First HR digital wedding

So I shot my first wedding in terms of higher resolution digital. I had shot weddings before but not with a full set of digital equipment. I shot around 1300 images in 4 hours so that's around 5.4 images per minute on average. Shot with a mix of the D800 and D7000 with the D800 running the closer shots and the D7000 the wider shots. Now, since I haven't yet gone through all the images, here are the "engagement" photos taken in a park a few weeks back. I'll be taking these down from the thread after a while but just to give you an idea of my initial foray into digital wedding photography.

Very nice...Great images...

Great shots!! Nice color and detail.

Very nice, great job

Very nice! Am looking forward to seeing the wedding shots!

Congratulations! Lovely photos!

Nice pictures. The only thing missing is a fill-in flash to add catch light into their eyes… I think flash is mandatory for wedding pics. You've got to see their eyes.

Yes, I didn't have my regular flash with me. I agree that some kind of light coming off the eyes is good, but not necessarily from an artificial light source. The first image she has catch light, he does not as his eyes are squinting. Second image the both have catch light. Third image she's looking down so of course no catch light. Fourth image he's squinting again so naturally no catch light. Her left eye has some light, right eye not as much. Sixth image he's looking up and there's catch light, she's looking down and not so much (easier to see in larger image). Seventh image she's looking down, so again naturally there won't be a catch light unless I shoot a flash up to her face. Last image she's looking to side, and there is actually a bit of light, mom doesn't have catch light so I agree there, child's eyes closed a bit so also not so obvious to have or even to get catch light.

Check Ryan Brenizer's stuff, not all his images have a specific flash-induced catch light. It is about how the light overall illuminates the face. With enough light, there will be reflections, but even with flash and with eyes averted, this is not always possible.

Ryan Brenizer — NYC Wedding Photographer. Problem solver, storyteller. » "Work is Love Made Visible." --Kahlil Gibran

Here are a few samples...not yet retouched.

crycocyon said:

Yes, I didn't have my regular flash with me. I agree that some kind of light coming off the eyes is good, but not necessarily from an artificial light source.

Check Ryan Brenizer's stuff, not all his images have a specific flash-induced catch light. It is about how the light overall illuminates the face. With enough light, there will be reflections, but even with flash and with eyes averted, this is not always possible.

Ryan Brenizer — NYC Wedding Photographer. Problem solver, storyteller. » "Work is Love Made Visible." --Kahlil Gibran

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I agree with you, but in the case of the pictures you showed, there is also the bags under the eyes caused by the shadow of the sunlight that could have been reduced by a fill-in flash.

But it's only my opinion.

I understand, although bags under the eyes are a separate issue from catch-light. If you consider how many stops you would want on the lighter versus darker sides of the face, lightening up the darker side further could flatten the image a bit. And to be honest this was a spur of the moment shoot, not planned so I didn't have reflectors, etc. with me so I placed them in the light as best I could given the location and the fact it was a bright sunny day. But basically yes you are right.

crycocyon said:

I understand, although bags under the eyes are a separate issue from catch-light. If you consider how many stops you would want on the lighter versus darker sides of the face, lightening up the darker side further could flatten the image a bit. And to be honest this was a spur of the moment shoot, not planned so I didn't have reflectors, etc. with me so I placed them in the light as best I could given the location and the fact it was a bright sunny day. But basically yes you are right.

Click to expand...

I don't care to be right or wrong. But if I can get you to try something that might get you better pictures, I'll try to convince you to try it. No harm done.