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Post Wedding Photos

Lesson 15 from: The Wedding Project

Doug Gordon

Post Wedding Photos

Lesson 15 from: The Wedding Project

Doug Gordon

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Lesson Info

15. Post Wedding Photos

Lesson Info

Post Wedding Photos

We're back in the church, so what's happened is some of the things that I can't show you, but I'd like to explain to you is what we kind of dio immediately after the ceremony, as I told the families and I've discussed with them prior to the event we're talking about how to really make sure that all of these people here and at my disposal the second I let them leave, we're in big trouble, apparently because we're gonna have to be searching for him during the cocktail when they want to eat this. Stopping at home doesn't work with one big thing that we need to control was making sure I have them all here, and if I have them here, the rest is easy. Family pictures air easy, but what would normally going to do when I spoke about it yesterday? I don't really go back inside to church that often to do family pitches. What I generally do is the next sequence of shots of the bride and groom on what the sequence of shots is it's just a couple so they could show off the church in the dynamic immed...

iately after that, I'll do the scylla type shot in the church doorway, and from there what we're going to try to create it's, not only the silhouette, we're going to have them walk out. I'm going to do the big group picture of everybody like we discussed and then were generally going to do the family pitches outside, but in this case they're here so what I'm going to start with is generally the family pitches but I want to show you what I would have done before I even went outside can I have my beautiful bride and my handsome groom I love using the church island I love setting things up so that it's nice and soft and easy so what I'm gonna ask my bride to d'oh has come right over here and I'd like you to kneel if you don't mind, come back to me a little bit or your knees ok, perfect good you know get an attitude about it you're going to kneel down right there you could cite out one second matt yes, please facing towards what would be like the crucifix in the church laying the gown out and was spreading the veil out and all I want to do at this point is she's looking up generally right there and I love this look, I love this dynamic it's more of a traditional look but the idea behind it is just to kind of set her in motion on remember where we are in terms of it, so I'm going to go down, kneel up tall for me, beautiful can you knew up nice and tall excellent looking right there looking straight up I want to try to get her head as much as I can out of the podium looking right there okay, so I'm going to come down nice and well excellent. I'm gonna hide the podium as much as I can. Excellent stay right there now I have my image so the idea behind the images to get it up this is more of the traditional image now imagine overhead you see the crucifix so you have a beautiful look and imagine the glow of the church in that what I'm going to deal inside that pdf that we're giving away I'll probably pop one of these photos from a real wedding and she get the real feel for you going to sit back on your heels now and what I'd like you to do is we're gonna bring your hands up above her head ok? One of the things I'm always concerned about here is making sure that address doesn't pop offer open you want to be conscious of that never make her feel that way so bring your head all the way back, fingers up, head back all the way excellent can you come back a little bit more and bring your hands up and then cross the hands and take a look at what we've got? So the sides of the hands and her head back just their head. Now, this is again not really what you would probably do in a church you do it outside somewhere. But if you could tell because of my camera angle, what was able to hide, I was able to hide the whole podium behind her in this case not so easy, but again, just setting it up looking right there. Excellent, wonderful. Relax. And from here I have my first two images now, she's going to hop up one quick second and now from here we're going to change it up. I'm not bringing my handsome group. I'm a little bit tired. Hot and the reason I'm hot is because I didn't have this much skin to meet off of. So what did I hit? A little bit of the hair, which is dr matt you're gonna come right over here for me these air pretty much some of my on ly traditional images of the day we would have herb okay, that's okay for it. They're gonna bring your arm around you're in the back hands here. Can I have your hand? Hands here on all of this is leading up to the family again, I would do these images before I even went outside the church and brought them back in looking down at your hands right there so what I'm gonna dio most important aspect is just a touch of that day like turn your head to your right beautiful lean forward matt till the top you had two heart to your right look down you're doing terrific so focusing again on them in the center aisle getting the different elements of it and just a couple of quick traditional boring images just so the parents are happy ok right and they're cropping everything out just like that say the first one there looking down second one they're looking at each other look at each other turn your head to a beautiful lean away a little bit chin up look at his forehead smiling matt nice and happy teeth excellent third one win and close give a kiss close your eyes just price perfect turn your head to your right beautiful turn your head to your right turn your head to your right matt turn your head to make that turn you had to meet clean your body to her which brings your head and turn your head to your right beautiful not so much matt lean forward by yourself leaning close together looking right here turning your head to the right guys just like that you're smiling looking out at my hand happy teeth looking right there excellent I missed my spot how do I know that this will be severely over exposed? I know it because I heard it just like that take a look smiling happy teeth excellent! Do you hear how important it is to listen to your camera made all the difference because I knew that it was over exposed that's the difference hearing the sound even though I'm concentrating on teaching you even on concentrating on them looking good, I still have to hear so now I shot the whole ceremony in this direction. I'm lucky here because I got the whole back area here, so what we're going to do is start off with our family images, so I've already chosen this general direction to go in now is you notice I've moved to to torch lights here, so the first thing I'm going to start with is the bride's family now in this case, I'm going to bring the bride and groom over here. I'm going to tell them one very specific item and this is really important. You guys are going to come right over here trying to pull them away from the background. I'm going to put them in the middle because