Every so often I get asked about a particular photograph and how it was achieved…and I’m always happy to share! In this series, I will tell you what I did to pose the scene or if no posing was required, my camera settings and any other important info that helped me capture that image. Let’s call it a photo recipe!

Now of course, I have to provide a little disclaimer here – because there really isn’t a foolproof “recipe” for any particular image. Many times it depends on the lighting in the room, the candid moment itself or an unexpected angle I caught last minute – but for the most part, this series will cover the main points on a few of my favorite images.

In case you missed the previous recipes here are the links:

Photo Recipe #1 | Bekah getting ready

Photo Recipe #2 | Details Details Details

 

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One of the most enjoyable parts of the wedding day is my interaction with the couple when they are together with their bridal party! Since this group is usually comprised of the bride and groom’s best friends, close family and other special people in their lives – the vibe and overall energy is one of great joy, excitement and can get very LOUD…even more so with large groups, LOL.

 

When photographing large groups, there are a couple quick tips I’d like to share:

• Have a general plan on where you will place them for the majority of their portraits, ahead of time.  If you are pressed for time (pretty usual on wedding days!) you may want to avoid moving the large groups to many different locations, as it will take a lot of time to transition and regroup for posing.

 

• Explain the plan to the group – giving clear directions and making certain you are loud enough to get everyone’s attention. You are the professional, and they are counting on you to guide them through their portraits (examples: “ok guys, for this shot you are going to walk towards me slowly, without drifting too far apart, to make sure you stay within shot range” or “Ok guys, for this shot, everyone look straight at me with a neutral look- no smiles for this one“)

 

• As my photography style is based on love for candids, I always try to incorporate this on all portraits throughout the day. When shooting large groups, this may not happen as organically as you think. Sometimes it’s because everyone is nervous, distracted or both. I therefore start with my favorite group poses, providing a comfort level for the individuals and creating “normal” smiling shots.  Following a few rounds,  I transition and say ” Now everyone look at someone other than me and give them a smile”…it’s almost a guarantee that everyone will burst out laughing and relax – providing you that “candid” moment everyone loves!

 

• As simple as it seems…adding chairs to the mix can change the entire look of your portraits. I will use 3-4 chairs, placing them a few feet apart and facing different directions to give the group a layered effect.

 

My settings for the image below were:

Mark iii

24-70 2.8 lens at 45mm

F-stop 3.2

1/200

ISO 1600

“Look at each other” pose 😉

Here are a more examples of large bridal parties:

For the walking shot, I always remind them to not get too far apart from each other and walk towards me while talking and chit chatting with one another:

On the beach, there was little ways to give this large group dimension, so we borrowed a few chairs from the ceremony area and set them up like this:

I used the fire truck as some sitting areas and had a couple of the fellas kneel in front to give dimension to this awesome bridal party:

In this case, I used the available seating already at Oxford Exchange to make this shot happen (one of my favorites!)

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Hope you enjoyed this post and found it informative!

Let me know what you think of this series and if there’s any favorite image you would like me to break down for my next Photo Recipe post!