Ask an Expert: Wedding Photography, It's All About Location
Whether it’s your pre-wedding shoot or day of…photos are worth a thousand words. They will be passed down from generation to generation and encapsulate special moments in couples lives. Today we’ve asked professional wedding photographer Kristy Rowe of Moodeous Photography (Denver, Colorado) for some tips on choosing/considering locations.
Things to think about when choosing a location for a photo shoot:
1) Does it reflect who you are?
If you hate the city, don’t let your photographer talk you into photos with lots of skyscrapers downtown. Photography has the responsibility to reflect time and place in it’s truest form, as it happened. How do you want to be remembered?
2) What is the context of the shoot?
Why are you making these photographs? Depending on when the photos are taking place you might not have a lot of control over the location of your photos. If it’s your wedding day, you’re obviously documenting a momentous occasion. If portraits are important to you on your wedding day the onus to find great light is on your photographer. Remember that a spot you think is beautiful may not be perfect for photos. Trust and rely on the expertise of your photographer. You hired them for a reason.
On the flip side, if the context is maternity photos you might want to be photographed someplace feminine, reflecting the beauty of your body at that specific occasion, or in the nursery of your soon to arrive baby boy or girl. A picture says a thousand words, let your location speak to the context of your shoot.
3) How do you want the images to look when they’re finished? (Formal, glamorous, carefree, unexpected?)
More often than not, my portrait shoots are about documenting the love and emotion that plays out between a couple. In these cases, I and my clients want the images to just be real and true to who they are. But on occasion I’ll have a client who wants to feel like their photos could be in a magazine, but what kind of magazine? “Teen” magazine looks a lot different than “W”, and I choose locations accordingly. Another example might be a boudoir shoot. Boudoir means bedroom, so more than likely those are shot in a hotel or bedroom. Themed shoots are pretty popular right now too. If you want to have a vintage theme to your shoot, check out old bookstores, train stations and turn of the century architecture to reflect the vibe you’re portraying.
4) What will you be wearing? How will the location compliment or play off the colors/textures in your clothing?
Truly think about this one. Are you and your soon-to-be-spouse both wearing jeans and dark shirts? Are you bordering on looking more like twins dressed by your mother than almost newlyweds? If the location you choose to shoot in is monotone (say a parking garage), don’t be afraid to bust out your red pumps and polka dot dress. Or rock your white linen pants, yellow blouse and metallic gold roman sandals in a forest full of deep green tones.
Color can really make an image pop, while a variety of textures helps to create contrast and interest in a photo. The elements of color and texture in your environment will also play off your choice of clothing. Think about what you’re wearing in relationship to your location. Formal attire in an open field (photo attached) can create striking contrast. And nothing beats vibrant colors paired with a rugged barn exterior. Don’t be afraid of color!
Being photographed by a professional photographer is an opportunity to LOVE yourself in photographs, make sure you seize it by considering all the important elements that will play into your final product!
Like this blog post? Learn more about Moodeous.