Dru Lattin and Lisl Graber were a brave young couple that decided to let me shoot their wedding… by myself! Dru is a good friend who was with me at both IGo and SMBI. My flight was canceled and I got to the wedding about 15-20 minutes before it started. They pulled someone else–Josh–aside who had an XTi and asked him to shoot the portraits beforehand. Josh (and Brittney, who used his camera) also shot throughout the wedding then, which was a relief to me: to have someone else shooting in case I missed stuff. I had borrowed Sommers’ flash bracket and Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L. An unfortunate thing was that I didn’t understand the interplay between AV mode and flash. I used AV some of the time to get full use of that wonderful 2.8 and thus set my shutter speed to dismal speeds, messing up a number of pictures. I now understand how AV mode works with flash and I sort of understand the logic behind making AV work that way, but not totally, and I’m still bitter. Anyway, enough story and photographic technicalities, and let me show you the pics. (All pictures were taken by me, except where noted otherwise.)
I need lots and lots of critique from photographer and non-photographer alike.
This picture was taken by Josh, but I take half credit for it because of the extensive post-processing I did on it. The background was quite busy and detracting.
Playfully stern advice
A father-daughter moment
Bride and friends
Taken by Josh
Taken by Josh, heavy post-processing
Taken by Josh. Trying to smile despite being quite stressed.
Josh shot this picture right after they walked out (the rest of the pictures were taken by me)
The pianist
Father and bride
Which do you like better?
Presenting the bride
Bride given, responsibility transferred, walking together
Which do you like the best?
Exhortation
Thrilled
Married!
Which one?
When I got back there, Dru and Lisl weren’t the only ones kissing! The parents were too! I tried to get them to kiss at the same time, but I had to settle for (clumsily) photoshopping them into simultaneous amorousity.
Cutting the cake
Mom leaning out to look
Lisl smashing cake into Dru’s face
Dru’s mom in gleeful satisfaction at seeing revenge accomplished. Dru’s dad smeared cake on his bride’s face at their wedding and Dru’s mom was getting proxy revenge!
Poor Dru kept getting his mixes all worded up at open mic, and Lisl found it quite hilarious
Plain vanilla posed shot
They were really into this kissing thing for some reason
Mirror and cake
a poorly executed ripoff of Amber
Which one is better?
The new wifely duties
Bidding adieu to the freshly minted father-in-law…
…and mother-in-law.
Family prayer
In case you hadn’t noticed I’m an indecisive post-processor. I’ve learned my mistake about AV. I’ll try to do better with fluorescent lighting next time. But most of all, I’ll hope the airlines don’t cancel my flight and I get there on time.
9 Responses
May 9th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Awesome shots for your first wedding shoot. I’ve never done stills for a wedding, but I did my first wedding video last year for a friend. I ran 2 cameras, one on and one off tripod with 2 additional cameras run by my brother and someone I met at the wedding for the first time. I was sweating bullets. It turned out OK, but took me about 30hrs in post processing.
Mirror and cake shot is my favorite.
Did you shoot raw or jpg?
May 10th, 2008 at 1:12 am
Loved the picture of the “father/daughter moment” And the picture right after it. . .
Thoroughly enjoyed seeing these pictures. . .I know Dru a little bit and Lisl a wee bit. . .she’s related to me, though. Her dad and my dad are first cousins….there’s a little of the Mennonite game for you!
May 11th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Josh: RAW.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Wow, that is really good for your first wedding! I was head cook at this wedding! In fact, I wrote a post about it on my blog soon afterwards (post titled “400 ham sandwiches, a beautiful bride, and a wild-eyed cook”). Lisl is my 1st cousin. Our dads are brothers. I remember them saying the photographer had flight problems. I also remember them saying you’re very organized and like to have your bases covered ahead of time… I think I could learn some lessons from you!!!
It was fun looking at all the pictures! Now, for some input from a non-photographer… great posing ideas, like the one of her sitting in the arch and the one with the cake and the mirror. Very nice. Now, the ‘which ones’ ones… definitely the second one on the father and bride walking in. That is SO neat just high-lighting them in color! Also, I like how you blurred the guests. I can still tell who they are if I know them, but they’re not able to be a point of focus. On the next set of 4, I like the 2nd one best… the first one is kinda neat in sepia for something different, the 3rd one looks obviously edited (too much), the 4th one has great lighting for a wedding. I don’t know if you editted that 4th one, but I really do like the lighting. Also, a bit of cropping might be good with those too. On the ‘married’ ones, definitely the full length one. it completes it somehow. Maybe because you can tell they’re walking. For the ones on the couch, I went back and forth and can’t decide. I do like the idea of singling out some color. Ok, this comment is getting too long! You did a good job at capturing the fun and all.
May 18th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Thanks for your detailed response, Kitchen Scrapbook!
May 21st, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Just thought I’d add my two bits. Great job at capturing those candid shots! They will be treasured as much as the formals. I love the ‘mirror and cake’ picture and the one following it. In all of the ‘which one?’ sets, I say #2 is the winner.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Thank you Hans, for putting these up as my dear nephew Dru has yet to send me any! and I really do appreciate being “blurred out” in a few of them! It amazing what you find online at 12: 35 in the morning!!! Good Job!
June 9th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Tante Kim, I’m glad you enjoyed!
btw, you weren’t blurred out because of you, but rather to focus the attention on the bride and groom.
June 15th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I realized that, I’m just glad you did it! (You could always just cut me out…)
I’m enjoying your blog. EXCELLENT pictures of Iraq! Thanks for sharing!
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