Got a wedding to shoot this Saturday 25th October 2008. Haven't shot a wedding in quite awhile, so have to re-check and revise a few things. Not that I haven't been shooting, in fact I've shot more stuff these past couple of months than I have ever done before. It's a lifestyle photography project to be used at a car launching and for websites and such, so it's totally different but so refreshing after having done so many weddings.
But, weddings require different skills and since it's usually the same thing over and over again, it gets mentally tiring to try shoot something different. Honestly, I hate the cookie-cutter approach where every wedding is shot almost the same. Bride & Groom throwing flowers in the air, B&G and friends lying in a circle on the ground, B&G doing the love thingy with their fingers, B&G jumping together etc. etc. I just cannot bring myself to shoot these shots. This is why I experiment a lot. Depending on the mood I'm in sometimes I do the manic photojournalistic style with wonky horizons and sometimes I shoot with a more traditional more calculative style. Sometimes I shoot in between.
If I'm in a daring mood and I know the couple won't do enlargements and such I also try to push the limits of my camera by shooting lots of high ISO shots without flash. Sometimes I go to a shoot with the intent of shooting for mostly a black & white final product. I just love black & white but I understand that the clients really need some colour especially if they've paid a lot for colourful clothing, flowers and decorations which really is best shown in colour photos.
However, whatever style I'm shooting or plan on shooting I always have this thing I have to do before a wedding to get some inspiration.
I watch a music video. A specific one actually.
Before almost any wedding I have to look for a video of Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead. It's the best song and video I've found to get me in the zone. Everything about it is perfect, from the lighting to the "so slow it might as well be a photograph" sequences. I have never seen a video that complemented a song better than this.
Anyway, here's the youtube version for those people who've never seen it before.
But, weddings require different skills and since it's usually the same thing over and over again, it gets mentally tiring to try shoot something different. Honestly, I hate the cookie-cutter approach where every wedding is shot almost the same. Bride & Groom throwing flowers in the air, B&G and friends lying in a circle on the ground, B&G doing the love thingy with their fingers, B&G jumping together etc. etc. I just cannot bring myself to shoot these shots. This is why I experiment a lot. Depending on the mood I'm in sometimes I do the manic photojournalistic style with wonky horizons and sometimes I shoot with a more traditional more calculative style. Sometimes I shoot in between.
If I'm in a daring mood and I know the couple won't do enlargements and such I also try to push the limits of my camera by shooting lots of high ISO shots without flash. Sometimes I go to a shoot with the intent of shooting for mostly a black & white final product. I just love black & white but I understand that the clients really need some colour especially if they've paid a lot for colourful clothing, flowers and decorations which really is best shown in colour photos.
However, whatever style I'm shooting or plan on shooting I always have this thing I have to do before a wedding to get some inspiration.
I watch a music video. A specific one actually.
Before almost any wedding I have to look for a video of Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead. It's the best song and video I've found to get me in the zone. Everything about it is perfect, from the lighting to the "so slow it might as well be a photograph" sequences. I have never seen a video that complemented a song better than this.
Anyway, here's the youtube version for those people who've never seen it before.
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