I want to try to avoid him wearing that as a lamp as ahead like ahead shade and I want to try to keep people away from it hand in your pants pocket so here's the thing you two were going to be like legos, I'm gonna build everybody around you so don't move I'm going to show how good all things you look she's already uncomfortable with the flowers she's got both hands in a front put your arm around him in the back and look at what we do with the flowers will bring them through and I'm bringing in between our fingers just to create the separation the's fingers here are annoying hand in a pants pocket so we're going to start everybody listen everybody ready to go can I have the bride's beautiful mom and handsome dad please mom you're going to come right over here behind your handsome new son in law dad you're gonna go right behind your beautiful daughter mom gonna walk in nice and close hold onto his elbow there but you're going back up one step put half your body right behind leaning in close here, dad here everybody point your front foot towards me in and I'll just like that pointing a foot for dad lean and icicles bridegroom to head together turn your head to your writer what about beautiful dad turn your head here sir. Chin up mom lean forward to me chin down looking at me with doing great we make sure we have all lights going directly and I have two of them working I'm working at this point it can be easier now what I need to do is let my sister know you're on deck get ready to go ali good. Just like that. Heads together leading a nice and closer. Dad, you're gonna back up behind your daughter just a little bit, sir. And now you're gonna lean in close to a certain turn your head to your right, sir. Everybody's looking at me, dad. Lina! Nice and close. Hold on one second. Let me go into my manual mode here, controlling everything right in there. Let's, take a look. Everybody smiling. Nice and happy teeth smiling mom, eyes up here first one looking at me. Here we go. Look in here. You doing terrific? I coulda necks for better smiling teeth. Happy? There we go. First one vertical. Second horizontal! Ali, get ready. You coming up? Can you guys separate? Hold hands for me real quick. Mom, you're gonna hold. You knew shunning lord's. Hands going kick you left. Put forward. Just like that. Hold your husband's handhold dad's hand right here. No! Put this back hand around her back. Just like that. Turn that leg. And here we go. Everybody looking to me. Bring that hand down. You're doing absolutely terrific smiling. I couldnt x for better. Matt, turn your body to a jemaah twitch wife. Good. Don't mom you're going to turn your head a little bit good data turning head to your right good reach turning heads you're right perfect tilt your head into matt looking right here nice and happy everybody smiling teeth don't you move? You're doing terrific stay there just like that don't move! Can I have the beautiful miss ali where's missile you're going to go right over here right next to dad if you would do you notice what ali just did? She ran into the photo. Why did you run? Okay you see what I mean? They're excited because it's a wedding it's excited because someone's toner it's my turn it's my turn you know what? Wait, you see grandpa is going to spring out of that wheelchair. I saw it, grandpa, I caused a miracle before what you did and I saw you walking around and drinking. So here we go. We switch hands now dad, hold hands here you hold your daughter's hand. You guys on this side bride dad alley kicking right? Like forward just like that, dad. Your other right leg for this one, sir. Good. Just like that mom and son left like forward here we go looking at me and I said, happy everybody's doing terrific couldn't acts for better, nice and happy I was smiling you doing terrific dad I love it just like that smiling teeth hold it don't you move you doing terrific vertical first and we goto a horizontal smiling happy teeth excellent don't you move now the bride and groom were going to turn in towards each other arm around each other put your hand in your pants pocket dad you're going to bring you flowers right here you're gonna bring your hand in your pants pocket mom moving nice and close right here bring your hand all the way around the back turn your shoulder and just like that grandpa you're on deck you're gonna move in close dad coming close cia hand in your pocket sir you're going to put your hand around out in the back dad hand in your pants pocket mom you're going to be in closely knit close right there dad turn your left shoulder which is your back shoulder and your other left shoulder someone please explain right and left to death good just like that we're doing great moving along everybody's doing wonderful. We got it absolutely perfect bride and groom heads together looking right here grandpa you're on deck smiling teeth don't you move just like that stay they're nice and happy one more for good luck excellent don't you move grandpa, you need some help over you got it look at you go grandpa you little speeds do you ok you're gonna mom dad sister you're going to step out we're going to bring grandpa end now you love the way say grandpa or my wife makes fun of it if so here's the thing look at the light I have constant light from these two little lights that's beautiful light is in it and he is the other thing grabbers in a wheelchair he knows who he is but chances are he may be self conscious about grandma may be self conscious about it my job one of the best specialties that I have is what I can do with this wheelchair right now do you mind if I help you answer just bring your hands up you attempted to get up again more mature good just like that perhaps you could do this you could do it ok, so we're going to bring you right over here. The idea is not to make grandpa was it grandpa should go a papa look at the way I'm bringing her in to create a story you're going to come in nice and close to you guys are going you're gonna bring your hand here grandpa you're doing great lean forward and you come forward to me matt bring your body forward a little bit and heads in nice and close I have built the perfect perfect portrait of them with grandpa I just need to eliminate the bottom up the chair so watch what we do here so let's take a look looking at me grab part you are looking terrific just like that everybody's looking at me here you're smiling nice and happy eyes up here happy teeth don't you move absolutely great smiling they're focusing locking exploring nice and happy t excellent don't you move not you're going to step out our bride is going to stay right there we're going to pretend that this is mom's dad so mom I'm going to have you come in right next to your handsome dad you stay right there you're going to be facing this handsome gentleman here so oh my goodness here we go eating and close your heads together lean forward here just like that so now we've created three generations I didn't get to do this at the house so now I'm doing it now heads together we did close mom come forward just a little bit looking here grab her if you could keep faking it I really love