Bridal shots- More OCF Practice

Well I returned and ..... still not sure !!! I think it is partly the same expression in all the photos that draws me to think "not real" but that feeling is boosted by the lighting - which is very good in terms of the bride herself but which is simply too detached from the background to be acceptable to the eye ..... I think.

Difficult one and "it just doesn't look right" is probably where I'll leave it as an opinion.

kbowers wrote in post #12709228
I actually really agree about the cut and pasted look of the photos. I don't have much of any experience yet with flash, so I can't get into anything technical other than what I just "see." The 2nd isn't too bad, but I almost feel like 1 and 3 are either cardboard cut-outs or photoshopped when I look at them.

I can see that effect in the first one, not so much in the second & not at all in the third, but I promise on the POTN coffee table book, they were shot exactly as they appear! well, I mean, there was no cutting & pasting, just basic processing. I def would like to know/learn how to avoid that fake look, I'm just happy the client didn't feel they look fake!

Hey Michelle, I don't think the photos look that bad with regards to the Bride looking photoshopped in. It sounds like maybe your location has a lot to do with that fact for other people though. I understand that you were trying to use the environment in your shots but my suggestion would be to find a different location if you could so that the environment compliments the shot more vs being a distraction. I personally thing the location for # 1 is too busy for the shot and that the background (structure) in # 2 is a bit distracting and that #3, the bride has a tree growing out of her head. Completely understandable if you don't have a choice because of the bride wanting a specific location or time constraints (had the same issues with a wedding this last weekend) but maybe something to consider a bit more next time you're out shooting.

I think you have her lighted well in #2, but I think bumping the ambient up 1/3 to 2/3 of a stop would look nicer as long as the background was decent. Also, the bouquet is to colorful for me, it distracts from her.

Although I like 2 more than 1, I can completely see why she chose it. I feel like to a non-phatographers eye, there is more going on.

I think that the isolation you have created is not a bad thing. If I took these shots, I would be tempted to play with some tilt shift effects, or even just ND filters in Lightroom, adjusting sharpness and clarity, and maybe some saturation.

I did something of that sort recently, and was never really sure how I felt about it...