*Lucky* Small Moments Studios Wedding Photography

During a wedding, we end up taking a lot of pictures… but there are times throughout the wedding day when we capture an image that we know is just great.  The picture below from Brianne and Joey’s wedding is one of those images that I knew was going to be special.  Right after this shot, someone said something about me being lucky with getting the shot and getting it to look as good as it did on the camera preview.  So this made me think a little about that… about the luck of this particular shot.  Of course, we were lucky that the rainbow appeared, but this picture took a number of steps to capture properly.  The first step was, you had to have photographers that were looking out for cool backgrounds, clouds, etc.  Keith had to notice the rainbow and then we needed to get Brianne and Joey outside.  After that, we had to take the picture.  Of course, in this digital age when everyone has a point and shoot camera or even a camera phone, everyone thinks that taking the picture is a matter of pointing the camera in the general direction of the scene and pushing a button.  But as a professional photographer, when our shots come out great, it’s not because we were lucky.  It’s because we know how to use our cameras.  I knew that I needed to expose for the sky to show the rainbow and clouds as they were.  That left the couple too dark, so I needed to light them somehow.  Since we didn’t have a lot of time and I wasn’t sure how long the rainbow would stick around, I stuck to keeping the flash on the camera rather then using an off-camera flash technique.  But instead of aiming the flash directly at the couple, which would have produced a harsher flatter light, I  aimed the flash away from the couple so that only a little light fell on them to lift their exposure a bit… this made the lighting on them more natural.  I was “lucky” that I know a variety of techniques to use in my lighting.

Another thing I had to decide was what lens to use.  From our vantage point we could see the whole rainbow, but in order to get it in, I needed to use my 15mm fisheye lens… again, it was “lucky” that I happen to carry that non-standard lens in the bag I always have slung over my shoulder.  I switched lenses quickly and then had to decide what ANGLE to shoot.  Everyone else taking pictures with their point and shoots stood up directly in front of them, but I know that I wouldn’t be able to show the whole dress and that in the end, the image would lose something from that standard angle.  I had to get a low angle so that you could see Brianne’s whole dress along with the rainbow above them.  Some tables and chairs in the way needed to be moved.  Next, the couple’s pose was important.  Of course I got the shot with them looking directly at me, but I prefer something more interesting… instead of connecting with the camera, I want to capture them connecting with each other.  Once they came in for the kiss, I knew that I had the shot.

“Luckily” I have the photoshop skills to bring out a little contrast in the clouds and to do some general adjustments (any vignetting is natural and the effect of the sky or lens, not photoshop), but this rainbow is 100% real… nothing was altered, this is how it was.  And so after thinking about it, I know I’m lucky to have the job that I have… capturing images of couples on their wedding day… I’m lucky to work with great couples and great people, I’m lucky that someone put the rainbow in the sky.  But capturing this image wasn’t luck… it was skill.  And that’s why you hire a professional on your big day.

Best of luck to Brianne and Joey… when their full blog post of images is up later, you’ll see that their wedding was great, start to finish.  Check back here on the blog and on the Small Moments Studios facebook page to see more when we post more teaser images later today.

Be well.

-Ryan.