it smiling teeth excellent don't you move sir you're doing terrific here's how we crop shoulders rachel turn your head to your right rachel leaning close chin down rachel come down lower turn your head to your right grandpa you doing terrific smiling excellent don't you move! I think rachel closed our eyes on the last one mom, you stay right there rachel, you slide out. Mom. Lina nice and close to your dad. When was the last time you guys had a picture together? Long timeline. A nice and close. Stay there. Happy. Don't move, mom. Lean forward to me, grandpa. I love that same expression for every image smuggling team. Excellent. Don't move, mom, do you step out. Can I have rachel back? And could I have his other beautiful granddaughter? Where is the beautiful miss alley? You're going to come right over here. You were going to come in behind grandpa ali. You're going to come face and grandpa arm around him in the back. You come in nice and close, everybody's looking at me. Leaning forward. Beautiful. You come to me just like that up just a little bit. Here we go. You're doing terrific. Just like that. Leaning forward. Absolutely terrific. Ali, come forward a little bit. Ali, for a family picture is exposing too much. So how could I hide it while ali? I appreciate it. I have to hide it. Good. Not that much. Here we go. These are all things you need to be conscious of. Hold it right there. Mama what type of daughter did you wait wait go looking at me here ali tilt your head in close everybody's looking here turn your head to the right rachel tilt your head to the left right there bride sister and grandpa all set smiling wonderful don't you move happy teeth excellent that's what I like to see don't you move so what we're going to do right now is you both step out grandpa you're going to stay right there tilt your head to me sir when we still asked on grandpa had a nice picture of himself alone so we need to make sure that we have a grandpa terry had to me a little bit sir now I need to be conscious of the chair behind him I need to be conscious of that with a white outlet behind him grandpa tilt your head just a little bit sir good looking at me here gran parte tilt your head this way grandpa tilt I'll speak slower doing great tilt your head a little bit just like that so you notice again I did one whole side of the family in a matter of seconds grap are you smiling pretending you're enjoying this ua one sexy man grandpa smiling rukia excellent we got it grandpa I want to do this right now I'm feeling very powerful you can walk and say you can walk doing if you buy this video too will make you walk just kidding. Please do not hold creative live responsible for that. But we just saw you not supposed to push your own wheelchair. Except we just did. The whole entire bride's family didn't wake the whole family. So now we really gotta deal with find mom, dad and wife s o. We need to set it up. So now we need the bride and groom back. Please. I need the bride and groom right here. If you would please arm around each other moving in nice and close again, you're going to remove bacteria lego stance. Can I have the groom's beautiful mom, please? Starting with the mom again? How long did that family sequence take me? And how great on these two little light. Just like that. Mom, you're going to go right here behind your beautiful bride right over here. You gonna move it? Nice and close. Coming close here. Hands together. Here, dad, you're on deck. So get ready. And in a beautiful miss melissa notice. I remember all the names. Start looking at me here. Heads together, everybody's looking right here. Chin down. Mom, turn your head to the right, mom. Good. Rachel, tell charlie what about the guy has been leaning close. Matt, stay right there. You're doing terrific smiling guys. Keith, don't you move? I absolutely love it. Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. Now, smiling teeth. Excellent. Don't move. I want you to spread out like you're holding hands real quick. Just like that. Stay there. You're gonna bring your hand right here, mom. And you're going to turn your body towards her husband. Kicked that right leg in like we showed you just like that. Mom, put your hand around her waist into back. Here we go. How did you always want to do this? When you had of? Okay? When she's not looking billy. Sorry. Turn your head to make looking at may good. You know, someone's going to write on the chapel. What about that? Look at him, he's. So arrogant. Just throw a ball can turn your head nice and happy smiling guys. Teachers like that don't you move? Wonderful stay there absolutely great faking it rachel smiling teeth excellent don't move! I shook for a second happy don't move. Can I have the groom's had some dad? Mom, can you go right next to your son please? You stay right there. Okay? Mony you're going to be on deck mostly going be on deck just like that stay there. Perfect come in nice and close. Their dad holding a hand here everybody pointing the front foot forward just like that you're doing terrific smiling nice and happy everybody's doing great looking at me here hold it just like that bring your hands down in the front a little bit smiling wonderful don't move everybody's doing terrific smiling excellent. Moving nice and close to each other on around each other. Mom moving close hold on to your son's elbow. Dad, hold on to your new daughter and was elbow bride and groom together in the front. So you're going to come in close you you're welcome. Sorry not supposed to help me there just like that someone's going back see? She is me. Did he threw up? Okay, you go looking to me here nice and happy bride and groom heads together just like that stay right there. You're doing terrific smile excellent mom, can you step out real quick? Beautiful. Can I have dad's? Lovely wife. Come on in. Nice and close. Mom, you're going to come right over here. Beautiful. We're going todo handsome brother hans, you're on deck. Starts swinging about you're going to come right over here behind our handsome groom arm around each other. Lina, nice and close. Beautiful. Back up. Just a tad. Bride and groom had together. Dad, hand in your pants pocket, sir. Here we go. Looking to me. Everybody's doing great. Moving along at a rapid pace. Stay there smiling teeth. Don't you move just like that. Happy teeth. Stay right there. Can I have? Aw, groom's, brother hard. You come right over here. Hard. You're going to go right over here behind this beautiful young lady. Here, put your hand in your pants pocket when you had to close down. Put that hand back in a pants pocket, leading coast out hand in a pants pocket that hand in a pants pocket. Thank you, sir. Happy smiling t look in here no more. We're doing terrific. Just like that. Good. Can I have you step out? Beautiful. Mom, can I have you step right back in? Gorgeous. You're going to go along right in here between these two handsome gentlemen. That you declare your son's just like that you're going to move in close here coming close here just like that. Stay there. Absolutely wonderful, dad leaning in close everybody smiling everybody's doing