I photographed six weddings between 10th December and 10th January. My busiest Christmas period ever. Exhausting, but very satisfying as well.
One thing I would like to do here is give a big, public thank you to Mike Hutt of Aquarius Photography and Con Scanlon of Anvil Studios, both of whom loaned me cameras last month when my second body had to go for urgent repair.
Mike also loaned me his Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens. This lens generally gets a bad press.
Let me give you a mini-review based on my own experience:
O. M. G.
If I decide to stay with Canon as my main camera system I shall buy one.
Meanwhile, the busy Christmas period means lots of photographs to show and discuss.
I like a reflection, as regular readers already know. I also like to capture my subject in a splash of light. If I can get both: happy days! I set the exposure for the pool of light and waited for the groom to appear. Then it was down to luck. The groom appeared fixing his collar, which adds story to the photograph. Only afterwards did I really notice all the triangles and sharp corners in the frame, which I think really enhance it. I also like the shadow on the wall on the right. It adds a quirkiness. (c) Roger Overall 2010
For the bride and her entourage, wedding day clothes are a big deal. Much less so for the guys. In fact, I went out and bought a new pair of shoes on the morning of my own wedding. So it's not uncommon for the lads to be putting on their suits on the day and only then notice various tags that need attention. Teeth, bread knives, scissors - anything will do, really. In addition, the clock gives us a time check that adds some a chronological anchor. (c) Roger Overall 2010
Women are amazing. They know everything about clothes. Even men's clothes. More impressive still is that this is the bride. To me, this picture tells an awful lot about Kristel. She is calm, authoritative and has the respect of others. The kind of person you go to with a problem you need help with. She is cool when others might feel pressure and accommodating when others might not be (this is the morning of her wedding, don't forget). (c) Roger Overall 2010
What can I say? Flower girls just melt your heart every time. From a documentary photographer's point of view, they are the best invention ever. (c) Roger Overall 2010
A fluke. He looks as if he is holding the door open. Yet if he were, he'd be about eight feet tall, or have arms of similar length. There is something Escheresque about this picture that appeals to me, though at the time I was merely concentrating on his gesture. (c) Roger Overall 2010
Wedding guests often go off into their own little microcosms that are worth keeping an eye on. The father and his child are in a bubble of their own. A lovely moment amidst the bustle. I saw the interaction and decided to stand face-on to them, placing them at the edge of the frame, where your eye comes to rest. Then it was a case of waiting for the right moment. (c) Roger Overall 2010
The most story is often in the smallest gestures. (c) Roger Overall 2010
You don't need to be standing right on top of the bride and groom to tell the best story. By stepping back, you give context and something for your eye to dwell on. (c) Roger Overall 2010
I find getting a good shot on the receiving line is either dead easy or absurdly hard. Ideally, I look for interaction between both the bride and groom and their guests. Sometimes, it just isn't working for me and I can't seem to get it. A cluttered line of sight is most often the problem. Here, though, there was plenty of space in which to move and free up my view. (c) Roger Overall 2010
A light shining above a group of talking people is always a promising situation. Especially if they are enjoying themselves. One of them is bound to throw their head back in laughter, illuminating their face. (c) Roger Overall 2010
It is comparatively rare to see the groom discussing his ring with his friends. For a shot like this, in a crowded room, I like to get close. Often you blend in better by standing nearby, particularly in small spaces with lots of people. Groups talking amongst themselves rarely pay much heed to anything outside their circle. (c) Roger Overall 2010
It's a long day for children. (c) Roger Overall 2010
This is a very special photograph for me. Not only does it show a terrific moment, but it shows two brides whose weddings I've photographed embracing. (c) Roger Overall 2010
The area around seating plans is always a rich hunting ground for documentary photographers. I was able to get an elevated view on some stairs and then simply waited to see what happened. (c) Roger Overall 2010
I spent a lot of the time over the Christmas holiday period shooting at slow speeds at high ISO. Here, I was able to rest the camera on a railing, allowing a slowish shutter speed to get a hint of motion blur. The Canon 5DII autofocus is truly miserable so there was no hope of the camera locking on and holding focus as people walked towards me. Instead, I pre-focused and popped the shutter when someone walked into range. (c) Roger Overall 2010
Taken before the couple went into dinner, three things come together here: the reflection, the groom fiddling with his newly acquired ring and the bride's expression. It often happens on wedding days that the short time before the bride and groom go in to dinner is one of the few chances they have to chat to each other. I often hang back for a few minutes as these moments are usually full of photographs. I don't linger too long though. I don't want to intrude on this precious time together. (c) Roger Overall 2010
