Shooting Weddings With a Wide-Angle Eye

Susan and Stewart Powers showcase the big day with the Tamron SP 10-24mm lens.

Article by Jenn Gidman

Images by Susan & Stewart Powers

"One of the things about this 10-24 lens that's so fabulous is that it allows me to have a completely different view," explains Susan. "People look at the pictures on the back of the camera and say, 'Oh my gosh! How did you get that?' Most people can't back up that far to get the images we get, and it's all because of this lens. I think the 10-24 should be in every photographer's toolkit, especially if you're shooting weddings."

Read on for Susan's insights into how she approaches weddings and incorporates the 10-24 lens into her workflow.

Use your camera and confidence behind the lens to help the bride and groom relax.
This is one of the most important days of their lives - you want them to be totally relaxed so they'll be as natural as possible in the photographs documenting their day. First, we spend a lot of time with them beforehand, including doing engagement portraits for many of them. In those cases, they've already worked with us and know the wedding day is going to be a lot of fun. Brides come in knowing that the photography isn't something they have to stress out about at all.

The camera itself can be a calming influence on the day of the wedding. Once I start shooting, I keep my eye out for a particularly gorgeous image of the bride at the beginning of the session. That way, it's easy for me to pull her aside, show her the image on the back of the camera, and let her see how beautiful she is in her dress. You can see her take a big, deep breath as she realizes she doesn't have to worry about the images anymore and can just enjoy her day. It's a simple tip that can make all the difference.

Give yourself plenty of time, and lend a hand with the planning.
The key in the real world to a wonderful wedding is allowing enough time for everything. Make sure that the bride and groom understand that the more time they allow, the less hectic it's going to be. Many of the brides and grooms I shoot are now allowing for an hour of downtime, so once the photographs are done and finished, the bride will actually go somewhere quiet, take her shoes off, put her feet up, have something to eat and drink, and then come back fresh for the ceremony. Knowing you have that time to sit down and take it easy is a whole different MO in a wedding, and it results in great, natural images.

The other thing we often do is help brides plan their hair and makeup appointments. That way, you can ensure the timing on everything falls into place. If I tell you the number of weddings that get totally crashed by a hairdresser or makeup artist who's running late - it's the number-one offender. I love being able to take our years of experience and coordinate stuff like that so they can just have this fabulous day.

Present wide-angle views of the ceremony.
People often try to get a wide shot to show what the inside of the church looks like, but you can't get that on your cellphone or little hand camera. You need a lens like the 10-24 to really showcase the stunning architecture of a church or grand expanse of a hall. Of course, you want those closeup shots of the bride and groom exchanging vows and rings, and I'll often move up front for that, but the 10-24 also allows you to get wide views of the entire altar - a shot you couldn't get with a longer lens. This works especially well in a space where you don't have a lot of room to back up. It allows us to expand our vision of what we present to the bride and groom of their own wedding.

Don't pose your clients - "direct" them.
One of the things that's changed drastically over the last few years is the move to cameras that are now extremely responsive. That's why when I'm setting up my shots, I like to look at it as "directing" rather than "posing." If you think about all the beautiful things that happen in the movies that appear so real and natural, you start to realize they may have done that five or eight or 10 times before they got it right.

Similarly, when I'm guiding couples, I want them to know I want natural movements, their natural body positions. I simply guide them into a particular space so the background and the lighting's right and everything else looks good. Then they simply move in that space in a natural way and I refine it. I want to show honesty and how people really interact with each other.

Ensure perfect lighting by going manual and trying different angles.
Making sure you have the right lighting is really important for such a special day, and that means going on manual and not letting the camera's algorithms determine your exposures. Even if you're processing RAW files, the lighting needs to be as close to perfect as you can get it. Shooting manually allows you to get beautiful light on the bride's face, even if you've got backlighting or you're in dark shade or green light.

That 10-24 lens is like hot sauce - it adds spice to the wedding. One thing I love to do is literally get on the floor on my back in front of the DJ and band, because a lot of times at weddings, they light the ceilings. With that lens, you get the people dancing in front of you and the whole ceiling above you - it's a completely unique, fun perspective.

The lens also lets me show the beautiful flow of available light at the reception. I'll often climb up on a chair to get high, and that lens lets you see the whole room and the wonderful ambience. When you look at the images later, you're seeing exactly what the bride saw. What beautiful memories!

To see more of Susan and Stewart Powers' work, go to www.powersphotography.com.