great nice and happy stay there just like that smiling teeth mom, keep those eyes open. You're doing wonderful, happy just like that. God, you step out real quick hands you go behind your beautiful new sister or you're gonna put your left arm around you in the back put your right hand in your pants pocket lean in close bridegroom heads together even close here smiling happy teeth don't you move to a wonderful happy excellent don't move now we have a whole new element. Okay, today society is more open than it's ever been. Whatever it may be, we have a job to do. There are a lot more same sex couples that are coming out in these events, so the fact is my job is not to be judgmental. My job is not to have feelings, my job is the photograph. All right? My beliefs don't matter and whatever it may be, what matters is that I treat every individual person with the same respect, so I'm going to ask hands his partner to come in can I have eric coming right over here because we're now adding or spouse now, saying that the two of them had just begun dating, whether it was hans and his girlfriend were hans and his partner, eric, if they were dating for three months, they wouldn't be in this image. But there are a couple and they've been together for quite a while, and I've already had the conversation with matt. Rachel about who they want in the pitches and eric is a part of the family. So, eric, I'm going to ask you to come right over here behind. Beautiful mom, dad, you're on deck. Leaning in nice and close now. Here's the thing saying mom's okay, what? It dad's not? I'm not asking for dad's opinion. I'm shooting the wedding. This is what I'm doing. That's. My job. I want him in the picture. He's going to go their heads together, bridegroom leading a close. Eric, can you put your hand on your pants? Pockets are looking at me. Stay right there. Bride and groom together. Just like that. Smiling, wonderful eric. Keep faking it, it's. Not that bad. A family smiling teeth. Excellent. Stay there. Wonderful. Hold it right there. Excellent! Don't move god can I have you come in right here you're going to go in between your handsome son hans you're going to bring back you're going to go right in here just like that put your hand in your pants pocket sir you're going to come in right there we're going to need the beautiful young lady right over here we need you in one second heads together everybody looking at me bridegroom stay right there nice and happy smiling teeth don't you move you're doing great smiling excellent mom you're going to slide out you were going to slide in a right between the handsome eric and are handsome groom noticing you I don't refer to her in any other way then just making her feel good about herself making sure the focus is always on mom excellent can you put your hand right up on the groom's out ball police leading in close bridegroom heads together smiling teeth excellent don't you move just like that happy teeth wonderful I could not ask for better so I already got this out of the way now I already know that the bride and groom on ly have one uncle he's right over here so we got we got one uncle so I'm going to do him in a second but first just like everything else I'm going ask everybody's slide out except for our brother and his partner on we're going to do a couple shots just like we would, I'm going to touch on this briefly because I think it's important the more prevalent it becomes in today's society about how we're going to photograph same sex couples we need to treat them the same exact way it's a big part of the business is actually could be a savior to the wedding business because same sex clients generally are a little bit more fluid and have more money to spend ok, so from that standpoint, I'm looking this business now one of the things I have to determine with the two of them when I'm in this situation is not who's masculine and whose feminine just more mohr who's dominant and it becomes quite easy because in this case, eric size he's quite tall, so it makes it easier for me to make that assumption, but at no point when I put them together and I ever going to put hans and a feminine pose, what I'm going to do is treat them just like I would treat any other couple, right? So we turned towards each other. Gentlemen, if you weren't going to give a hug right here your cheeks together looking at may heads together just like this you're going to turn your head to me just a little bit don't over tell on dh lean forward your chin up just a little bit, eric leaning in close right there perfect, simple it's. Just like flo posing like we're going to see tomorrow again leading forward to me, guys you're doing to ref just like that. Did you two meet each other first looking to me smile you never knew you signed up for their stage is looking to me a smiling teeth. Excellent. Now look at each other. Good. Excellent. How about a nice round of applause for the two of them? Thank you. So I'd go through a sequence I would do one shot off them cheek to cheek. I would do it to close up. I would do it in a full length and then I would also do it inside. Of course. Been fooling cooking the camera I would put in this case eric snow's to han cheek. Then I would put they look at each other and then I would have hands nose to eric's cheek. Now, in some situations when dealing with same sex couples, you could tell who is playing the more masculine role. And that's ok, it's, just a matter of I will ask him a time. It's, if I can tell, say to them who is going to I need to put someone in a little bit more of a dominant pose. Who would you like that to be or do you want it to be both of you and I will keep switching back and forth generally they're going to say both of them so now without even trying we did the immediate family of both the bride and groom how long did that whole situation take us seconds so now could I have the bride and groom back and can I have uncle david please you don't know you and uncle did you well everybody was such a big fan of yours I figured I would bring you and so here we go bride and groom this is uncle david this is the onley uncle in the family they like arm around each other sir you're going to come in nice and close their notice I keep calling put your front foot towards me and l just like that everybody looking at me here leading a coast to the bride's uncle david lean in but lean forward to me sir everybody's looking at me you're doing terrific smiling nice and happy teeth I could not acts for better excellent excellent excellent looking at me reach meilin teeth happy don't you move just like that smiling excellent thank you uncle david you stay right there can I ask our beautiful miss rachel to step out uncle david can I ask you to step into your handsome nephew please can you put your hand and shake his hand sir but you left hand upon the shoulder put your hand on top of his hand mat in your bodies together heads together excellent looking at me now uncle david it's the single uncle this is his dad's brother who is very close with these is god father I don't make him feel anything other than warm smiling uncle david just like that nice