My first TTD session

[LeesaB]

We just had alot of fun...

[LeesaB]

couple more

[LeesaB]

and I think two more.

[Visual Bride]

I think picture 3 is good. Would have been great with a shallower DOF.

Picture 2 would have been good with a little more thought. The bin and the lamp post ruin what could have been a simple, classic shot. The clone tool could solve that. But it would have been easier to reposition the bride.

The others for me don't work. I don't get the bride and the basket ball. The 1st picture could possible be fixed with PP. It looks very dull.

To be brutally honest, most of these look like snapshots rather that a pro shoot. But these pics may not reflect your other pictures.

[LeesaB]

Hi and thanks for the reply...

2. I left it in there since we were at a trash the dress session...but I do agree about the pole and it can be removed

the basketball one, I can see how you would not understand it, there is a series of shots of this bride and another one playing basketball together, this just happend to stand out to me.

[tlc]

i'm sorry but i am going to have to agree with the above - there doesnt seem to be much creativity going on here - the brides in the pool just look like they were just stuck in there - and have no idea what to do.

the picture of the bride standing there in her dress - dont quite see that as a trash session.

[photoshopgirl99]

i never knew what this was until i saw jamie's ttd session and i guess i have to agree with the other comments based on seeing his and seeing the website for it. but at least you tried and if the client is happy then thats what matters. do you have any more that are more creative and look like the dress is being trashed?

[notapro]

I really like 3 & 4. I think 6 is great too, but maybe lost something in the coversion and compression. 3 is probably my favourite.

I really want to see some of them playing basketball together. that would be cool.

[spphoto]

TTD is about getting more fashion inspired shots, so I think you should take a look at the TTD site for one, but also fashion magazines for ideas on posing and stuff. The only way you're going to get better is practice. You have to remember that everyone (even Jamie I'm sure) started of with pictures that people said "meh" to. You're out there trying that's the main part!

[LeesaB]

thanks for the C &C

Jamie showed a couple of his before they got "dirty" so I thought why not?


I will show a few more in a bit...

thanks amanda...

[jamesdean007]

Leave it to Jamie to set the bar so high :D

I think the TTD works a little better with a heaping of creativity and a big chunk of location. For the basketball location I wonder how the brown haired model would look if you put sneakers on her . . had her climb a ladder with the ball in hand and had her hang on the rim (quick have friend remove ladder) and shoot her from an angle below.

Of course, be careful of the angle or you will have to post it in Glamour & Nude. ;)

Nice start Lisa - you've taken a stab at what many of us have thought about, but not had the opportunity to try ourselves.

[megansmom]

I've never done a trash the dress session... actually, I never heard of it until I came here!

After looking thru JamieWexler'and MrsOpie's TTD pictures, there is just something missing in these. Maybe it's because these are not really posed and the location isn't as appealing or interesting.

[notapro]

TTD is about getting more fashion inspired shots, so I think you should take a look at the TTD site for one, but also fashion magazines for ideas on posing and stuff. The only way you're going to get better is practice. You have to remember that everyone (even Jamie I'm sure) started of with pictures that people said "meh" to. You're out there trying that's the main part!

From my surfing (I have no experience doing them) I think there are kind of three branches of TTD. One is the very fashion-inspired stuff where I sometimes wonder how it relates to weddings at all, and another is more of the "day-after" stuff where people want portraits and while they don't necessarily set out to ruin the dress, don't care if it gets ruined, and the last is people who WANT to ruin the dress (like spilling ketchup on it at the fair). I think there's room for all of it, and the shots don't necessarily have to look like fashion spreads.

[picturecrazy]

There may be many styles of TTD, but the overall theme for all of them is drama. Dramatic poses, looks, expressions, backgrounds etc...

Sorry Lisa, I wish I could say something more positive, but in my eyes, these are lacking the drama. A more dramatic PP approach could help it a bit but the base product isn't strong enough to support it.

Firstly when choosing your locations, look at them without thinking of the bride at all. If you wanted to take dramatic photos of just these locations without any people in it, how would you do it?

I see tall trees? Get down low, shoot up so the trees are towering over you and sun is breaking through the leaves causing big contrasts. That is dramatic right? Now put your bride in that same scene!! Have her lean up against a big tree, arms up above her head, the back of her arms and hands resting on the trunk, looking to the side, with one hip flared out. now you got a dramatic pose in a dramatic background.

