Rebekah and I met online through a mutual friend. She is a budding photographer and was looking for some feedback on her work. I was able to get to know her in person when I went to Washington DC for TheCall. She and Brandon have worked for and been involved in TheCall for quite a few years. I pulled her into my photography team so I could do some in person mentoring and because I just adore her and wanted to spend more time with her!
One day, Rebekah was telling me how she wished she had been able to get more creative portraits done of her and Brandon on their wedding day, so we started scheming this session. It wasn’t really a “Trash the Dress” session (where the bride will pretty much do anything and go anywhere, with no thought to keeping her dress clean) because her dress is very special to her and she wanted to keep it nice. So I’ll just call this a bride and groom session, even though they’ve been married for a few years.
The opportunity to photograph a bride and groom without the stress of the schedule of the wedding day was really amazing. I know now why a lot of photographers are starting to offer “day after” sessions where the bride and groom dress up and go to a fun location for a photo shoot. I think I’ll be adding this to my wedding photography services for 2009.
Here’s a link to a slideshow of my favorites, set to music written and recorded by Brandon and Rebekah themselves. I highly recommend watching it just for the music if nothing else!
The day came for the session and the sky was as clear and blue as any sky could be. This was a near miracle because for a week before, and a week after, the sky was cloudy and rainy every day. The session took place Lees Summit, MO. Rebekah scoped it out and my assistant Jessica and I just followed her there, so I don’t think I could tell you where it is, but it was like something out of a dream.
First, we found this hillside of yellow flowers…
Canon 135L, f2.8, 1/6400, ISO 125
Canon 50L, f1.8, 1/5000, ISO 50
Canon 135L, f2, 1/8000, ISO 50
Canon 50L, f3.5, 1/500, ISO 50
Canon 50L, f3.5, 1/500, ISO 160
Canon 50L, f1.2, 1/2000, ISO 100
Canon 85, f2, 1/1000, ISO 125
Then we found a field of yellow flowers…
Canon 135L, f2, 1/1600, ISO 125
Canon 135L, f2, 1/1250, ISO 125
Canon 50L, f4, 1/400, ISO 160
Canon 85, f3.5, 1/500, ISO 1250
Next, we moved to a structure that looked like something out of a movie set in biblical times.
Canon 85, f3.5, 1/500, ISO 1250
Canon 17-40L @ 30mm, f4, 1/400, ISO 1250
Canon 85, f2.2, 1/400, ISO 640
Canon 24TSE, f3.5, 1/250, ISO 640
Canon 135L, f4, 1/160, ISO 1000
Canon 24TSE, f3.5, 1/60, ISO 800
Canon 24TSE, f3.5, 1/60, ISO 800
Canon 17-40L @ 22mm, f4, 1/160, ISO 800
Once we hit the point of dusk in the sky, I broke out my flash. I recently learned a technique where you expose for the sky the way you want it to appear, and then set your flash to bring back in your subject. The flash was off camera, to my right, being held by my assistant. It was just straight flash, no light modification.
As much as I’d love to answer questions about this method of lighting, I am still in the learning stage and am very unqualified to teach about it. Here’s where I’m learning: Strobist.com.
Canon 50L, f1.8, 1/80, ISO 1600
Here, we held the flash overhead.
Canon 50L, f1.2, 1/60, ISO 800
Canon 50L, f3.2, 1/50, ISO 1600
Want to see more? Check out the slideshow!
