Evening star., 1951-08-26
Camera Angles
How to Photograph September Wedding
Rx AIexnnder ]. Wedderburn
Cvroior Of photography
The Smithsonian Institution

september is q popular HloIltii
for weddings. and since most OF
us know at least one prospective
bridal couple we are going to talk
today about wedding pictures and
how to make them-both for
formal portraits and for the more
informal pictures to be included
lin the traditional bridal album.
| Weddings are usually rather
hectic affairs, even though they
appear to run smoothly. Once the
wedding gets under way there will
be no time for a photographer
to make hurried last-minute ar
rangements. So If you are called
on to make a set of pictures at
the wedding of a friend, make
your preparations at least week
or so in advance.
A great deal will depend upon
your camera on this day and you
should be absolutely sure that it
and the other equipment you will
use is in perfect operating condi-
ton. There will be no opportuni-
ties for retakeS on the shots you
miss. so you must make every
effort to insure against last-min-
ute miShaps. AS an added pre-
caution we suggest that you have
a spare camera along, just in case.
Schedule Timing i'm Advance.
A properly covered wedding may
involve 20 to so or possibly more
shots. Just how many you will make
will depend largely upon whether
the wedding is to be a formal af-
fair attended by great many peo-
lple or more modest ceremony with
only a few friends in attendance.
One way or the other you will
have to know in every detail just
how things have been planned.
BY all means have a talk with
the prospective bride and groom
and be most particular to obtain
Ia schedule of the timing. Find out
when the bride will leave her
home with her father, when they
will arrive at the church, how long
the ceremony will last, where the
reception will be held and when,
as well as other details. Try to
include the minister in your con-
ference SO that you may explain
in advance to him what pictures
you wish to make inside the
church. In any event have a
talk with the minister because
some have strong objections TO
pictures being made in the church.
You can explain that you will
keep in the background and be
as unobtrusive as possible. In
most cases you will receive per-
mission to make your shots.
| There is always a great deal of
excitement at the wedding recep-
tion and any formal shots you
wish to make then will have to
be done hurreidly. The bride and
groom and the attendants will be
anxious to be off to welcome the
guests. so you must be ready with
your lights and camera to start
shooting the moment the wedding
party arrives.
If you have not already made
your portraits of the bride alone.
take these first. Then have the
groom step into position at her
side and take a number of poses
of the two. After this group shots
can be made of the entire wedding
party as well as pictures of the
bridal couple with their parents
and any similar shots that may
seem desirable. 1t is advisable,
however, to make the individual
pictures of the bride in her we'd
ding gown before the ceremony
takes place. Then you will have
ample time for posing and light
ing and the chances are in your
favor to get better and more nat
ural expressions than if the pic
lures of the bride are made with
a number of people looking on.
Many professional photogra-
pliers who specialize in making
wedding pictures take their shots
Of the bride at the last fitting of
the bridal gown. This practice has
become so popular that many of
the stores have rooms set aside
for taking pictures and even sup
ply a wide variety of artificial
bouquets and prayer books as
props for the cameraman.,
Pivot Makes the Gown Right.
: These formal pictures of the
bride should include full-length
three-quarter and closeup shots.
To prepare the gown to photo
graph to its best advantage have
the bride turn her back to- the
camera. draw the train out until
it is taut:: then have her pivot
until she is once more facing the
camera. If you have trouble posing
hands. you can>conceal them par
TALLY with the bouquet. Avoid
showing the palm or back of the
hand. A side view is much more
graceful.
AS a rule we are against smil-
ing pictures particularly in por-
traiture. But, since this is a
happy occasion, we will reverse
our policy this once and suggest
that most of the pictures should
show the participants smiling.
We really have. no objections to
smiling pictures as such but most
amateurs have hard time of it
getting a natural smile and wind
up with toothpaste ad grins that
do not look natural. At wedding
your subjects will be in a natur-
ally happy mood which will be re-
lf1ected in your pictures.
4 For this album-and the bridal
pair will surely want one-you
will want to cover the wedding
just as news photographer would
cover any important assignment
Start your series at the brides
home with a shot of her mother or
an attendant arranging her veil.
Then snap picture as she leaves
the house with her father. Other
pictures should be made as she
enters the car to depart, as she
leaves the car at the church and
with hnr otfor dopfc u,o;f;no f1y