and happy close up and then we moved back and we go to the full length excellent look at how quick all of these come together now if this is dad's on ly brother can I have are groom's dad back you're going to stay right there dad, I'm going to have you come facing your son uncle david can you become behind your son arm right age around each other gentlemen point your front foot towards me hand in your pants pocket and now you're going to come forward this is a no no there's nothing good about him tugging in here relax the hand because it bunches to jacket doesn't look good uncle dave back up half your body behind him leaning in close gentlemen, how did uncle david wind up behind him? Two reasons uncle david wound up behind him number one it's his dad and number two uncle david has a full up body than dad, so we want to minimize him by hiding half of him behind her aw groom looking right here, gentlemen nice and happy uncle david said you call me fat smiling and looking at me here sir smiling just like that happy gentlemen you are doing terrific happy excellent thank you very much you now the family's done and how many different sellable entities? The only thing missing is if I had his beautiful daughter ms mackenzie I'd be having a field day because I would be doing thank you uncle david thank you, dad. I'd be doing the book mackenzie in every extended family picture with all of the siblings and the kids I'd be doing mackenzie with grandma by herself I'd be doing mackenzie with grandpa by himself I would do mackenzie with the groom the bry I would do it on the bride's family because I would now sucker the bride's family into their new grandchild all of those different things so the family pictures or what really adds up to sales now if you look I flew right through it that I forget any names my right through what I focused on everybody and I made everybody feel like a strong individual with an ak group. Do we have any questions from anybody right here? Anything? Yes, sir. Don't forget your microphone, michael yeah, these two lights are they at the same power or do you have one well there say power by visual I'm looking at him visually and I'm seeing it on their face they are both set for daylight because that's the dominant light in this room right now and you could tell the color that we're getting is quite beautiful, isn't it? If I sat here and tried to figure out adding flash and all those different things would it work as well? Could I get away with one light I could but if I have to which in my case I dio I'm going to make sure it works and I'm going even it out now someone sitting at home saying can you do this in a really dark areas? The answer is a yes it's a no doubter because it's not about adding mohr it's about adding gless okay, any other questions over here? Yes yeah I was wondering in this kind of situation how you would pose mackenzie in sensors so well here's the thing in a family group considering that we were starting to get some age on the parents depending on what's going on I probably keep her lower in the frame holding his hand so when it comes to the bride the groom and mackenzie they'd be on the ground or we'd be elevating her within a chair okay, I understand what did you guys think off working within the wheelchair with grandpa? Did you see are we built now saying there was that wheelchair how could I build around and I can build so much around this wheelchair can I sit you right there for a second, matt good watch this good. Can I have you over here? Beautiful. Good. You're going to turn your head right? And he is so this is grandpa he's in a wheelchair brought it's going to come in nice and close here just like this turning the head here now what? I'm going to need real quick. Michael, can I have you here with your sister, please? Just like that you're going to come in nice and close here. Michael you're going to come around behind grandpa, open your legs a little bit. Why? To create a nice wide base. Good look at what's happening with michael here. I already have an issue. Watch how I start the high things michael you're going to kneel down, put your right leg down, bring your left leg up and come all the way forward to may that's a nice shot here but I have more to work with. Can I have you right over here? Beautiful. You're going to come in nice and close, you come forward a little bit more, michael and here we go, we're going to come in close here just like this, so now we're still building can I have the beautiful miss ali right here, now, ali presents more of a challenge based on her attire. So what we're going to do, ali, can I have you take a seat now, watch what I do? This is really, really important. All right, ali goes down on the knees and look at where I am. I want you to sit on your fanny with your legs to the side so fanny, that way, legs towards may notice what I'm doing. Why myself up on her? Does anybody know I'm hiding? I don't want anybody. I don't want ever to be self conscious like valium, just going to get on top, so nobody sees up the address now, turning your head to me right here. Now, from here, I'm going to go on ad, hans, can I have you come in right here? You're going to come behind your cousin here, you're gonna put you left leg down. Right leg up right there left like down right leg up just like that come in nice and close leaning and here now we're going to change the pose and spread her a little bit wider just like that now from here I'm gonna add the beautiful miss mackenzie you're going to come right in front ali you're going to slide in a little bit because I want to hide that wheel of the wheelchair I want to eliminate mackenzie you're going to sit right here beautiful you're going to go down your needs and you going to sit your fanny towards grandpa family towards him legs towards may okay, so you got it perfect not bring your leg right upon grab part just like that you're gonna bring you legs here everybody loves the way I say grandpa why don't you looking at me here now the back row lean forward just like that stay there we are not done. Can I have you over here? Eric you're going to come in with grandpa to you got to kneel right here behind mackenzie I just built a group europe a little bit higher beautiful. Turn your head to your right tilt your head here, eric right? Like down right there like down left leg up come in nice and close to your cousin in there just like that. Good now spread your arm to eric shoulder leaning in close heads together tell me that's not the most perfectly constructed group you've ever seen would you ever know that grand parts in a wheelchair and now it's so easy to screw this up so easy because eric's head is going this way we have rachel's head going the other way hands head this way we need to even the lighting lean forward, michael lead for beautiful just like that and you're going to bring your flowers right here you're going to bring you flowers down the reason you don't have to cover your bus now because I like it no that's not it theo reason you don't have to cover your bus now is because my angle shows different and now I'm looking and saying you know