The best couple I've ever worked with - E session

[form]

I really had so little to do with how these shots came out; it was 95% their excellent chemistry and the other 5% was me trying to catch it. There were almost no bad shots to be had with them, and if I only got the right angles then it would be a great image. I tried to pull out all the creative stops I could muster (and a healthy amount of imitation), I didn't necessarily do the best job but I learned a lot with this couple and they really enjoyed it, maybe as much as I did.

Thoughts about any small details and CC welcome; this is probably my best and most consistent shoot to date.

35 Photos!

1.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_0940.jpg
2.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_0941.jpg
3.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_0945.jpg
4.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_0957.jpg
5.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_0966.jpg
6.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_0990.jpg
7.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_0999.jpg
8.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1039.jpg

9. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1042.jpg
10. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1057.jpg
11. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1058.jpg
12. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1060.jpg
13. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1091.jpg
14. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1098.jpg
15. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1102.jpg
16. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1130.jpg
17. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1134.jpg
18. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1144.jpg
19. Completely experimental, just trying to see what I could do with the available overhead light. I've never tried it before and I'm not sure yet how to use it for something interesting.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1172.jpg
20. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1181.jpg
21. More of the same experimenting with available overhead light and a wall.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1192.jpg
22. Another shot using that overhead light and wall. Ideas for using it are welcome!
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1197.jpg
23. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1204.jpg
24. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1214.jpg
25. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1226.jpg
26. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1247.jpg
27. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1255.jpg
28. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1276.jpg
29. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1297.jpg
30. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1315.jpg
31. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1327.jpg
32. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1345.jpg
33. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1346.jpg
34. http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1351.jpg
35. My first red wall! Finally found one in Vegas.
http://www.resolutionplan.com/Joey/Mar25_09/IMG_1382_2.jpg

[ghostman]

I'm not a pro, but I think your shots are great. I've read a few of your posts in the discussion forum and know you charge very little for your shoots. Based on that, I expected to see some very mediocre work. But your shots are great! You should definitely should be charging more than you do.

In a few of your photos, your whites seem blown out such that you lose detail in the woman's dress. It very well could just be my monitor since I don't have it calibrated, but it might be something to watch out for.

[LVPhotos]

Great series, Joey. I agree it's one of your better series. I didn't go too deep on the linked photos but the one comment I have is that the posted ones are pretty posed.. I'd like to see some more loose shots.

I am OK with the bright dress, but I'm also sure you've seen our stuff and we do that a lot too!

No excuses but when it's SO bright here in Vegas that you have to wear a welder's helmet, it's VERY hard to get white dresses to NOT blow out! :)

[FamilyJules]

These are fantastic! Don't 'cha just LOVE couples like that!? they make the job so easy! I had one of those a month back.... that was my best e-session ever.

#2 and #7 are sure winners in my book!
I love the look of the floor in #7... it makes the shot all the more dramatic! And their placement in the design brings my eyes right to them! Fantastic composition!

[form]

Thanks for the comments! Actually about 20% of them weren't posed by me at all, and though the rest were basically posed by me, I didn't often tell them how to do their body language; that was all just me catching shots on the fly once I gave a general direction. I might tell them look at me, look at each other, hide behind the wall over there, get closer, sit on the wall together - they did most of the rest.

Yes I'm about ready to give up on retrieving dress detail because the process is a pain in the rear. I do it when I can quickly and conveniently, but the recovery function on lightroom gives a pink tone to the skin that I don't want so my other alternative is brushing down the exposure by hand.

[Ziffle]

Form,
Very Nice session.....
good work here.
I have come to the conclusion that a blown dress is not always a bad thing.
Depends on the situation ....

good compositions.....
On several of the first image... wandering if they would have more impact in
a de-saturation or B&W?


Thanks for sharing

Later,
_Mark

[form]

The couple will actually get black & white versions of the photos as well.

[spamster]

Nice and bright. Love the pictures. The facial expressions for some of the pictures came out a little strange or made the bright mood a bit questionable but that has nothing to do with you. :)

[howaboutnow]

They look very much in love!! Love all the pics posted above along with link number 16, 24, 28 and the last one, 35. That red wall is so neat! Thanks for sharing and all the ideas lol. I'll be doing my first e-session soon.

[elisesanchez]

Yes you were very consistent with this session. The lighting is very flattering. I love #4. I love simple! I love #8. It is very angelic. Great Job!! Did you think about cloning those background folks out in #5?
I agree with the others above. They do seem very much in love. I hope you are also shooting their wedding.

[form]

Thanks! In #8 I actually removed an unwanted background subject walking in the frame by making a white gradient. I thought about #5 removing people in the bg, but I don't think it detracted much from the image. The wedding took place almost immediately after the shoot, which I only found out right at the end, as they were getting into the limo to go to the chapel.

[asysin2leads]

Very nice work. I'm about to do my first e-session and hope I do nearly as well as this. My only real critique is that I'd like to see a little bit more light on her face in #2. It looks good the way it is, the more light is just my preference.

[queenbee288]

These are beautiful shots and you should be very proud of the job you did. My only problem is with the way they are dressed. She is dressed up and he is dressed casual. Sometimes you have to carefully explain these things in advance. Sometimes it does not matter what you explain, they just don't get it. If he had been dressed up also these would have been even better.

[sunnydacat]

excellent set of images, in my humble opinion you've captured the essence of this type of shoot perfectly. Congratulations to the couple and you on a fantastic job.

[ejicon]

Sharp PP. Thanks for sharing

[kobus2]

they look very unhappy in most shots to be honest...

[form]

You're totally correct, when people are smiling it's a sure sign that they're miserable! Now if they were frowning, clearly that would mean they were joyous, indeed brinking on rapturous ecstacy.