Venue:  Freestone Inn

2nd shooter:  Chantal Andrea

It's been a while since I posted a wedding. I'm still on a natural color kick - no actions (other than sharpening) have been applied to any of these images.

(1) left: 5D/24mm,  ISO 1000, f2.0, 1/30 sec

middle:  5D/24mm,  ISO 320, f2.5, 1/50 sec

right (Chantal): 5DMkII/35mm,  ISO 400, f2.2, 1/160 sec

(2)  left:  5D/70-200mm @200mm, ISO 400, f3.2, 1/1000 sec. Nothing makes your clients look as good as a portrait taken @ 200mm.

right (Chantal): 5DMkII/35mm, ISO 320, f2.5, 1/250 sec.  I often chimp with my clients - always a good way to keep them loose and engaged.

(3)  Top:  5D/70-200 @135mm, ISO 400, f3.2, 1/3200 sec. The fashion shoot took place in the middle of the day. The sun was brutally harsh. However, don't let that stop you from taking beautiful portraits. Just put the sun to your subject's backs and you're good to go.

Bottom (Chantal): 5DMkII/35mm, ISO 400, f4.5, 1/160 sec.  A good second shooter should always be capturing a different angle than the primary shooter.  I'm shooting down, so Chantal got low for this one.

(4)   Don't be so eager to always shoot wide open. Stop down a little bit. Your clients will appreciate having both of them in focus.  Many photographers I talk to are afraid of stopping down because they mistakenly believe the greater depth of field will make their images look like snapshots. Believe me, a well executed image (composition, lighting, subject interaction) won't look like a snapshot, even with a large dof.  It will just look like a beautiful, professional image.

Left (Chantal):  5DMkII/50mm, ISO 400, f8, 1/125 sec

Right: 30D/17-55mm @55mm, ISO 320, f3.5, 1/500 sec

(5)  Left:  30D/17-55 @43mm, ISO 640, f2.8, 1/250 sec.

Right: 30D/17-55@24mm, ISO 640, f2.8, 1/250 sec.

Yes, I'm still using my old, obsolete Canon 30D. Why? A few reasons I'm still using this old workhorse: (1) it enables me to use Canon's best zoom lens, the incredibly sharp 17-55 f2.8 EFS IS. This lens is far superior to either the 24-70L or the 16-35L, yet can't be used on a full frame body. (2)  It's practically worthless, so I'm not worried about it being stolen or broken. (3) I sometimes like the extra dof I can get with a crop sensor. I can get more in focus, even if I'm at f2.8.  (4) the 8MP raw file sizes are nice and small and (5) it still takes crispy images!  My advice: put your money into your retirement account instead of always buying the latest and greatest gear. What, are these images not sharp enough??  

(6)  30D/17-55 @17mm, ISO 800, f2.8, 1/125 sec.

I processed all of the black and whites using my favorite conversion method - just hit the "grayscale" button in Lightroom, adjust contrast to taste, and voila!

(7)   Left (Chantal):  5DMkII/24mmL,  ISO 320, f2.0, 1/500 sec.

I knew I'd take this image - or in this case, delegate it to Chantal - way in advance, as soon as I found out that Julie and Seth had written their vows on note cards.  Always ask if the couple has vows or speeches written out - they make for great photo opportunities.

Right:  5D/24mmL, ISO 320, f3.5, 1/25 sec.

(8)  The pre-ceremony cocktail hour.  

(9)  Left (Chantal):  5dMkII/24-70mm @28mm, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/125 sec.

Right:  5D/70-200 @ 130mm, ISO 400, f4.0, 1/1250 sec.

(10)  The cutest flower girls ever.

Left: 5D/70-200 @200mm, ISO 400, f4.0, 1/2000 sec.

Right: 5D/70-200 @200mm, ISO 400, f4.0, 1/2000 sec.

(11)  During the ceremony it's important to get both tight shots of the couple at the altar and some shots pulled back showing the entire scene.

5D/70-200mm @70mm, ISO 400, f4.0, 1/1000 sec.

(12)  Left: 5D/70-200 @200mm, f5.0, 1/1600 sec.

Right: 5D/70-200 @95mm, f3.2, 1/2000 sec.

(13)  It's easy to get lulled during the ceremony, but you have to be hyper alert to not miss the kiss, which sometimes only lasts a spit second. I'm happy to report that I've never missed one yet!

Left:  5D/70-200 @200mm, ISO 100, f5.0, 1/640 sec.

Right (Chantal): 5dMkII/24-70 @24mm, ISO 125, f4.0, 1/40 sec.

