Engagement May 16, 2007

[picturecrazy]

Their wedding is in a couple weeks. I think they figured they'd get some practice before the big day! The groom is the type who does NOT enjoy taking photos so it was a challenge to get some emotion out of him. But when he DID smile, it actually looked natural so that is great!

We started at a very popular spot in edmonton, the Alberta government legislature grounds.

1. Slight cross process effect...
http://www.nightanddayphoto.ca/misc/forumpics/stephAlE/a.jpg

2.
http://www.nightanddayphoto.ca/misc/forumpics/stephAlE/b.jpg

3.
http://www.nightanddayphoto.ca/misc/forumpics/stephAlE/c.jpg

4.
http://www.nightanddayphoto.ca/misc/forumpics/stephAlE/d.jpg

5. They got engaged sitting at this table at Starbucks some time ago.
http://www.nightanddayphoto.ca/misc/forumpics/stephAlE/e.jpg

6. At first I was like, "Why the heck didn't I bring a polarizer?" But then I soon was glad I didn't because the reflections on the glass show the world buzzing by and the couple oblivious to it all.
http://www.nightanddayphoto.ca/misc/forumpics/stephAlE/f.jpg

7. And of course we needed a shot with the Starbucks logo.
http://www.nightanddayphoto.ca/misc/forumpics/stephAlE/g.jpg

Had to take shelter a couple times due to rain but all in all it worked out. C&C appreciated.

[sblais]

Nice work once again LLoyd!

#1 and 2: I wish you were perfectly centered with the building and the door. There is a bit of a skew and it bugs me (#2 a bit less than 1 - may just be your crop).

#3 Very dramatic lighting. I'm not quite sure about the pose though. They seem a bit stiff and uncomfortable.

#4 is fun, but may not work for everyone...

#5 is my fav in this set

#6 don't quite cut it for me. I'm not crazy of the lady whose reflection we see clearly. She is pale (her shirt) and grabs my attention.

#7 passes, given the context.

Still some nice work :)

[hef]

Nice work. I think #3 + #5 are awesome.

[deltroid]

Your work is amazing! Very inspiring...tons of emotion on all pictures!

#'s 2, 3 and 4 are my favs.

Congrats!

[davidtaylorpictures]

5. They got engaged sitting at this table at Starbucks some time ago.
http://www.nightanddayphoto.ca/misc/forumpics/stephAlE/e.jpg



TOTALLY love this shot! Quite nice and good pose!

[Toogy]

I personally love #7, good job Lloyd.

[picturecrazy]

thanks y'all. I felt rushed the whole shoot because we were trying to work with the spotty rain. it would rain and then stop, and then start and then stop it was frustrating to say the least. so yes, definitely didn't have the proper alignment on... well... probably ANY of them. :oops:

[tommy_london]

loving number 3 - very dramatic.

[JK Photography, FL]

Good job. All the images are great.

[jamiewexler]

These are really good Lloyd. I love the dramatic sky and angle of #3.

[MagicallyDelicious]

really like them all.

7 is lovely. means alot to them i can imagine!

[song4themoon]

I love 2, 4 and 5 but they are all great. Well done

In the last one it took my eyes a while to find them..

[dragnfly1996]

Lloyd I like the effects of these. I have a question about #7. I really like the concept inthis photo. You did a great job and the sepia is perfect. Did you remote trigger a flash inside the starbucks from outside? If so, waycool!

[JimAskew]

#5 and #6 are wonderful :) Great job!

[TeeJay]

Great photo's - fabulous set.


... The groom is the type who does NOT enjoy taking photos ...

It's a good job you're doing it for him then! :confused:

TJ

[picturecrazy]

Great photo's - fabulous set.

It's a good job you're doing it for him then! :confused:

TJ

hmmm, I've always used "taking photos" in the context of being shot OR doing the shooting. Never thought much about it being incorrect... hahaha I never said I was smart! ;)

Lloyd I like the effects of these. I have a question about #7. I really like the concept inthis photo. You did a great job and the sepia is perfect. Did you remote trigger a flash inside the starbucks from outside? If so, waycool!

thanks. Actually I did use a pocketwizard to trigger a 430EX which was placed on the windowsill. Otherwise you couldn't see them at all!