Hot tub? How do you make that dramatic? I dunno, be creative! Get the camera down right to water level... every little ripple in the water will show up that way and give big contrasts. With such a low angle, the bride in the water will almost look like she's hiding behind the ripples.

I'm looking forward to your next TTD session. thanks for posting!

[Toogy]

Very awesome advice Lloyd!!

[LeesaB]

I do see what you are all saying...here are a couple more...

Not sure if I should even post them...but gonna give it a try

Llyod..it was a pool..not a hot tub, LOL But I getcha...GREAT advice...

[LeesaB]

two more

[LeesaB]

last one...

[Grace]

I think you could do a bunch of pp to make these more dramatic..but definitly a great start! and at least you got to do one!!!

heres one of yours that I think looks pretty cool :) I'll take it down if you want.

201256

[LeesaB]

how did you do that?

and that is awesome...you don't have to take it down? why? It's good...

[Grace]

I adjusted the hue and sat to take a little red out of her skin, moved the left levels slider to the right a tad to make the dark darker, the slider on the right to the left a little (they both come towards the center) to make the whites brighter..then burned the water to make it darker...:)

cool pic lis!

[Grace]

oh, and there used to be a guy on here that would mess with everyones pictures and would make them look HORRID! that when I took image editing off..I posted a pic of one of my boys and he butchered it...and it was just a snap to begin with...guh irritated the crap out of me! :) thanks for letting me play!

[LeesaB]

I really like that..I will try to play with it tonight if I can...

[picturecrazy]

these are better than the first set. Would still like to see you use your environment more. As mentioned, a more agressive PP style goes along well with these type of photos. nice edits gracie

[notapro]

I like these ones, too! Especially the 4th and 5th ones. I agree that PP like Grace's give them a more dramatic feel. Are you doing the next session in the pool, too?

[LeesaB]

Thanks..I feel a little bit redeemed...Grace PP is awesome, I am going to try to do it tonight..

Well..it could be..but now I am thinking of going to a local park, with water...

We will see...first we have to find this girl a dress...

[spphoto]

Ya, the second ones are starting to get better. They still look like they were done on a cheap PoS though. They need some PP for sure. You might want to spend some time learning the ins and outs of your camera too and how to control and balance your exposures (the exposures are all pretty good, like they were done in automatic, but they could be much better with some more control of DoF)

[sapearl]

OK, I guess I'm going to reveal my age and ignorance here.... and I throw myself upon the mercy of the court for some of that fine POTN insight and information.

I've been aware of the concept for a while, but when did this whole Trash The Dress thing come about, and WHY did it come about? I suspect I know the why, but I guess I'm just baffled by the concept. Obviously it's popular and successful with a number of fotogs, so it apparently sells and is good for business.

But here's this poor gorgeous wedding gown that never hurt anybody... perhaps it's greatest crime being to convey pure virtue when in fact that was not really the case of the wearer.... being subject to treatment that reminds me of washer women beating their clothes on rocks and calling it laundry. I guess I just don't get it. None of my brides have approached me about it... yet. So would somebody be kind enough to clue in the clueless?:o

[sapearl]

Hi Lisa - I'm probably not qualified to really comment based on my earlier post, but I do sort of like the diving board shot. It's a pleasantly balanced composition, and being the old fart hound dog that I am, I like the leg tease; nice the way the train "flows" into the water.

I also like the "Esther Williams" sepia toned back-stroke look. Now THAT'S different.

[LeesaB]

OK, I guess I'm going to reveal my age and ignorance here.... and I throw myself upon the mercy of the court for some of that fine POTN insight and information.

I've been aware of the concept for a while, but when did this whole Trash The Dress thing come about, and WHY did it come about? I suspect I know the why, but I guess I'm just baffled by the concept. Obviously it's popular and successful with a number of fotogs, so it apparently sells and is good for business.