(14)  30D/17-55 EFS @17mm, ISO 250, f4.0, 1/800 sec.

(15)  My standard setup for formals:  manual metering mode, 35mm lens, f5.0.  This will give you all the DOF you need. A little fill flash (ettl, -1 FEC) keeps everyone tack sharp.  Shoot from the kneeling position to make your composition much more interesting. Stop shooting everything at eye level!

Left:  5D/35mmL, ISO 500, f5.0, 1/160 sec, -1 FEC.

Right (Chantal):  5D/24-70 @24mm, ISO 250, f7.1, 1/160 sec. I usually have people shooting right beside me during the formals. Doesn't bother me, but I do have to remind everyone to look at my camera. The little guy next to me is a future wedding tog.

(16)  Left: 30D/17-55 @18mm, ISO400, f3.5, 1/200 sec. Always keep an eye out for little kids. When they run around during the day they can lead you to some interesting compositions.

Right: 30D/17-55 @55mm, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/125 sec. Hugs right after the speeches are important - be ready.

(17)  The entire wedding party had to walk a couple hundred yards to the barn for the reception. I knew way ahead of time that I would get this shot, so I ran ahead then stood there at the end of the path and just waited for it.

30D/17-55 @51mm, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/6400 sec.

(18)  Details (Chantal) with the 35mm f1.4L.  

I usually delegate almost all of the detail shots to my 2nd shooter. It frees me up to wait for images like #17 above. By the way, the middle image is my plate - the Freestone Inn puts out a mighty fine spread!

(19)  Reception collage. All images taken either with my 5D/24mm combo or Chantal's 5dMKII/35mm. We both were using a bit of bounced flash, as it was quite dark in the barn.

My rules on bouncing:  When I need to light up more than just my subject I bounce. When I want to light only my subject I use direct flash. In this instance the room was not lit up with dramatic reception lighting - it was just dark all over. In that case, I needed to spread the light around a bit more, thus my decision to bounce.

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(1)  Sodo Park is a really cool venue. It's just a couple blocks south of my old studio, about a mile south of Safeco Field.

(2) Another shot from inside the venue.

5D, 70-200 @200mm, ISO 1000, f3.5, 1/100

(3) Heidi and Joe were so easy to work with. All smiles and very relaxed.

left: 70-200 @200mm, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/6400.  right: 24mm, ISO 1250, f4.5, 1/1250

(4)  There was some sort of metal battle-of-the-bands going on a couple doors down from Sodo Park. These enthusiastic rockers were happy to join our photo shoot.

70-200 @90mm, ISO 500, f4.5, 1/800.

(5)  One of Heidi's friends made 1,000 origami cranes for good luck. My stomach blanches at the thought of the amount of effort this must have taken.

left: 24mm, ISO 400, f2.5, 1/320 sec.   right: 35mm, ISO 1250 , f2.5, 1/80 sec.

(6)   When it was time for the kiss, H & J surprised me by putting on this rigorous secret hand shake first.

It was really dark inside.  Both of these shots were taken at ISO 3200, f2.8, 1/80 sec.  Even so, I had to bring them up a stop in Lightroom, so in effect these images were shot at ISO 6400.  If I shot them at the "correct" exposure, the shutter speed would have been too slow to get a clean shot.  Not bad for ISO 6400 on a 5 year old camera, eh?  This is why I'm not going to upgrade to the 5DmkII.  It has a marginally better sensor, but in a body that's pretty much the same as my old 5D. I'm going to wait for a body that has both a better sensor AND better focus system.  Give me a 5DII sensor in a 7D body and I'll be all set for another 5 years.

(7)  Heidi is being lit by the light of a sodium vapor street lamp streaming through the window.

35mm, ISO 1600, f1.6, 1/80 sec.

(8)  A metal, Christmas tree - like sculpture held dozens of these mojitos.

left: 35mm, ISO 1600, f1.6, 1/60 sec.  right: 35mm, ISO 1600, f1.8, 1/80 sec.  

(9)  Heidi's first drag as a married woman...

35mm, ISO 1600, f1.6, 1/30 sec.  I followed Heidi into the courtyard when she told me she was going for a cigarette break. It was dark out there and I was pretty sure I was going to have to flash it. But using flash in a near pitch-dark environment would be a pretty lousy look.  Heidi would have been white in a black hole.  It wouldn't have looked much different than the wedding guests' snapshots. Then I noticed on the other end of the courtyard were some twinkle lights strung between the buildings. I knew that these lights would give me a nice background instead of a black hole, so I asked Heidi to walk about 50 feet to get underneath them. I took a knee and shot up in order to get the lights in the background. Finally, there was a dim but visible light coming from one of the windows. I positioned Heidi so that this light would hit her face. Even so I had to shoot at 1.6 @ 1/30th to get the shot, but the end results were much superior to using my on-camera flash.

