Creative Wedding Photos

Learn from one of the best professional photographers in the business and discover how to take your wedding photos to the next level

Find out how you can take beautifully creative imagery on your next wedding shoot

The first time you’re asked to take photos at someone’s wedding can be a great privilege and great burden. But what if you’re now photographing weddings a few times a year, or you’re semi-pro and have hit a lull? This issue we’ll help you improve your wedding portrait photos with Canon pro photographer Brett Harkness. Not only is Brett brilliant at capturing stunning portraits of the bride and groom, he has a unique and artistic eye, even when under pressure and against the clock. Whether it’s clever compositions, how to use light, or shallow depth-of-field shots, we will help you find new ways to approach weddings. There’s the choice of lenses, or learn how to use only a 50mm prime on the big day and still capture great variety. Plus, the following techniques apply to other types of portraits, not just for weddings. Read on to get started…

01 Shoot with fast primes

Brett used to shoot with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8l all the time, but stopped a few of years ago when he found that looking at the wedding world through an EF 50mm f/1.2l lens made him see things differently. His work changed overnight.

03 White balance for windows

Your Canon camera’s Auto White Balance setting will attempt to neutralize strong colour casts, so set a preset that matches the light source: e.g. Daylight for shots in windows, or try the Shade setting to add warmth to white wedding portraits.

04 Capture different emotions

The time when the bride and bridesmaids are getting ready is fraught with different emotions, but don’t be afraid to get in a little closer with your 50mm prime and shoot a set of images with the same framing. Try to capture different reactions and emotions. The benefit of a fast prime lens here is the resulting shutter speed is fast enough to work handheld, without needing to increase your ISO too high. Low ISOS mean your images will, mostly, have less digital noise as well.

05 Candid compositions

Don’t get too crazy if you lose focus on the shot. Brett will often shoot on a wider apertures (f/1.2-f/2), just to isolate the subject with a carefully selected AF point. The moment created is sometimes more important than everyone being sharp. Embrace the blur.

06 Lamp light

When taking portraits in low-light conditions, look for other light sources that can work to your advantage. Using a lamp, with a little bit of fill flash thrown in for good measure, is a great solution.

08 Look for the ambience

There’s no point taking people outside (or inside) during a wedding if it’s pitch black! Look for street lights, use car headlights, or look for large chandeliers indoors to breathe some light into the background. Get the groom to stand firmly (shoulders back, chest out, legs apart), then position your flash, or portable studio light, with a softbox on a stand up high and off to the side for some moody lighting.

09 Using colour backdrops

Look for colour! Many wedding venues will expect you to use the obvious place for shots, but think outside of the box; think colour; think macho; and think concrete! It pays to do a recce on the day or the morning before, to work out where and when you can capture strong portraits. Also, beware of distracting details in the backgrounds, as this can take viewers’ attention from the main subject and steal their thunder.

10 Reflections with a telephoto lens

This strong masculine portrait of the groom was shot at around 100mm, on an EF 70-200mm lens at f/3.5. Brett shot down a very long and reflective glass table, used a little flash on the camera’s right, and then utilized another flash behind him, with an orange gel, to warm it up.

11 Shift your focus

It’s okay to play, even when on the real job of a wedding. Brett often gets the couple to hug as he walks around them, picking off details while shooting wide open at f/1.2 on his 50mm. This shallow depth of field, when focusing close-up, is key for these detail photos. Shoot in Manual mode and expose for the white dress – don’t be afraid of darker images. Also double-check your focusing is good and your chosen details are sharp.

13 Think story

Try to let things happen naturally – especially at this nervous time before the bride enters the church – don’t over pose the bride, and be ready to capture these beautiful moments on camera.

14 Look for fun details

When shooting posed images, or candid documentary-style wedding photography, try and look for the little things that you might not notice straight away. The more you shoot weddings, the more creative and clever the imagery you’ll capture. Certain couples may love these quirky images the most.

15 Tighter close-ups

For these close-up, romantic, portraits, turn the couple to the ‘best light’ and get in close with a wide aperture. Brett always starts off shooting further away, and slowly goes in as he continues to shoot with his Canon prime lens. This way he can capture full-length, as well as tighter shots, very quickly. Use a reflector if necessary to bounce light into the shadows for brighter faces. This also adds a little catchlight to the eyes. Don’t be scared to radically frame these tighter images, cropping the groom’s head to focus on the bride for instance.

16 Go wide and low to add drama

Sometimes Brett will use his wide-angle lens from a low viewpoint. Brett shot the above on his Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8l, which creates a unique look – adding drama at a great perspective. If necessary he will use flash when capturing these shots into the sun, with an aperture around f/11-f/16 for great depth of field, so foreground to the bride and groom in the distance are sharp. It also creates this sunburst effect.

17 Quirky framing and mirrors indoors

The above was taken with a mirror on the wall to Brett’s right. Some photographers use a phone’s screen, angled near the lens, for reflections, but use whatever works. When you need to shoot fast, be aware of shutter speed, and use your ISO, or IS on lenses. Also fire short bursts, and brace yourself against a wall or doorway to help steady the shot.

18 Use the Veil!

Brett love veils and can’t get enough of them in his wedding images! Try holding the veil with one hand and letting the wind catch it. Avoid throwing the veil, this can look too contrived and obvious. When it comes to beating camera shake, or if you get too much motion blur in these shots, make sure the shutter speed is faster than the effective focal length of the lens – so at least 1/100 sec for a 100mm lens on a full-frame.

19 Finish with a bang

Brett took this creative shot of the bride at 16mm on his EF 16-35mm f/2.8l lens. He caught the impressive symmetry of the round room by shooting from above. Brett’s always looking for a great finishing shot to a wedding. You don’t have to lie the bride down, but try and think of a big shot to finish with. It could be indoors by the fire with flash, or outside in the sunset with a reflector.

21 Romantic silhouettes

Brett loves taking silhouettes on wedding days, but he warns that a lot of people get them wrong. Make sure the couple are separated, or holding hands with a gap – never put them close together as this can look odd. Then you need to expose for the brighter sky beyond, rendering the couple dark and silhouetted. Use a longer lens and wide aperture, also look for tall grass, hanging tree branches, or tall shapes, to shoot through to add depth to the frame.

22 Shoot into the setting sun

The couple may be eating just as the sun is setting, but get them outside if possible! Explain that it will only take a few minutes. As the light at this time is warm and soft, it will finish off the day with some lovely candid moments. Shoot into the light, and get a test shot with a stand in before, then use the histogram to fine-tune the exposure. You can then get the shots confidentially and quickly when the happy couple finally appear.

23 Use initiative for places to shoot!

Think differently about backgrounds, look for the light outside, but look for backgrounds that offer unique shots. If you go around back of a hotel, for example, you may find some textures you can utilize for backgrounds.

25 Think big when outside

Brett always tries to use the surrounding architecture for a big shot of the bride and groom. Whether using flash or not, look for that tree, building or structure that can offer a unique aspect to your wedding photography. If done right, these images will add context to other close-up shots in the album as well. Lastly, don’t forget to make it fun for the bride and groom – the more relaxed they are, the better the images you’ll get for them.