One reason why I find the following expert techniques so intriguing is because no matter how much or how little gear you may have, these expert techniques require nothing more than a camera and your creativity. By using inspiring composition and creatively using objects around you to assist in the visual impact of the story, you offer the viewer much more compelling and unique ways of telling the story. This is photographic skill in its purest form. Some photographers have complicated their work with so much gear that they almost need to hire a Sherpa to help carry it all. With great composition skills, a photographer with a basic plastic camera can outperform an inexperienced photographer with the most expensive gear any time.

UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AND HIGHER SKILLED COMPOSITION

Figure 17.1: This photo was taken from the perspective of a small child, showing how he or she might see the world. I’m six feet tall, and therefore I had to crouch down with my camera to the height of an eight-year-old. This photo was taken during the ceremony, which means I had to think quickly to change my perspective. This photo is quite a treasure, but I can assure you that it would have lost most of its spark if I had simply taken the photo from my own perspective and pointed my camera down toward the praying flower girl. Remember that when your main subject is much shorter or taller than you, take the photo from their height. Adapting perspectives will give the viewer a unique vision of the world.

Figure 17.2: This photo demonstrates the importance of becoming aware of possibilities that do not appear so obvious. This photograph tells quite an amusing story, because we know what usually happens when the groomsmen attend a bachelor party the night before the wedding. I could have taken the obvious photo of the groomsman sleeping in the midst of the chaos around him. However, I was aware of the mirror, so I used it to create a more interesting composition to tell that story. Clearly, the standing groomsman using his cell phone did not party as hard as his counterpart did the night before.

If I had to reflect upon what my major goal is when I show up at a wedding, above all others it would be to tell a poignant story through innovative use of composition. It is a great challenge for me to be able to predict strong human emotion before it occurs and to capture that story by using reflections, framing, contrasts, and the environment around me as compositional tools. It is difficult, but that is precisely what makes it so much more rewarding.

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FIGURE 17.2

Figure 17.3: I took this photo at a lounge bar in New York City during the wedding of my friends Brooke and Cliff. I had already taken quite a few photos of them from a normal perspective, so I felt it was time for an unusual perspective. On the top floor of the lounge was this odd bench near the ceiling where a couple could sit and watch everyone below drinking and enjoying themselves. If you are people watcher, this is your seat! In front of that bench was a mirror, so what you are actually seeing is a photo of the mirror’s reflection. Clearly there was helper light used to illuminate the couple, who are brighter than the rest of the scene. We used an LED light at half power to create the separation. Note that without helper light, this photo would not have been possible. This photo is somewhat amusing and confusing to look at because you can’t exactly figure out the perspective, so I would recommend not going overboard taking these types of photos.

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CREATIVE CROPPING

It’s natural that we tend to photograph what we see within our normal line of sight. It is difficult to be able to zoom in and visualize a cropped version of what’s in front of us. As you read this, look up and try to “zoom in” on something that you observe. It takes some brain power. I actually spend quite a bit of time practicing this mental exercise. Since my second home seems to be airports, I like to look up from my cell phone screen, people watch, and zoom in on the activity around me. I imagine how I would crop scenes if I had a camera in my hands. One of the best places to practice this is at baggage claim. I watch a parent returning from an overseas business trip, and a daughter dashes excitedly toward her mom or dad. As she hugs her parent, I quickly see the expression of the other parent witnessing such a tender moment. I ask myself, Who would I focus on? What is the most powerful story? How much would I include in the frame?

This constant speculation prevents boredom whenever I’m in public places, and it exercises my storyteller brain. You learn to observe the world in smaller, bite-size pieces that pack a powerful storytelling punch. If you are photographing a person in front of you, it does not mean that you must photograph them vertically from head to toe. Creative cropping allows the viewer of the photograph to see what you consider to be important or interesting.

Figure 17.4: In this example, notice how nicely the groomsmen’s suits were color coordinated. Immediately, my eyes were drawn to these superb suits. I knew automatically that this was the story I wanted the viewers to enjoy in this photograph. Therefore, I asked one of the groomsmen to fold his suit jacket and tie over his arm, and I cropped his head out of the frame so that you would focus only on the suit and tie. Don’t be afraid to do this. There will be many more photos in which the groomsmen’s faces are clearly featured.

