Getting Ready Shots and Why They are Important
They are an important series of shots that the couple will love.
Getting into the dress is a ritual and it is the threshold moment of the day- it is the moment when everyone knows it’s game on. Or in the words of a brides maid at a recent wedding- ” The s***ts about to get real” to which everyone bust into hysterical laughter.
Things I do to document the moment is to control the event.
For example, I ask the groom to put the jacket on in a certain spot- natural light and clean background. Never have them look at the camera- always out the window. Ask them to play with their cuffs or lapels. They need to look cool and James Bondish.
Getting Ready Shots
For the Bride there are many options and I try to get a sense of the flow of the dress and the people around them. One of my favorites is the mother applying the final touches of the dress. This is a timeless ritual, and it shows a link to the past
I photograph it at the mother’s level, never from above because it looks poor, and always with a backlight behind her. It creates a nice glow around the mother. Getting Ready Shots