This past weekend I recently had the pleasure of photographing a great friend of mine’s wedding on Captiva Island in Florida. It was a beautiful beach wedding with wonderful weather and this incredible couple. They were so photogenic!
Fresh off of my first filming of a wedding this was my first photographing of one. I was nervous leading up to it, but I knew I could come away with cool shots. I also knew I would make mistakes and just flat out miss some things. To be honest, I think I did better than my expectations. I did hit some goals I had set: I shot 3,000 photos and edited it down to about 700 for the couple.
I have even more respect for wedding photographers now! It is definitely a lot of work and have major appreciation for those wedding photographers that are so skilled at what they do. I appreciate the help of so many of those wedding photographers who have active blogs that I’ve followed (Jasmine Star, Joe Elario, Rosie Hardy, Jamie Delaine, among others) and those that have given me great advice, like Leslee Mitchell.
I plan to create a short video that will give advice for those people shooting their first wedding, not because I’m an expert now because I’ve done one, but because I have done my first one and want to share while it’s fresh on my mind. Also I may do a post comparing doing video and photography for a wedding.
Technical stuff: I mainly shot with my 28mm for everything but the ceremony, which I used the 70-200mm. I love the 28mm lens, that’s my go to lens now on the 7D and I just zoom with my feet when it’s on. When it came time to get down during the reception I threw on the 15-85mm with the flash and stofen diffuser and rocked it out!
More often than not I found myself ditching trying to put the flash off camera and just ran with it in ETTL on the hot shoe for all the dancing. It did a better job than I expected, but couldn’t have been possible without that diffuser on it.
With my big ole battery grip I did not change my batteries once! I was really surprised by that. The other piece of gear I would highly recommned and made my day a lot easier, was the R-strap. The strap that comes with Canons are pretty worthless and get in the way more than it helps, and it cuts into my neck. The R-strap is very cumfy and gives your arms a rest while not tweaking out your neck.
Since it was a wedding beach it gave me a nice 360-degree playing field so I could run all the way around the ceremony, but that also meant that everyone was pretty tight together and it was hard to get some shots. The wedding party shots went by in a blur, I’m glad everyone was there on the lookout to get all the pictures in. It was hard to keep track of everyone and all the different combinations of people. The bride was on top of her game for that – thanks Rachel!
The portraits were a blast and they were so easy going about it. We basically did 3 different portait sessions, one before the ceremony around the time we did the wedding party pictures along with the first look. Then straight after the ceremony, and then again at sunset. I think that allowed us to get many different looks and locations and it spaced it out for the couple so as not to stretch their patience.
Shooting in full sun on the beach was not as brutal as I had expected. Although, when the groom first walked up he was in the shade of the arbor with his bride in full sun. Luckily he didn’t stay in it long, otherwise it might have been some very contrasty pictures with her really bright and him kind of dark. I will talk more about some things I learned when I put together a short video – stay tuned!
I met Clay probably in Junior High, but we didn’t become really good friends until he convinced me I should quit football in high school and run track. Once I joined the team we got to be really good friends and spent a lot of time together training and racing. My first year running, as a high school sophomore, I ran a 4:38 mile and knew he was right, so I quit football. If it wasn’t for him I would not have accomplished so much in my running career – thanks for making me see the light buddy!
His older brother, and best man, was also the first person to take me rappelling, which helped give me the bug at a young age to get into climbing, and later, mountaineering. So their whole family has had a positive influence on me and it was great fun to hang out with them and their new extended family over the weekend.
Clay is a terrific guy and Rachel is a very sweet girl. I know they are great for each other and it was beautiful to watch their love glow on their wedding day.
The trip was great fun and I think I spent more time in the ocean at night than during the day. I haven’t googled it yet, but we were amazed at whatever phenomenon makes little glowing dots in the water at night. I’m assuming it’s some kind of plankton or something – anyone know?
Below are some of the photos I took at the wedding:
Here’s a little music from a great musician Ry Cuming to help set the mood, hit Play and scroll on down through the pics – enjoy!
Lucas it was so nice meeting you at the wedding! The pictures are AMAZING!! The one of clay holding the bouquet and rachel kissing his cheek looks like it should be the cover of a bridal magazine. Good luck in all your future work, and I wasn’t joking when its my turn your getting a phone call. 🙂
-Katie
Those pictures are great, I think you have found your nitch
Love you
This is good stuff, keep focusing on what you know.