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Figure 17.5: I often use creative cropping to feature wedding details. Whenever possible, I try to photograph the details along with a human element. For example, in this photo, the bride arrived and picked up the flower bouquet to admire the florist’s beautiful design and workmanship. I couldn’t help but notice the bride looking at the bouquet. I decided that the bride with her bouquet would be the story of this photo. But clearly the bouquet is the main subject here, so I used my 85mm f/1.2 lens at f/2 to focus on the bouquet and throw the bride out of focus. Because I chose a location that had a relatively all-white background, little competes with the white and pink flowers of the bouquet.

FIGURE 17.5

STORY FRAMING AND MEANINGFUL OBJECT PLACEMENT

Strategically placing objects that are meaningful to the story in a subtle way can add great impact and charm to your photographs. This technique can really impress your prospective and current clients because it speaks volumes about your keen attention to detail as an artist. Your work becomes much more valuable to them. When I show the following two examples to prospective clients, I automatically sense their instinctive emotional reactions. Note that these two photos of the shoes are indeed part of my sales presentation to prospective clients.

Figure 17.6: This is a cute photo of the groom’s son’s shoes. Obviously, getting wingtip shoes was a stylistic decision the bride and groom made for the child. I did my job as a photographer by capturing this photo, but the problem is that it’s not unique; most photographers would have taken the same photo. Refer to the four main questions I discussed in the previous chapter. This photo just shows you what the boy’s shoes look like, and the story ends there. How can we do better as highly skilled storytellers?

FIGURE 17.6

Figure 17.7: Let’s take another look. Using a few expert techniques, I came up with a better version of the same story. First, I cropped the groom’s head out of the composition. This forces the viewer to focus only on the shoes. Second, I posed the groom’s legs so that his shoes are the first point of contact, or the closest objects to the camera. This gives the shoes more importance than anything else in the frame. Third, instead of simply capturing the groom tying his classy wingtip shoes, I highly increased the emotional impact of this story by strategically placing his son’s matching wingtip shoes next to his. Without having to show their faces, you can immediately recognize that father and son have a very close relationship. This photo also shows in a subtle way that they went out of their way to find matching shoes. Also, you can tell that as soon as the groom finishes putting on his own shoes, he will be assisting his young son.

FIGURE 17.7

Now compare Figures 17.6 and 17.7. Which one makes you feel something? Which one requires more skill to take? Which one tells a better story? This is the reason why it is so important to implement these expert techniques.

Figure 17.8: I love this photograph, because I remember that I wanted to offer the bride much more than the typical photo of her wedding dress hanging by the window. If you notice the details of the room, there are two frames that can be utilized at the same time. The left side of the room has a frame with the frosted artwork on the glass, and the second frame is the entryway to the other side of the hotel room. That sparked the idea that I could hang the dress on the left frame and add an interactive photojournalistic story of the bride putting on her make-up framed by the entryway. This conveys a very sweet narrative that the dress seems almost “waiting” for its time to shine on the bride. Putting on the wedding dress is a highly anticipated moment for the bride, and this photo builds a sense of anticipation.

When I look back at my early wedding photos of bride’s dresses—when I did not know about these expert techniques or storytelling approaches—I appreciate how far I’ve come, pushed by a relentless desire to improve. Check out this photo from one of my first weddings (Figure 17.9).

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FIGURE 17.9

MULTIPLE STORIES CAPTURED WITHIN A SINGLE PHOTOGRAPH

During weddings, you will find multiple stories happening simultaneously. If you can add the story framing expert techniques to these stories as they happen, you will strike gold! Most people are accustomed to seeing photos showcasing only a single story. When you can take this technique to the next level by introducing more than one story in a single photograph, you will be noticed, hired, and praised.

Figure 17.10: There are countless variations of this expert technique, but here is an example of capturing multiple stories in a single photo, and doing so by using the architecture of the rooms to frame each story separately. Framing is not needed, but it helps the viewer separate the stories. These types of photos demonstrate a truly unique storytelling ability.

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Figure 17.11: I feel very lucky and blessed to be able to capture moments like this! The bride had just finished getting ready when her father walked into the room to give her his gift. As I have mentioned before, these wonderful moments do not come with a warning. For this reason, you should be keenly aware of your surroundings. By doing just that, I was able to capture this beautiful candid moment of the first time the father of the bride sees his daughter wearing her wedding dress, and at that same moment capture another story of the bride’s soon-to-be mother-in-law’s reaction in the mirror.

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