(1)  5D, 24mm f1.4L, ISO 800, f2.8, 1/400 sec

DeeDee getting ready. Isn't she gorgeous? I've always been a big fan of simplicity - removing as many distracting elements as possible. That's why I love this location.  A beautiful bride in a beautiful white dress in a completely white room - what could be better?

(2) 5DmkII, 70-200mm @ 73mm, ISO 1600, f2.8, 1/50 sec.

Photo by my second shooter Ning. DeeDee has an emotional moment while walking down the aisle with dad.

(3) 5D, 70-200mm @110mm, ISO 1600, f2.8, 1/250 sec

(4) 5D, 24mm f1.4, ISO 640, f8.0, 1/200 sec.

Shot at f8 because I wanted everything in this shot in focus, including the background. The secret sauce in this shot was in getting the big smiles.

(5) 5D, 24mm f1.4L, ISO 640, f8.0, 1/250 sec.

There are a lot of bridesmaids here, and most of them were - at least in their heels - as tall as I am, and I'm nearly six feet! Such a tall, elegant group deserved an elegant shot. Thankfully I had the perfect backdrop in the gorgeous Holy Names Academy. I literally placed and posed every single one of them within about a minute.  Much longer than that and you'll lose them. Take ten minutes to pose them and then you (the photographer) become a bad memory.

(6) 5D, 35mm f1.4L, ISO 1000, f3.2, 1/125.

This was taken inside the Holy Names Academy. Given the elegant setting, I was going for a Town & Country magazine kind of look.

(7) 5D, 70-200mm @200mm, ISO 500, f3.5, 1/500 sec.

This shot is the opposite of #6 - natural, relaxed and friendly. Even though it's posed, your job is to make it look as if the bride and groom were doing this on their own and you just happened to stumble upon the scene. Years from now your couples won't even remember they were posed for this. They'll look upon it as one happy moment among many on their big day.

(8) 5D, 70-200 @200mm, ISO 500, f3.2, 1/3200.

DeeDee looks phenomenal here. If I didn't tell you this image was posed, would you even know??

(9) 30D, 17-55mm efs @17mm, ISO 1250, f3.2, 1/1600.

Follow DeeDee's eyes and you'll see the fish flying through the air! No photo shoot at Pikes Place Market is complete without a visit to the fish stand by the brass pig.

(10) 5D, 70-200 @135mm, ISO 500, f3.2, 1/640.

Remember to vary your angles - don't always shoot at eye level! Whenever you have a great floor like these cobblestones, find a way to get them in the background.

(11) 5D, 70-200 @195mm, ISO 500, f3.5, 1/640 sec.

You'll notice that every shot with my 70-200mm was at ISO 500. On a cloudy day don't go lower than that when using a long lens if you want sharp images. A negligible bit of noise is far, far better than a blurry picture.

(12) 30D, 17-55 @24mm, ISO 640, f3.2, 1/100 sec. A bit of "Spartan" from TRA2.

(13) 5DmkII, 70-200 @200mm, ISO 250, f3.2, 1/640 sec.  

Photo by Ning. When you ask your B&G to put their arms around each other, have the groom put his hands around the bride's waist and have the bride put her arms around the groom's neck. If they both put their arms around each other's waist, then they'll look like 2 kids at the junior high dance.

(14) 5D, 70-200 @200mm, ISO 500, f3.5, 1/640 sec.

I've written this before, but the moment just before the kiss is a much more attractive image than the kiss itself. Be ready for it and pull the trigger before the faces start mushing together. Another trick - to convey a relaxed feeling, have the bride point the bouquet down instead of up.

(15) 5DmkII, 70-200 @95mm, ISO 250, f3.2, 1/160 sec.

Photo by Ning. A great way to look for things to shoot is to look for people posing for someone else's camera.  

(16) 5D, 16-35 @20mm, ISO 1250, f2.8, 1/10 sec.

Photo by Ning. The flash ghosting actually adds to this image. Shoot with a flash coupled with a very slow shutter speed and you'll get this effect.

(1)  Canon 5D, 70-200mm @105mm, ISO200, f2.8, 1/5000 sec, TRA2 "get faded: summer" @30%.  Jenny is directly facing 3pm sun. I almost never shoot with front light at this time of day, but this was one of those exceptions to the rule.

