Bridal Portrait
Bridal portraits are one of my favorite things to photograph, especially in the studio where I have total control of of my environment.
Photo Credit: Solaris Associate Photographer Scott Villalobos.
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Time is so short. I was hired to photograph a wedding for one hour today, and the above image was created at the end of the service.
For me personally, I like to surround myself with beautiful things. Understanding and admitting this need allows me to be comfortable with the fact that I’m an artist. Indeed, it is my art that gives me the ability to surround myself with what I desire.
I know I do not create beautiful art with every click of the shutter, so to help myself get into the right frame of mind I mentally proclaim a few private affirmations which concentrate my energies at any one given moment, like a magnifying glass concentrates the rays from the sun to one point in space and time.
Placing myself in the right frame of mind, I begin to shoot for my clients with the purpose of surrounding them with beautiful imagery.
Through smiles, gasps of delight, and tears of joy I know that photography is what I was put on this Earth to do.
Time is so short, and I have so many more portraits to create. I have so much I want to share with other artists and photographers.
Are you a wedding photographer? You may be interested in my newest book, Marketing and Selling Wedding Photography.
I really love the man in the painting looking at the bride. The rest of the story.
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Editing a wedding today, working on my new site, and doing the things that bring in the bread and butter. I have a busy week in front of me and I am really looking forward to a workshop I am hosing in Dallas this week.
I love this pose and lighting. Let me know what you think.
Fill flash was placed camera left with the output measuring to 40% of the ambient light. Used a lighting method taught to my by Tony Corbell.
Just a touch of fill from the left using a Q Flash. The sky was rather murky, so I blew it out using levels, and then brought the detail back in the subject and foreground using a mask in Photoshop.
The St. Regis is one of the finest event locations in the city of Houston to hold either your wedding ceremony or reception. For information, contact Mr. Tobias Rimkus at 713-403-2625.
When I’m creating a portrait, and the subject has direct sunlight striking them, I will meter for the direct sunlight and allow the rest of the image to go a bit darker for effect.
How to Make Money Photographing Weddings. I am currently working on my next eBook, The Marketing and Sales of Wedding Photography, due to be done in April.
At most Indian weddings, the bride is carried into the ceremony in a carriage. There are hanging beeds on either side of the carriage to partially hide the bride. Just before she is carried down the isle, everyone puls the beads away so they can get an unobstructed view of the bride, so it’s a bit of a struggle to get this particular shot.
“I think the idealization of women is indigenous to men. There are various ways of idealizing women, especially sexually, based in almost every case on their inaccessibilty. When a woman functions as an unobtainable love object, then she takes on a mythical quality.”
Poet Laureate James Dickey, Self Interviews. P.153
My first eBook for beginning wedding photographers.
Location: The Corinthian
If you would like, I have contacts that will allow me to rent The Corinthian for half an hour for a Bridal Portrait.
While my work is very heavy with shadows, there are times when I just have to kill all of the shadows in the image in order to prove to myself that my style is intent-full.
One benefit of hiring a photographer with an actual studio is the fact that you can create your bridal portrait indoors. This minimizes chances of damaging your dress, ensures good lighting, and allows for more posing options that what can be done on concrete.
Additionally brides have the comfort of air conditioning which limits shine on the face in the final portrait.
To get this shot, you have to bring a broom and garbage bag. At times there is a good amount of cigarette butts on the stairs as well as other garbage. You see, there is a campus bar under the stairs.
The balance created by the architectural elements makes this one of my favorite locations for photographing bridal gowns with long trains.
Location: Rice University
Taken with natural light only, this bridal portrait is very elegant. Notice the leading lines of the hallway drawing your eye to the subject. Directional light from right to left allows the final portrait to show great detail in the fabric.
Location: Versailles
Just South of Paris is Versailles. It’s a truly magical place to be with a camera and a bride.
Figuring our the balance of this image was not the easiest thing to do. I had my client walk up and down this ramp nine or ten times until I captured her with perfect placement and balance in the image.