what? This light is too hot I'm getting too much shadow on I adjust my life so now I could do a family picture nice and soft everybody looking at may bring your hand off the shoulder a little bit hans coming close michael lean forward mackenzie drop your elbow behind into grandpa's lap a little bit I know it's a little weird excellent just like that looking at me here and look at what an absolute perfect family picture rachel just stop a little bit higher stay right there there's a little thing that's right in the middle of michael's head and in between matt said it's an outlet I notice it and I move because that white little dot is a distraction it's going to take me twenty minutes to call so I move and hide it nice and happy stay there, guys I'm a fiftieth of a second for just like that and you're smiling happy teeth hold on, let me send to you excellent don't you move just like that stay right there and what a pitiful family excellent stay there, relax give it up for my great models take a look not so bad, right? Watch how when I come in, neil first and up. Excellent. Pretty good on the family there, ladies, what do we got? All right. Questions from bluebird in real life where are all the guests when you are the families in this case? Well, are they outside the church waiting? Are they on the reception on the way to the reception? We are on the way to the reception because I've already done the receiving line. I've already thrown the birds here the rose petals outside so we're already clearly past that I keep what I need this whole process. How long do you think this would really take me? Five minutes, tops. All right on. Did I come of course, his arrogant or offensive? What did I come? Of course is control control ok, yes ok, speaking of being in control, j b t photo says, how do you handle situations where there are young kids in a group who will not follow directions are not smiling or looking at the camera? Here's the thing that's where the digital each comes in, I cannot hold up a group of twenty people based on a child not cooperating if I can't get them and I'm going to explain to the families we have a choice that could try and hold this up and get them skip the child screaming, or I could take a photo of them alone later on if I can get it and try and digitally put it in and I'll leave a spot open at the bottom of the frame because that one child can't hold up twenty adults, it just doesn't work. I can't sit there, I have a matter of minutes to get this done because nobody's going to remember that they missed the cocktail hour and eating based on the fact that one child was un cooperating it's going to be? I didn't get the job done, so why fight it? Do you know what I love when parents start yelling at the kid, I told you to stop, and what do you think that's really going to calm him down? If you have seen it and I always love it when they like my kid never acts like this I don't know must be you never act like that yeah I'm sure that's great you know the way you're shaking them right now not always that scaring him I think it's illegal it's you know what I mean? It doesn't work I'm going to get you mcdonald's oh good. So we're going to make the kid that's so he takes a picture you know it's one of those things give me a break. All right? More questions from s nicky is there any difference imposes when there's it's the family versus colleagues and friends we're not really a zlotys I make everybody look good if you remember everybody in the photo has one thing in common they're not like this they're like this here's the thing if I told all of you who were all professional photographers go pose in a group with them right now it would be a mess. One of you would be like hitting with just another one big hay and do it because you're not realizing all it is is a triangle it is creating a triangle out and v's no, I don't create it because if they're a colleague and they want them in a photo that clearly means something to them forty five degrees bam bam bam that's it all right, have we talked about this shot list at all people having shot list coming up to you tough too little and elsie creative images you know what? I should include a shot list on this if they buy it should and I well, I think this question is more how do you deal with people coming up to with the shirtless saying what about this image? What about this image? Let's? Go back to my theory? Yeah, additional bonus very given additional bonus of a shot lead shot list of family breakdown okay, now here's the thing if someone comes up to me with a shot list here's what I'm going to say if the bride comes up be like I have this list the very they want will be well, I really went over everything with you ahead of time here's my suggestion because if I start reading from this list it's going to slow me down, what I'd like you to do is give it to your maid of honor, let me do my thing and if I don't get anything that you're supposed to be on there cover tell me but I promise you, whatever is on there, I'm going to get four times that amount because is there anything about it with all the combinations I've told you? Is there anything else left for me to get what else is left to get I'm doing the uncle with the dad I'm doing the uncle with the dad and the son three generations doing uncle with the bride and groom what more is there for me to do? The only thing left for me to do is have uncle david duke are well uncle david you ready? Here we go teo teo question had come in from esteem nikias well about opposing thirty people say it's an extended family do you do that? Do you ever do the like everybody I'm going to do whatever they ask you want to see me do a big group and see if we could get it done because that makes me a little nervous we don't have to if you do can you really think it makes me nervous now are you going to do that? Are you gonna do the shot? I have another question that might go along with this from phil birdie to so how far do your spotlights work and for how big a group see that's the thing too spotlights will do we're going to dio where's there about twenty five people here so let's make magic very simple the lights are just there to do what fell phil so let's make it happen I'm going to look at it right now and I have to make a determination the determination that I'm going to make boils down to one thing age I'm either going to use chairs or I'm going to use the ground. I don't like chairs that makes people look stiff and our natural. What I do like to do is build things. You know what? I'm gonna make it creative because I do have chairs. I like chairs that a creative chairs. This could be fun. How many people can I build on this chair? What do you think? You got him? That I could build a lot of people into this chair, so I'm going to make it really easy. I'm going to build it to no, I look and I have nobody that's, really old. Ok, so from that standpoint, I'm in a good spot and in this case will pretend that grandpa wasn't in a wheelchair, that I really cured him. Ok, so we're gonna bring our bride and groom right in here. Can I have are bride's mom and dad, please? Bride's, mom