1st Engagement Shoot. CC Please.

My best friend Brad asked me to shoot his engagement photos about a month ago. Naturally, I said yes (duh!). What was special about this particular shoot though was that he hadn't actually proposed yet. His wife-to-be, Mel, really had no idea it was coming. Mel is a natural in front of the camera and was under the understanding that they were gonna meet up with me on the sea wall for some photos and then go for dinner. Long story short, I was very thankful that I picked up my new camera body (Canon 7D) the day prior to this shoot because I wasn't exactly sure when he was going to drop down on one knee. With my camera set to burst mode (8 photos per second), I nailed the shot, recording every single expression as he surprised us all and popped the question.

PS: I rented the 85L for the day. Too tight for my liking but hey, now I know . I'm thinking about buying the Siggy 50 1.4 since I already have a nifty fifty and know the focal distance is fine.

1

Looks like you had some harsh lighting to contend with.

#1: Nice crisp blue sky. I think the lighting on them is too harsh though and the hard shadow is distracting as well.
#2: I am not entirely sure what is going on here. She's adjusting his shirt I guess?
#3: I think this is a nice capture. Perhaps a little too centered for my taste and her hand is partially chopped off which isn't a huge deal IMO. I would up the exposure on their faces if possible.
#4: Lighting is way too harsh, but again, not sure if you had a choice!
#5: This is great! Love that you captured the moment. Man, it's just too bad about her arm, but who cares. I am sure they will cherish this capture of that special moment. I actually like the foreground because it give it that candid look...

I think you did a great job capturing the moment. Man, I would have been nervous as heck!

nicksan wrote in post #12722442
Looks like you had some harsh lighting to contend with.

#1: Nice crisp blue sky. I think the lighting on them is too harsh though and the hard shadow is distracting as well.
#2: I am not entirely sure what is going on here. She's adjusting his shirt I guess?
#3: I think this is a nice capture. Perhaps a little too centered for my taste and her hand is partially chopped off which isn't a huge deal IMO. I would up the exposure on their faces if possible.
#4: Lighting is way too harsh, but again, not sure if you had a choice!
#5: This is great! Love that you captured the moment. Man, it's just too bad about her arm, but who cares. I am sure they will cherish this capture of that special moment. I actually like the foreground because it give it that candid look...

I think you did a great job capturing the moment. Man, I would have been nervous as heck!

I really appreciate the feedback. It was a really sunny day and my 7D was maxed out at 1/8000th all day long. I was forced to stop down to at 1.8 in most of these photos. I've never had the pleasure to play with such a beast of a (portrait) lens so I wasn't prepared for this. I did what I could. Next time I'll bring an ND filter .

I'm not sure how, but I almost forgot to add one of my favourites from the day.

6

That's a nice shot, but I would watch the spotty lighting. Her face is in the shade while the rest of her body is not.

I think it still looks nice though.

nicksan wrote in post #12722596
That's a nice shot, but I would watch the spotty lighting. Her face is in the shade while the rest of her body is not.

I think it still looks nice though.

Again, no objections here. Thank you for all the feedback. Definitely not offended. I Need to get an on-location light setup such as an einstein with 22" beauty dish, grid vagabond mini. One day

The natural lighting wasn't good; seeing the pics. What time of the day was it?
# 6 is my favourite too.

yonders wrote in post #12723551
The natural lighting wasn't good; seeing the pics. What time of the day was it?
# 6 is my favourite too.

About 3-4pm

What can I do to make these better (next time) granted I have the same gear and lighting conditions. I generally shoot sports, wildlife and panoramic cityscapes. I'm challenging myself by diving into new territory and would greatly appreciate any and all tips. I'm all ears!

Shade is your friend
Edit: or place your subject with their back towards the sun and use flash as fill.

Aressem wrote in post #12725123
What can I do to make these better (next time) granted I have the same gear and lighting conditions. I generally shoot sports, wildlife and panoramic cityscapes. I'm challenging myself by diving into new territory and would greatly appreciate any and all tips. I'm all ears!

Either find an open shaded area or have the sun to their backs and use fill flash, preferably OCF. Even in a shaded area, you'll often fond that using some fill flash will give you more pop to the colors.

Aressem wrote in post #12722523
I really appreciate the feedback. It was a really sunny day and my 7D was maxed out at 1/8000th all day long. I was forced to stop down to at 1.8 in most of these photos. I've never had the pleasure to play with such a beast of a (portrait) lens so I wasn't prepared for this. I did what I could. Next time I'll bring an ND filter .

I'm not sure how, but I almost forgot to add one of my favourites from the day.

6

Most likely the shots were a bit over exposed due to you maxing the shutter speed at 1/8000. I haven't looked at any of the EXIF's if there are any, but take number 4 for example. Her skin looks blown out a little. Of course the lighting was harsh, but to introduce a chance of over exposure due to the fast aperture, only makes the chances worse.

You were trying to get shots below f1.8? Why?? If you're trying to get good bokeh, you can still get it stopped down to f2.8 and still achieve great bokeh. 3 and 4 look a little soft and I think could have benefited if you had stopped down a little.

1. It was a nice idea, but both their expressions look weird (compared to the other shots) and the postition of their heads looks odd. Had you position the flash camera right, the lighting and contrast would have been more flattering. Instead, his right shoulder created a huge shadow under chin giving him an appearance he had no neck.

2. Looks like an opportunity missed here. Had you captured the bride to facial expression, it would have complete, what looks like a tender moment. When your trying to capture candid moments, trying shooting them from different angels, while they do their thing.

3 & 4 Best pictures of the set.

5. Looks like you missed the shot. The elbow got in the way. Do you have others with her facial expression of this moment? Remember, it all about the bride in moments like these.

6. I like the DOF, pose, but I have to agree the uneven lighting is not flattering. This picture and still be saved in PP. Also,

#2 looks a bit awkward and #3 looks OOF to me. Dig the PJ POV in #5!

Your biggest enemy in these shots is yourself. Shoot an hour or so before sunset. The light is much less harsh and will not distract so much. The poses and composition in these is not terrible, but your light is the biggest issue.

FYI, I had no control over what time I was shooting at. My friend told me where and when and just asked for me to be there before him to get a feel for the location (which I did). When he proposed, I had no idea it was coming. He chose a bad time (from my POV) since she was in the middle of putting her hair up so there wasn`t much to be done about that. As for all the comments about being back lit and using fill flash, I agree. I should have used my OCF lights more but was trying to take advantage of the 85L (rented lens) and natural light. Next time I`ll stop down more. All comments much appreciated!