I've seen this sort of thing on wedding photography blogs and since I had the rings, decided to take this shot. I liked the idea, but I knew I didn't execute as well as it could have been. Obviously the composition needed some work.
Now here's a picture taken by the photographer:
Same exact idea, but done better. For starters, she moved the ribbon out of her way to get a close-up of what mattered. Now if I wasn't just aimlessly shooting as a bridesmaid I probably would have thought something like this through, but what also really stands out to me as the difference between my picture and hers is the lighting. I took my picture (without a flash) in the bridal room, which is pretty dim. I don't know where she took hers, but I know it wasn't in there. I assume she didn't use a flash because the pearly texture of the paper would probably show more sheen, but then again maybe she knows a trick that I don't or has a good diffuser. Unless she took it outside though, I seriously wonder how she got such good light. Actually, I also wonder that about pictures she did take inside of the bridal room.
The only thing I can figure is that that is the difference between my equipment and hers and the hundreds of dollars that probably separate them. She too used a Nikon, but undoubtedly a higher-end one with more expensive lenses. The execution of a good photograph is really more than just an artistic eye, it's the science of what makes a picture look good. And that's the part I'm really trying to work to understand.
Either that or she is awesome at Photoshop. And if that's the case, I would love to know how to do that.
I'll leave you with my favorite image of just Elissa and favorite picture of the couple from the day. If you want to see more pics, you can check them out here.
Photos taken by Betsy Limbaugh.
3 comments:
It looks like she did use a flash, brightened the picture in editing, brought out the blacks and sharpened the details.
I could tell in a lot of shots she used a flash. She also really brightened up the photos and used a lot of contrast. You can also bump up the vibrance on photos to make the colors pop.
I think good camera equipment can only get you so far. It may enhance the quality of images somewhat (but anything after 12mpx is going to be hard to tell a major difference), but you can hand anyone a camera and they can point it. The difference in a good image and a mediocre image is the creativity in it. At least that is my opinion. Good editing software can also enhance an image. The photographer that did Sarah's wedding has good equipment and a creative eye and all her photos look amazing.
http://www.rebekahjmurray.com/
She also uses very basic editing software and photoshop occasionally. And at Sarah's wedding, I never once saw her use a flash! Crazy how good the girl is!
Just play around with settings on your camera and in the editing software you have. You are a great photographer, Amy!
I'm far from a professional, but I have been studying photography over the last year and have learned quite a bit. One of the most important things I've learned? Lighting is Every.Thing. So is shooting in manual. At least that's what works best for me. When I first got my Camera I wanted to learn how to shoot Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual, and I used the series I linked you to below to help me out:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/category/basic-photography/what-the-heck/
I also do not shoot with a flash, and have been able not to thanks to that series.
I think it's good to have Photoshop (or whichever editing software you like) for touch ups or an occasional fun edit, but I cannot stand looking through photographs that have been taken by 'professional photographers' that are truly only 'good' because they relied so much on editing. Blah.
But you are a good photographer, and I think you have a good eye-- but I do think it takes a lot of sitting down and really getting to know your camera!
Thanks to both of you for your input! I've read a lot about aperture and shutter speed and getting my new lens helped a lot in some scenarios, but not all. I need to learn more. And get comfortable with manual. The Nikon D40 does not seem to respond well to manual mode, but then again, it's probably more of me not knowing anything. When I have time again I'll just have to teach myself more. I just don't want to rely on flash or editing, like y'all mentioned.
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