and dad. Bridegroom come right in here in the center. You put your arms right around each other. Moving nice and close. Hand here, hand in your pocket. Leaning forward. Take it right there. God, you're gonna go right here behind your beautiful daughter mom, you're going to come right in here, beautiful behind handsome dad. Hand in your pants pocket, sir. Just like that. Looking at me here, mom. You're gonna move in nice and close. Holding onto this handsome gentlemen, could I have god, wife and mom? Okay, so I'm calling you by names, but obviously this wouldn't be a regular grouping at this point. That's. Not that lucky. Good. Just like that. We're going to bring you right here, just like that. And now can I have god come in or you hoping that they get together? Dad, what do you into you freaky manu. Good. Just like that. You're going to come in right here behind your beautiful wife. Just like that. You are no longer playing the role of step mom. Okay, so what we're going to do right now can I have austin come in real quick, just like that's? What I'm gonna do is ask our beautiful young lady. We're going to come take a seat right here. You are going to take a knee right here. Just like that. Take your right knee down. Ali, can I have you over here? Beautiful. Just like that. We have a lot going on here. Alleys, height. Works perfectly. Dad, step out one second. I'm going ask you sit right on the arm of the chair there just like that you're going to do great what the key is is we don't want a body this closed so turn your body a little bit put your hand right over here on evil step mom good. You were going to come in close right in here just like this. Dad, you're gonna bring your hand here. The key is to make sure that always head does not cut into dad. Now I'm going to take the beautiful miss mackenzie. You're going to come right over here. You're going to course your feet at the bottom. Beautiful mackenzie, you're going to take a seat here, put your legs out to the side right in front of your cousin. You're going to slide back all the way to them all the way back all the way back all the way back. Excellent. Just like that, we're doing terrific. Now what I'm going to ask to dio coming in nice and close here this side come up closer to make. I'm going to take our beautiful miss bethany you were going to come right over here gorgeous, just like that you were going to take a seat right here, put your legs out to the side through the middle do you think I mean have any problems squeezing this group into a confined area slide in nice and close. Beautiful. Just like that. Excellent. Just like that. Can I have grandpa who is now seen the light? Good just like that. Here we go. Sir. You were going to come, all right. And here you were going to stand behind. Mom. Don't think you get mature. You didn't earn it just like that. Moving nice and close, sir, can I have hans? You're going to come take a seat right over here, big boy. If you like it when I call you big boy, please don't let me no good. Just like that. Eric, you come right over here, sir. What you were going to do, eric? I am going to use one person yet. Which one? Come on. You were going to take a seat right here on the arm of the chair. Just like that. I need to make sure put your arm around your brother right there. Make sure that mom's not hit and grandpa comes forward. You're going to kneel down there, eric, if you would please put your right leg down, left leg up, come in nice and close, uh, actually, switch it up left and right. Good here we go. The reason I can cover it is because of condensed opposing down so small come on over here beautiful what I'm going to do is ask you to come take a seat right by eric here you're going to kick your legs out to the side beautiful right over here, fanny down links up nope you're going to go the other way turn your legs towards maine gore just perfect slide in all the way michael you're going to come in right here. Michael you're going to kneel right behind her right leg let down left side down right leg up you're going to come on over here beautiful without your microphone you are doing terrific. You're going to go right over here behind dad, you're going to come right over here beautiful you're going to go behind grandpa then you're going to go right behind your sister than uncle david. You were the last one in here. You're going to move in close beautiful just like that mean for it to make bring your hand right over here. Can I have the beautiful miss canter and susan? We need you in our family group just like that. Looking at me here moving nice and close moving nice and close you were going to come around to hear I want you to take a seat right here look at what they d'oh they're going in and automatically thinking they can position themselves because that's what people do they think they know where to go? But that's, why I put people in one of the time you're going to sit back here gorgeous side all the way in on what we're going to dio come forward come forward, uncle david good you're going to come in right here. Susan, turn your body sideways. Put your ipad on the inside miscounted you're going to come right over on the other side. Please come forward a little bit. Susan bride and groom looking at me. Everybody looking at me here nice and happy together. David, come a little bit forward, sir susan come a little bit forward by the groom heads together and what's happening right now that they have one minor issue mom has lost, so I'm gonna ask mom and dad to switch real quick mom and dad it's which just like that, you're moving along now we have balance to the photo this size moving in bride and groom leaning together. I don't have the right sit lend selection here because I'm with a seventy two, two hundred, so I'm going to have to change, making sure I have nice balance, good susan, come forward, david, come forward just a little bit you were doing absolutely terrific I don't think I'm going to fit you all in but let me take a look right and here give me one second look at how quick this comes together this whole process of building should take seconds one of the reasons I don't do such large family groups it's because how many photos are you going to buy right now you're going to buy one one of the things that I'm completely conscious of is that big speaker on the war but I have no choice at this point because I need balance on the ends with the lights on I need balance on top so we're looking at me here I make sure that I have everything I need hold on one second you guys are doing great I'll tell you when I'm set just like that I'm gonna move over just a little bit to eliminate my cameraman wonderful stay there guys nice and happy everybody's doing terrific hold it there wonderful perfect smiling eyes eyes up here nice and happy teeth everybody looking here smiling down keep baking it love it at silent you can all take a seat thank you very much have a great time tonight let's take a look how does that look works pretty well other than speaker and uncle david's head we have everything but when you look at that I covered that with how many lights just to