[Eoseni]

Lloyd, Great job. I like No 3,5 and 6.

The drama of no. 3 is "making lemonade if life gives you lemons" How'd you shade your gear from rain?

No. 6 would be better i think if the lady in white were subdued somehow.

I find inspiration in your work.

[Wedding Shooter]

Lloyd - great job. Number 2 and 3 are special and I like the way you lit number 7 - maybe just clone out the newspaper in the foreground.

[Big Mike]

Great shots Lloyd, I love the dramatic feel of #3. One of the best I've seen of the Ledge.

[photosbyjuan]

lloyd your a bad@ss - GREAT JOB! can I just see #3 before PP, I'm curious to see the shot straight from the camera and what you did to make it look so vibrant. what lens?

[picturecrazy]

y'all are too nice :)

Lloyd - great job. Number 2 and 3 are special and I like the way you lit number 7 - maybe just clone out the newspaper in the foreground.

You know, I was thinking of moving it out... but just like me forgetting my polarizer, I decided it was best left there because it's part of the overall scene. Now if it were a portrait type shot then of course I would try to remove distracting things, but for documenting a piece of time, I don't mind keeping things looking a little more real.

lloyd your a bad@ss - GREAT JOB! can I just see #3 before PP, I'm curious to see the shot straight from the camera and what you did to make it look so vibrant. what lens?

I'm not home now so I can't post it but it's not much different than what you see. Most of the processing is the 20D's in-cam jpg algorithms. All I did was a slight burn on the clouds and vignette. The light was really patchy. Sometimes the sun would break through and be brighter, depending on how thin the clouds were at a certain moment. I waited for the sun to pop through a bit and bam bam bam took 3 shots, and then the moment was gone. I only waited about 3 seconds... it was so unstable!!

If you wait for the right moment, you can get a dark sky with decently lit subjects. Look at the windows on the right side of the building, you can see that the sun was blasting through a small area right at that moment. (Compare it to the windows on the left) Take advantage of these odd lighting moments to really bring out the sky AND the landscape... because these moments are really rare.

[sblais]

If you wait for the right moment, you can get a dark sky with decently lit subjects. Look at the windows on the right side of the building, you can see that the sun was blasting through a small area right at that moment. (Compare it to the windows on the left) Take advantage of these odd lighting moments to really bring out the sky AND the landscape... because these moments are really rare.

Wow, I thought it was your off-camera lighting techniques. Impressive if it's with only available light! (Otherwise it's still very well done! :D)

[jamesdean007]

Lloyd we wouldn't have known he was a non-smiler if you didn't tell us.
Great job with these. Love #3 & 5 (their table) and 4.

Which was their favorite?

[picturecrazy]

Wow, I thought it was your off-camera lighting techniques. Impressive if it's with only available light! (Otherwise it's still very well done! :D)

Nope. No flash in that shot. The only shot with flash is the one with the starbucks logo. If I had gotten the sky that angry with normal off-camera techniques, the building the background would have been black. But there was a very rare chance where the sky and the landscape and the people were all within a 1 stop difference... which happens like once in a blue moon. Flash would have ruined it. I suppose using your tools effectively includes knowing when to put them away... i'm such a flash junkie it's almost bad... :oops:

jamesdean, I believe their favourite was #5.

[Yella Fella]

great shots chief! love your style as well

just on a note on your laughing shots, what do you usually do/say to get them get into that laughing stage?

[Kai]

lloyd, I enjoy looking at your work. Thanks for sharing.

[motogeno]

2, 3, and 5 are absolutely amazing, and I always look forward to when you post your work! I wasn't really digging #1 to much, I wasn't liking the effect too much. Besides that, you da man!!!

[picturecrazy]

great shots chief! love your style as well

just on a note on your laughing shots, what do you usually do/say to get them get into that laughing stage?

thanks dudes!
Usually I'm talking to the couple the entire time, even when my face is hiding behind the camera I'm still spouting off nonsense. throw in some really stupid phrases in there and they laugh.

[sam0329]

Very nice photos Lloyd, trul amazing!! Now I am proud to be a Edmontonian :cool:

[tony fanning]

I always look out for your posts Lloyd- one of the photogs here who`s style I love.
These are great shots- the vignette in #3 is a bit much for me but hey, who am I to question?