(2)  5D, 70-200mm @200mm, ISO200, f3.5, 1/1250 sec. The green stuff at the bottom are the leaves of a bush that I'm shooting through. As you can see, mid-afternoon summer sun is quite beautiful when it's back-lighting your subjects.

(3)  5D, 70-200mm @150mm, ISO200, f3.5, 1/2000 sec.  Do you take this shot?  The "traditional" bridal portrait?  If not, you should.  I rarely post this type of traditional shot on my blog and you won't see it on my website, but your clients - or more likely your client's parents - will notice if it's missing. Despite the fact that your clients hired you when they fell in love with your cool and edgy style, I guarantee you that this is the image that will wind up in a frame on the groom's desk at the office.  

(4)  5D, 70-200mm @200mm, ISO200, f4.0, 1/500 sec. This is possibly my favorite light. Back-lit afternoon sun against a dark background. The sun will make a rim light that shows up beautifully against the dark background.

(5)  5D, 70-200mm @ 140mm, ISO200, f4.0, 1/320 sec.  You can't fake images like this. It looks like Jenny and Norbert are having a great time because they ARE having a great time.

(6) Canon 5D, 35mm, ISO1250, f2.2, 1/500 sec.  

(7)  5D, 35mm, ISO320, f4.5, 1/1250 sec. These adorable kids played the music for the processional and recessional.

(8)  30D, 70-200mm @130mm, ISO400, f5.6, 1/1600 sec.

(9)  30D, 70-200mm@200mm, ISO400, f5.6, 1/1250 sec.

(10)  5D, 35mm, ISO640, f9.0, 1/125 sec. What do you do when you have to take a group shot with 40 people? My preference would be to get up high, like on a 2nd story balcony, and shoot down. In this case, it wasn't an option. My only choice was to arrange my subjects vertically. First row kneeling, 2nd row sitting, 3rd row standing, 4th row standing on chairs. It was 95 degrees and everyone was wilting so I had to set this up fast. The high ISO was required because I used f9 to get the required depth of field. Direct on-camera fill flash at -1 FEC.

(11)  Details. Half with my 24mm and half with my 35mm.

(12) 30D, 17-55mm EFS @28mm, ISO1600, f2.8, 1/125 sec.  There are four sources of light here: (1) the blue light is from the room's accent lights (2) overhead incandescent lights (3) on-camera fill flash (4) off camera flash camera left.

(13) 30D, 17-55mm @55mm, ISO1600, f2.8, 1/80 sec. Think about the story you're trying to tell when framing a shot. Here's the best man giving his speech. I could have (and did) take pictures of the best man, or of the bride and groom watching. Why not get the whole story in one image by putting the best man in the foreground with the bride/groom looking on in the background?

(14)  30D, 17-55mm @55mm, ISO1600, f2.8, 1/50 sec. The framed print in the background is from Jenny & Norbert's engagement session. Cake lit with my off-camera flash camera left. (an Alien Bee B800).

(15) 30D, 17-55mm @38mm, ISO1600, f2.8, 1/160 sec. When shooting the first dance, always try to get the guests in the background. The looks on the guests' faces as well as showing them taking pictures of the dancing couple is an important part of the story. You're the cinematographer - help tell the story with your images. Jenny and Norbert are lit with my Alien Bee camera right.

(16)  30D, 17-55mm @17mm, ISO 1600, f2.8, 1/160 sec.

(17) 30D, 17-55mm @17mm, ISO 1600, f2.8, 1/60 sec.

(18)  5D, 24mm, ISO 1600, f2.8, 1/100 sec.  The 24mm is my "dance floor" lens. I get right in the middle of the dance floor with this lens. Getting right in the action with a wide angle gives you a different look than standing back with a longer lens. It adds to the feeling of movement and action.

(19)  5D, 24mm, ISO 1600, f3.5, 1/15 sec.  Don't forget the scene setters and landscapes for that album design!

Only one image in this post (image #1) was brought into photoshop. The other images are straight Lightroom conversions. Less is more.

(1)  5D, 35mm f1.4L, ISO 1000, f1.6, 1/400 sec, TRA2 "luxe" @50%.  I'm just catching Mabel in a quiet moment while outside the room the groom and groomsmen were being subjected to various game-show-like Chinese wedding games by Mabel's friends. Not understanding Cantonese I had no idea what was going on but it was definitely amusing.

(2)  5D, 35mm f1.4L, ISO 1600, f1.6, 1/100 sec, +2 exposure compensation, no actions. After completing the required games, Bruce was finally allowed in.  I like how this image tells a story - Bruce and Mabel hugging, Mabel's tears, the friend taking a photo, and the bridesmaid peeking out from behind the door.

