video for a few brides, then listening to the resulting click-click-click of me shooting in the background, I have now become a bit trigger shy during ceremonies. (November 25, 2012 | 09:05am)