Bridals

A couple shots of a future bride:

1.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/47484168@N07/5​402238042/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/47484168@N07/5​401636363/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/47484168@N07/5​402232954/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/47484168@N07/5​361789588/

nobody? lol

Your zenfolio link doesnt work. I was hoping to see some more examples of your work. I gotta say these dont thrill me that much. In the first the tree on the left is distracting, and honestly the whole bridge thing seems to be drawing attention away from the bride. I would want to see more of her and less background. In the third and last shots she is standing square to the camera which tends to make her look larger than she is, especially in a big white dress. The background on the last is just way too cluttered and overwhelming, especially given how little of the frame the main subject fills. I think you are close to some good work, but with a little care you can do better.

I agree with the comments above...posing and composition could definitely use improvement. Also watch your lighting (esp in first 3 photos), she's squinting. Viel could have been used to hide the arms and maker her look slimmer, there's a thread on here with posing techniques for larger people - it was a huge help for me at some point of time!

Your bride doesn't really pull the attention to her. She looks a little stiff and uncomfortable. You could have cracked some jokes or just chatted as you shot and caught some "real" moments to loosen her up a bit. The pictures are all cute but not blowing me away.

Although I will disagree with gonzogolf on the last one- it's my favorite and I think a wonderful picture. But really the only one out of the bunch that I would personally use.

Your colors and processing are nice in all of the colored images, so good job there! In the black and white I think a little more contrast would make the image pop more. As it is now, it's a little dull.

i agree with most of the other comments... but to cut you some slack, you had a challenging subject in terms of your options of poses and such - that's where a real pro shines though, is know how to pose challenging subjects or make up for flaws like long noses, etc.

I like #1 pretty good though... but dont let the bride's arm "hang" like that, bring her elbow up, that also separates her body from her arm and slims that whole area, and provides a triangular base to the composition.

Here was a non-thin bride; look how I had her old the keepsake:

Thanks for the CC guys. She chose the bridge, hence why I'm not cropped in more. This has been my hardest wedding yet, dealing with a very close minded and head strong brides mother. Doesn't make the job any easier, that's for sure.

Hey Bryant, thanks for posting. I think these could be much stronger with a bit of tweaking on the posing. For example:

1. I would bring her shoulder that is facing away from the camera (her left shoulder) a bit more towards you. I think a 45 degree angle works best, and this is just a bit to far out. Also, try to move the bouquet a bit more away from the body. I have learned, if you can bend a joint, bend it. Having straight arms really makes the image static. If you drag the veil a bit over her right shoulder (the one closest to the camera) you will also be able to make it more appealing. No matter the size of the person (man or woman) showing huge flats of skin makes them look bigger.

2. Same with the posing I listed above, but here the biggest culprit is lighting. It could have used some fill flash, or (my favorite recently) a reflector to either bring in light or to diffuse it coming down.

3. Straight on to the camera and not appealing. In a situation like this, I like to try to keep it very symmetrical, and bringing the veil over her right shoulder would bring a bit more into the photo.

4. Here I think this is your strongest one, and you are almost there with the posing. I have found that when you are doing a pose like this, you have to really accentuate the pose. Tell her to put her weight on her back foot pointing out to the outside of the sidewalk and her front foot pointing towards you. Then tell her to REALLY pop her hip out. It is very easy for this pose to be muted with a big white dress (as most wedding dresses are) and although it may seem extreme, it shows better in the photos.

You got the WB and exposure right, so it is obvious you have the basics down. All you need to do is get a bit stronger in posing, and that comes with a lot of practice. Keep it up!

Thanks for the tips Bryan, always appreciated.

Red Tie Photography wrote in post #11772979
4. Here I think this is your strongest one, and you are almost there with the posing.!

Seriously? i totally disagree. One of the best tips you can give someone, is to never, EVER, pose anyone except the thinnest of models "square" to the camera like this. This photo also has a very static composition, there's no diagonal lines, no crash symmetery, no triangular based, nothing - it's definitely a snapshot. See my comments above also on not letting the arm just "hang" at the side like that - it makes her look even heavier.

glasshouse wrote in post #11775597
Seriously? i totally disagree. One of the best tips you can give someone, is to never, EVER, pose anyone except the thinnest of models "square" to the camera like this. This photo also has a very static composition, there's no diagonal lines, no crash symmetery, no triangular based, nothing - it's definitely a snapshot. See my comments above also on not letting the arm just "hang" at the side like that - it makes her look even heavier.

Ok, we differ in opinion. I dindt say this was a perfect shot (and adding tweaks like you mentioned) would make it stronger. I feel it has the most potential if he shot it again.

Ok, fair enough. Thanks