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Bride Alone Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Bride her family and BP Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Doug_Gorden_Wedding_Album.pdf
Doug_Gordon_Posing_Guide.pdf
Full Family and BP Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Groom his family BP and the Ceremony Photo Editing Video HD.mov
Doug Gordon Creative Live Shot list.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Doug is one of those teachers who combines the right blend of humor with knowledge to keep the learning process inviting. Doug's heart is what draws me in...his passion for photography as an industry not to mention his personal desire to see those around him excel in their new-found skills. I have witnessed first-hand Doug's ability to transform an ordinary environment into an extra-ordinary work of art. Don't miss an opportunity to learn from someone who studied with the great Monty Zucker and who offers a system for integrating posing with an understanding of classical lighting. Don't miss a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of the best!

a Creativelive Student
 

Highly recommend to any wedding photographer, be you experienced or new. Although based in the Uk, most of what doug taught is relevant and has helped boost my confidence when posing and making adjustments to peoples pose. amazing depth to the way an image is created and lovely to see the images then used in an album to tie everything up from start to finish.

Sherry Callahan
 

Loved and bought Dougs first Creative live workshop and learned so much from it that I intend to watch and learn from this one as well! Just from watching the first creative live workshop I can see a big improvement in my work, so I am looking forward to this workshop and learning more from Doug. This one looks very interesting and more real to what us as wedding photographer encounter in real life. Cant wait!

Student Work

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