The Art of Great Wedding Photography

If you are planning a wedding or going to a wedding and taking pictures the one thing to remember is sometimes you can turn an ok picture into a great one.

The photo on the left is a perfect example. It was taken by an amateur with a cell phone. In this shot the bridesmaids were in the back ground sitting on and behind the stone wall.  If you look at the original image it has the potential to become a great single shot of the bride and groom.  With a little work.

However just removing the bridesmaids is not the only job that needs to be done to this shot if you want it to be perfect.

In the first close up with the black arrow you can see the the shot is a very low resolution.  Removing a lot of the digitization in the photo will help to smooth it out and make it a clearer crisper photo.  Can this be done?  YES!   The next arrow photo after the first shows how a lot of the digitization was removed and the digitized skin tones have been smoothed out as well.  I am not going to go into how I actually did this because that is not the point.  We are talking about turning good photos into great photos remember?  The third photo with the black arrow shows the bridesmaids being removed.  Off with her head!

We are now left with the photo with the bridesmaids removed. There was some additional altering done here because we needed to adjust the coloration of the veil to remove the blue dress from behind it as well as replace walls under the Bridesmaids legs in the background and a little teeth whitening.   Then the final touch; a color correction to remove the grey overcast from the photo bringing back the original sunny day and the whiteness of the brides dress. 

Now we don't have just a good photo anymore but a great photo of just the bride and groom and suitable to frame now don't you think?  Below we have the before and after final photos for closer inspection.  You can see how there is now more detail in the photo on the right.  The definition in the pocking of the rocks down to the individual blades of grass can be seen better.  The expressions in the wedding couples faces are more enhanced and that is the most important part.

Before

After

This editing can be done to almost any photo including vintage photos. The best part is that though they are fun to do, its' even more fun making someone happy.  Have any photos you would like to get retouched?  Or a family ex that needs to be removed from a photo?  Though it may be sad it happens and why not try to save a "good" photo and make it GREAT.   All of this is possible.  If you would like to have this done just contact me through the contact page.  We are happy to help. 

Ok now to cover trying to take GREAT photos so you don't have to go through the above. While traditional wedding photos are special and important, fun & candid shots can make anyone’s photos stand out from the crowd and make it look like it was done by a professional.  So, put a little creativity in your wedding photos and make that special day even more memorable. How do you do that? Well read on!

In honor of the wedding season here are 24 ideas you shouldn't pass up.

Take a shot of your party doing a selfie.

Have someone with photo shop skills ad text.

Don't get run over doing this one. Ad a quote "I will go the miles with you".

This says it all.

Black & White timeless.
Middle of the street in Chicago? Breathless!

Unforgettable...its' what you are...

We know you are super. Prove it!

A little glue,glitter and a whole lot of love...

Tug it out!

Another great shot of a selfie in the limo.

Black and white and a touch of color.

Vintage frames. Look close.

Before I met you...

Pose for the camera... phone.

4 of a kind.

With this ring...

Enchanting.

Sock it to me!

Celebrate!

Charming.

Children.

Kick your shoes off.

Steal a kiss.

And don't forget to kiss the groom...They are getting younger these days.

Rule of thumb?  If you think you are going too far there is no such thing.  Its' your wedding.  You can always blame your behavior on the open bar and the photographer.  Don't let priority get in the way of art and a great wedding photo.