Hey buddy, The note and pictures are so unbelievably awesome!!! Rachel and I are so overjoyed with the work that you did!!! Rachel still can’t believe that this was your first wedding!! I want to just say thank you so much for doing such an amazing job man!!!
your friend,
Clay
I’m so sorry I missed Clay and Rachael’s wedding, after viewing
these pics I feel like I was there.
Hi Lucus, Thanks for your wedding tips video I have noted them as I have my first (proper paid) wedding on the 13th August and am trying to cram as much info in as I can.
Did you use a flash atall? I’m buying one the day before so have been learning how to use it via youtube, also did you use manual most of the day? I’m thinking of keeping my camera in shutter priority so the flash will be O.K. I also have a battery grip and a 16gb and 4gb card, along with a 50mm 1.4, 18-135 and a 70-200. Are there any other tips you have?
Whilst surfing the net for tips I also saw that writing a list of shots the bride and groom want can help along with having the wedding organizers phone number so you know what, when and where things are happening.
I’m sure I’ll be very nervous and am scared something will go wrong hopefully I’ll get some shots like yours that will make it all better :).
Sorry for the long comment
Dan
HI Dan,
I would be wary of using the flash too much, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience using one. You can often get an unnatural look with it. I only used one for some of the reception. You also probably won’t need it if you’re shooting with your aperture at 1.4. I also shot on manual all day so I had total control, because depending on how your camera is metering the light you could get the wrong exposure. For example, you (almost) always want to set the exposure for the skin tones, so if your camera picks up the white dress and meters off of that to set the exposure then everything else is probably going to be under exposed.
Good luck on the wedding.
Lucas
Lucas, Great tips. I was asked by a friend if I could help out taking photos during their wedding and being new to photography I thought this would be a perfect time to get some experience without the added pressure of being the main photographer (they will have a paid photographer). So I should be just getting a lot of candid shots and things.
Your tips are great and I think will help me out! wish me luck!
I watched your video on you tube very helpful thank you,Your work is awesome and i hope to see more pictures from you.your very good at what you do.Thanks for sharing, Beautiful couple congrats to them. One question how did you do the picture of the one where it looks like you are shooting down on them.Super cool!!!!
Hey, thanks Sara! I’m not sure which photo you’re referring to. Are you talking about the very last one in the blog post?
Great set of photos, found you through your wedding YouTube video – very nicely done and thanks for the tips!
hei can u share with me what setting you use to take this pic
http://lucasridley.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Bride-And-Groom-For-Blog_PostCeremony2-65-20101002-_MG_0234.jpg
anw really nice set of pic..gonna do some prewed this month for the first time. wish me luck
Hi Lucas,
Thanks for the youtube video and the blog on your website. The wedding pics are great for your first wedding. I like the first black and white, a little out of focus, how did you do that one?
Hi Paul, Thanks for your comment. I noticed indirect light coming from the doorway so I asked the bride to move over there, then held the camera above my head and started shooting away. Turned it into black and white in post because I thought it helped her pop with her white dress, where in the color version the bride’s maids dresses and warm interior lighting in the background were a distracting color.
Nice job on the first wedding. I notice it was some years ago, have you photographed anymore?
Thanks Kenny, yea, I filmed one and was ramping up wedding business and decided to make a career change. I went to film school, made a short film, now I work as an animator at the Academy-award winning animation studio, Moonbot Studios. I still do freelance, but it’s mostly video, photography has been demoted to a hobby right now, but I still love it.
Was this really your wedding shoot?! Cuz u seem to have gotten all the moods, lighting and poses bang on!
Is there some place I can write to you about some doubts that I have in getting a certain feel to a photograph? It also seems like you are into making films. Where can I find some of your work?
Thanks, yea, that was my first shoot. You can use the contact form under the about menu, and my other videos are on this site, take a look around on the menu. Cheers!
Man, you made my day, watched your video on youtube and then had to come seeing the pictures. And of course, play the song while doing so. Very genuinely possitive experience all together. I’ll have my first wedding in 20 days; and yes, while you were going through your tips, I was just smiling at how true and applicable all they are.
You’re a young talented photographer and you’ve done a brilliant job, and as a beginner photgrapher (me), you are someone i’ll take as inspiration for sure.
I started with photography three years ago, and it got me in a late stage of my life, although the interest was always there. So by the time you’ll be my age, you’ll be rocking the world of imaging even harder than what you do now.
Congrats!!!
Tony
Thanks for your comment Tony! I’ve since shifted careers a little, still use a camera, but it’s usually one inside a computer. Best of luck on the upcoming wedding!