But here's this poor gorgeous wedding gown that never hurt anybody... perhaps it's greatest crime being to convey pure virtue when in fact that was not really the case of the wearer.... being subject to treatment that reminds me of washer women beating their clothes on rocks and calling it laundry. I guess I just don't get it. None of my brides have approached me about it... yet. So would somebody be kind enough to clue in the clueless?:o


Awwwwwwwww...I do understand where you are coming from and trust me, you are not alone, I wish I had a camera on people as their faces got all smooshed up and they say "WHY"....I explain it and they go Oh, why" again..it's funny, but they love the sites...One of my best girlfriends is very upset with me and feels it is almost sacrieligious to do this...She gave me a good scoulding, and I went on to do it. Gotta love freinds... :D

[Visual Bride]

Thats better. Your new set are far better. Love the diving board idea. Playing basket ball shots works too.
Should have posted these first instead ;-) Sometimes as a photographer our mind interprets a picture as we want because we can see the surroundings. We know what lead up to the shot. Someone else that sees the picture for the first time doesn't have that auxiliary information. I have to try to remember that I have to tell the story in that one shot. The context, the emotion etc. If we are lucky we get to use a series and take the viewer on a journey.

Thats why the first basket ball shot didn't work. We only saw a bride picking up a basket ball. Your new shots show a bride playing basket ball.

Does that make sense or do I sound like a looney?!

Keep practicing.

[LeesaB]

Nope, makes sense to me...Just glad I could redeem myself a bit...as weather holds...I want to do another..just waiting on the people.

I do have a bride who is getting married on the 22nd, thinking about it, Her mother is against it, but guess who bought the dress...THE BRIDE! YES!

So, we will see..

[sapearl]

Ah.... dim illumination slowly begins to dawn... my feeble light of understanding :rolleyes:. Thank you Lisa. Actually I don't really have a position on it pro or con at this point - just digesting the concept.

I suppose what I DO get out of it is that perhaps loosly interpreted by the photographer, a Trash The Dress concept COULD involve placing the bride in typically unusual settings or circumstances where you would not expect to find a wedding gown, let alone the bride. That in and of itself could create a very powerful visual, or a strong social statement... or simply an outrageously funny picture.;)

Putting it that way, I can be open minded and regard it as creatively thinking outside the box.

However, my wife expresses a stronger view when seeing brides rolling in ocean surf; "Why ruin a perfectly good, expensive gown that somebody less fortunate could make good use of!!" Wives.... gotta' love 'em - they always manage to think outside of the spouse's box :lol:!

Awwwwwwwww...I do understand where you are coming from and trust me, you are not alone, I wish I had a camera on people as their faces got all smooshed up and they say "WHY"....I explain it and they go Oh, why" again..it's funny, but they love the sites...One of my best girlfriends is very upset with me and feels it is almost sacrieligious to do this...She gave me a good scoulding, and I went on to do it. Gotta love freinds... :D

[LeesaB]

Ah.... dim illumination slowly begins to dawn... my feeble light of understanding :rolleyes:. Thank you Lisa. Actually I don't really have a position on it pro or con at this point - just digesting the concept.

I suppose what I DO get out of it is that perhaps loosly interpreted by the photographer, a Trash The Dress concept COULD involve placing the bride in typically unusual settings or circumstances where you would not expect to find a wedding gown, let alone the bride. That in and of itself could create a very powerful visual, or a strong social statement... or simply an outrageously funny picture.;)

Putting it that way, I can be open minded and regard it as creatively thinking outside the box.

However, my wife expresses a stronger view when seeing brides rolling in ocean surf; "Why ruin a perfectly good, expensive gown that somebody less fortunate could make good use of!!" Wives.... gotta' love 'em - they always manage to think outside of the spouse's box :lol:!

Yep, but you got a good wife there...she's a great balance...

I consider it more of an art form, then a Trashing...but not sure what to call it, I have heard the term "wet" the dress..

OOO and last night a woman came up to me...almost in a panic and says "you could throw dye on the dress...have people throw dye on her, it was hilarious...but again...an idea...LOL

[mill]

A TTD workshop video.

http://stillmotionblog.com/?p=139

[Grace]

A TTD workshop video.

http://stillmotionblog.com/?p=139


great little video! thanks for sharing!

[LeesaB]

Great video...

So, we have an official trash the dress day? Sept. 16th?

Way cool...

[jessiper]

A TTD workshop video.

http://stillmotionblog.com/?p=139

The vid didn't work for me. It said "internal error." :confused:

[LeesaB]

http://stillmotionblog.com/?p=139

Try this link...It worked for me

or maybe just stillmotionblog.com and search for the video?

HTH