Brooke Danielle Photography is a Virginia based wedding photographer.
brooke@brookedaniellephotography.com
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I can never stress to my clients enough how important it is for them to fully trust their wedding photographer- that’s me! This is one reason why I post a variety of work on the blog, so that possible clients can get a good grasp of my style & how I capture a wedding day from start to finish. I do this in hopes to gain their trust, & also to help discover if we are a good fit for one another in terms of my style. With that being said, one key part of trusting your photographer is trusting portrait locations. Some might ask, well what exactly do you mean by this? It should be simple, right? Just find somewhere pretty, & put us there! Let’s go over some of the main points as to why I may not place you somewhere “picturesque.” Crazy, right?
Let’s start by discussing portrait locations when it comes to the “First Look.” (if you don’t know what a first look is… be sure to read up on it, here!). This may be a bit of a side topic, but it still has to do with trusting your photographer when it comes to the location. I’m not going to lie, one of my pet peeves is when venues direct you on where they think your couple should share their first look. Why? Because not always, but most times the location they recommend is not the best, lol. It’s not because the location isn’t pretty, but it has everything to do with the setting. (By the way, if any venues are reading this right now please don’t be mad at me, LoL! ) Honestly though, I do appreciate it when wedding venues try to be helpful. However, usually they aren’t thinking the way a photographer would when it comes to certain aspects of the “First Look” location. First and foremost, I want your “First Look” location to be PRIVATE. My desire is to lead you & your groom a far enough distance away so that family, bridal party members, or even early arriving guests aren’t observing your special moment. This should be a private moment between the two of you without feeling the pressure from outsiders (minus the photographers of course, which I try to keep a healthy distance!).
Since “First Looks” are completely candid and unposed, I will also look for a location that has a relatively clear background. We don’t need vehicles, clutter, or trash in the background of your “First Look” photos. Since I will be capturing your special moment based off of the natural flow of your movements, I need to be sure you are in a location that is free of any distractions.
Lastly, I need to find a location that has perfect, even lighting! If you are getting married on an overcast day, your lighting will be perfect no matter where I place you. However if it is a day where we have full sun or even a mix of clouds (allowing the sun to fade in and out), we need to place you somewhere that provides us with even shade. By placing you in even shade, it will keep you out of that harsh sun which will make for a washed out photo. More importantly, it will avoid having sun spots across your bodies or even worse, on your face! Even lighting is key for a “First Look” location.
I probably should have listed “lighting” as my number one point, bc lighting is what determines just about EVERY single portrait location! Knowing how to find good light is what helps showcase my style, & it is also what really makes your photographs come to life (if applied correctly). The photo shown above is actually one of my favorite wedding party photos, but we were fighting harsh sunlight for our entire portrait duration. Luckily we did have some shade to work with, but as a result we also had some pretty harsh back lighting as the sun reflected off of the water behind them. Ironically enough, the bride, Jessica, requested a wedding party photo to be taken on the dock. This actually worked out perfectly bc I was able to place them out of the shade, with the sun slightly behind them. Because of the placement of the sun, this resulted in a photo that had even lighting without it looking washed out. However, this only worked because I was able to take it from land with my 105 lens. It was as if the dock was positioned just for me
Sometimes I will have bride’s request to have their photo taken in front of a specific landmark, or out front a beautiful backdrop. Although these locations are really pretty, they may not always make a pretty photograph. Some brides may even be a bit surprised when I deliberately don’t put them in a particular location that echoes all kinds of prettiness. Why? Because it all has to do with the light! Most brides have their portraits right smack in the middle of the day when the sun is at it’s highest point. This particular situation leaves me looking for lots of shade, and shade only
This definitely limits where we are able to take portraits, but I can guarantee that you will have a much more flattering portrait than if I were to stick you somewhere “pretty” with harsh sunlight. If you are having your portrait session during the “golden hour”, which is approx 1-2 hours before sunset, finding locations with good light is much easier (also allowing for more variety!). However, I will still need to be cautious about which angles to take your portraits, as you still want the sun slightly behind you & at an angle. We don’t need “orange” faces or squinty eyes
Again, with portrait locations the pretty light is where it’s at!
This is when the trust really plays a key part in the client/photographer relationship. When it comes to your photographer, you need to trust in their vision. I don’t just mean literally, but creatively. There may be times when a photographer poses you in a place that you don’t find very appealing, but I promise you there IS a reason for it. Whether it be the light, the timing of the session, or maybe it’s somewhere that just seems to spark a connection between the two of you…I promise you, there is a reason. This also goes with posing as well, but we will get into that at a different time!
Example #1: Let’s take a closer look. Pictured above is Anthony & Priscilla from their engagement session at Barrel Oak Winery. Directly behind them was route 66, where hundreds of semi-trucks kept whipping by. I’m sure any normal person would find it odd that I would place them in a romantic pose with a major highway in the background, but I saw something different. Once Priscilla & Anthony were in place, I simply changed the angle by crouching down. This way I could hide the highway, and you’re left with just the open field surrounding them. Trust your photographer
Example #2: Bridal portraits in your average joe Holiday Inn? YES. I’m sure I get a lot of strange looks when I make mention to the bride that I would like to grab some quick bridal portraits before we head out. Of course we aim to take additional bridal portraits outside at their venue, but I always like to grab a couple by the window just incase the timeline gets a little crunched. All I need is a clean background free of clutter, and a window with plenty of natural light. Might I add that in this photo were some mustard colored curtains, but there’s nothing a little photoshop can’t take care of. Your result? A beautiful bridal portrait, & isn’t she stunning?!
Here is another bridal portrait that I took of Mary in a regular hotel room. Again, nothing fancy. Just that perfect window light…
Example #3: This is one engagement session I will never forget. Mainly because we were dealing with the absolute worst wind you could ever dream of! Long story short, we still managed to get some amazing portraits. The engagement session took place on Caitlin’s, Dad’s, farm (which is also where they had their wedding reception) and this place was gorgeous! We decided to drive out to the fields (because apparently, fields and I have a thing- lol) & I will never forget the look on their faces when I asked for them to walk out into this dead, soybean field. I could tell they were a little apprehensive, but what they saw as a dead soybean field, I saw as a artistic opportunity. Turns out, this ended up being one of their favorite images from the session. This is not at all to bring glory to myself, but more to show you how something that seems crazy can actually turn out to be something very beautiful. Again, trust your photographer 😉
“Thank you for stopping by! If you wish to learn more about my Wedding Experience, be sure to contact me here!”
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I’d love to hear about your love and story and celebrate with you on your big day as your biggest cheerleader!