Post your "There was no where pretty to take the formals so this is what I did" shot!

[lovebugg]

So I scoped out the venue for this saturday, and there is no where pretty to take formals. And when I say no where, I mean no where. The walls in the church are like a baby blue color, and the ceiling is too short. The outside brick isn't bad, but there are pipes and drains everywhere, and what there is of a yard is barely ten feet wide.

I wanna see how creative you have been in the same situation. Post your pics, and tell me about the horrible conditions! Thanks!

[pixelharmony]

If the colors are bad I usually convert to B&W, though I've never really been a situation where I couldn't bare to shoot. I always look for new angles or scenery I can work around an capitalize on.

[Kittygraphix]

Bring your own formal backdrop and prop it up in front of those ugly walls. If you are getting paid for the shoot you should be able to rent a nice pretty one from a catering place for $50. This is why scoping out the setting ahead of time is a must!

[Zansho]

Well... nowhere to do any formals? I just make do.

Here's my example, if this is what you mean.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2295371998_e7cf40647c_b.jpg

[collierportraits]

Yeah, Zansho, I'm pretty sure that's not what she's talking about. City church. No greenery anywhere, cluttered backgrounds, we've all been there. I'll have to sort through the archives. Sometimes B & W helps in situations such as these... This should prove to be an interesting thread.

[lovebugg]

Yeah, I'm talking about you've got about 10 feet of grass in the courtyard, a party of 6 on each side, plus bride and groom. Lighting is TERRIBLE, walls are pretty crappy, and you're supposed to do formals. I've got the rented backdrop, but I'm know for my fun formals, not the stand in a line and say cheese. Kinda like Toogy's.

There is an awesome fire escape I'm thinking about using...Could be interesting to say the least. But yeah, show me your urban jungle images when you've been forced to be creative. Thats what I want to see!

And Zansho, I really like your pic, its just not what I was talking about. Thanks!

[Kittygraphix]

OOOOOOOOOO A fire escape will make for some really nice garter shots :D

[breadandbutter]

Can you go back and post some pictures of what it looks like.
Maybe we can give you ideas.

[Zansho]

Hmm.. then what about this one?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2598090458_671a7e95e3_b.jpg


Yes, I know this is a bit hot, but I'm still in the process of editing this image. This was absolutely craptastic in color, and I just changed it over to sepia and black and white versions, still playing with this image. Part of me wants to clone stamp the trees to cover up the hot skyline, and burn in the hot patch of grass a bit so it's not so distracting, and maybe a bit more on the bride's dress.

I just attempt what I can sometimes, but when you're forced to shoot at 2PM in the hot Texas heat with the sun blazing overhead, sometimes there's not much you can do about hot spots lol.

[cdifoto]

I'll have some tomorrow. The location's pretty....bland. Not urban clutter though...just rural bland with no architectural pizazz. Boringly modern church, etc. We'll see.

My vote goes to winging it. :D

[lovebugg]

LOL! love you're avatar image!

[stathunter]

There are many times were the church or location is pretty blaugh.....I always take them to where I consider to be a creative spot. I had one couple that were married in a TINY....I mean very tiny wedding chapel.....they put about 50 people in a room that was 20x20 with two bridesmades and two groomsmen-----the ceremony photos stunk! But I was able to take them outside by a tree for creative shots. (they were kicking and screaming while doing it--and faces showed it)

[collierportraits]

Hmm.. then what about this one?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/2598090458_671a7e95e3_b.jpg

Wow. She had some major gas.:D

Um, I assume that you're now doing this on purpose. Or do you only photograph weddings with expanses of trees, greenery and garden paths around the churches? ;) Nice shot, by the way! How about, ugly background, what'd you do?

[pixelharmony]

^ I think he's missing the point.

[cdifoto]

Wow. She had some major gas.:D
Musta been a whopper of a kiss. ;)

[Zansho]

ugly background... I usually try to find something better :X I try to avoid crappy backgrounds as it is lol.

Generally speaking, I do have a black cloth backdrop folded up neatly in my trunk, along with some pcv piping broken down that I can cobble together to make a background stand with light stands. I've never had to use it though!

Most of my weddings are outdoors (thank God) and are generally pretty easy on the shooting and give me plenty of options as to were I want to position my bride/groom/formals/candids/gassy shots.;)

In that shot I did, the bride just sort of jumped into the groom's arms and he caught her right on the dot :). I hated how it looked in color though, Texas heat does something fierce to the grass here. Everything is craptastic brown and tan now.

[Roy Mathers]

I think you're missing the point Zansho. Read the conditions and challenge in the OP.

[lovebugg]

So I shot the wedding yesterday, and I'm gonna post some images tonight or tomorrow, if you want to see what I got with such a small amount of space.

[cdifoto]

Yep I'm curious. We ended up doing those blah formals in the front of the church but I took them out back to a jungle gym type thing for semi-fun stuff. Not much though as they had only booked 2 hours and we were already 10 minutes behind at that point. Had to totally skip the abandoned motel but I'll use that for another wedding and/or some portraits with a hottie. Nice guy that I am, I ended up giving them 4 hours so I could get the first dances in. ;) :)

Here's the back yard photo. Sun was way too high and way too strong to win using my pathetic Vivitar 283. :( I was going to have the B&G in the top tower but it's difficult enough to get her up the first set of steps, and the roof's barely tall enough for kids. Besides, I had to use the ol' standby "trust me, I'm a professional" line to get her up there in the first place. ;) :D
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a304/cdifoto/2008-07-12-0201.jpg

[lovebugg]

Mmmk they're posted Don. Go take a peek!