(3)5D, 70-200mm f2.8L IS @80mm, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/500 sec, no actions.

(4) 5D, 70-200 @70mm, ISO 500, f5.0, 1/125 sec, Kubota X-Process Combo @30%.

(5) 5D, 35mm, ISO 400, f4.5, 1/320 sec, no actions. The most important tool in a wedding photographer's kit is not the camera body, lenses, or software - it's the photographer's ability to connect with his subjects.  The best way to get great expressions is simply to make sure your subjects are having a good time. Shoot fast and joke around!

(6) 5DmkII, 24-70mm f2.8L @70mm, ISO 1250, f4.0, 1/640, TR2 Grandma's Tap Shoes @50%. Taken by my fabulous second shooter Jennifer Tai. Direct sun coming through the window but softened with sheer drapes. Looking at Jenn's 5DmkII files was an eye-opener. Very clean and plenty of detail, even using SRAW1.

(7) 5DmkII, 24-70 @70mm, ISO 400, f4.0, 1/125, no actions. I was originally going to post the picture that you see me in the act of shooting, but after I saw Jennifer's image of me taking the photo, I realized that this was the more interesting one. After all, the photo shoot is part of the day, so why not document it?

(8) 5dmkII, 24-70 @70mm, ISO 200, f4.0, 1/80 sec, no actions. Another nice one from Jennifer, who took this from the side as I'm taking the one from head on. Sometimes the side angle is more interesting than the primary shot itself. That's one of the joys of being a 2nd shooter - you get to reach for interesting stuff while the main shooter takes the must-have shots.

(9) 30D, 70-200 @140mm, ISO 1600, f2.8, 1/250 sec, no actions. You MUST meter a shot like this manually, otherwise the blindingly bright light from the open church door will result in massive underexposure.

(10) 30D, 70-200 @135mm, ISO 1600, f2.8, 1/125. Shot through the railing surrounding the altar.

(11) 5D, 24mm, ISO 1600, f2.2, 1/320, no actions.

(12) 5DmkII, 70-200 @200mm, ISO 2500, f4.0, 1/40 sec, b&w conversion in Lightroom. Photo by Jennifer.

(13)  30D, 70-200 @140mm, ISO 1600, f2.8, 1/80 sec, no actions.  This was taken with my 30D.  The 30D has the exact same sensor and processing engine (DIGIC II) as the 20D, which makes its technology a half-decade out of date.  I know I'll probably retire it in the near future, but in the meantime, I sometimes look at the files and realize that they still look fantastic.  It was a lot darker in this church than this image shows, requiring ISO 1600 and f2.8. Does the image look clean? Sharp? Detailed? With acceptable noise? yes.  

(14) Details. Half taken with my 5D/35mm combo and half with Jenn's 5DII/24-70.

Here's the original image. The cropping was a tough call. I actually like having Mabel's face all the way in the upper right corner, giving some sense of space. However, in the end I decided the rest of the image was simply too busy and decided to isolate the emotion.

(16) 5D, 35mm, ISO 320, f6.3, 1/1600 sec, no actions. It looks like I set this up but I promise you I didn't. I was inside when I heard this roar from outside.  I ran out and this was what was happening. I stopped way down to get most of the guys in focus. This is not the sort of image where you would want to isolate any individual with a narrow dof. Processing was a bit of a challenge due to the extreme contrast from the combination of sun and shade. In Lightroom I reduced contrast and pulled down the highlights, then added a fair amount of fill light.  

(17) 5D, 70-200 @153mm, ISO 1600, f3.2, 1/200 sec, b&w conversion in LR. Bruce's face is mostly lit from a spotlight camera left while Mabel's face is lit with my Alien Bee strobe camera right.

(18)  reception collage. All except the lower right image shot with my 35mm.

(19)  5D, 35mm, ISO 400, f8, 1/640 sec. Lightroom only, no actions. The view just after sunset from the back patio of the Shilshole Bay Beach club.

With the exception of images 1, 4 and 6, all of the 32 images in this post are straight Lightroom conversions. No photoshop except for sharpening and I didn't even open them up in PS to do that, just ran sharpening droplets when I exported to jpeg from LR.

When I got my Kubota and TRA / TRA2 actions, I was like a kid in a candy store, running actions on every image. Over time, however, I'm using them less and less, and when I do use them I'm using them at lower opacities than I used to. I'm just tired at looking at tricked-up images, both my own and every other photograper's.  In the end, there's nothing like a crisp image with natural (i.e. real) color. Food for thought.