The most unusual wedding location I have ever photographed in must have been the in the underground cave, with the grizzly bear. Or the time we all climbed to the mountain top, bridal party in tow and brought ice creams with us!
Just joking! Most of the time, weddings take place in pretty normal places. Think churches, green gardens, hotels and possibly an old stoney wall in between. When choosing locations for wedding photos, we have to consider parking, easy accessibility, time constraints and somewhere that is close-by to the rest of the action. I’m far from depressed about rarely having an ‘unusual setting’ in every location. I just believe we should seek the extraordinary out of the ordinary. By this I mean, looking at your every day locations with fresh eyes.
Think of that burst of colour on a country door… gorgeous against a white dress. Look at the way the green moss hugs that stoney wall… a beautiful backdrop for your wedding bands. Imagine the light pouring in the stained glass church windows with your profile silhouetted against it. Fabulous! Think of those urban graffiti covered walls in the abandoned car park, or the vintage sign outside your local shop… that would make a pretty grungy image! By opening our eyes, we see more colour, more vibrancy, more unusual locations and then by thinking a little differently, we can easily make ‘out of the ordinary’ and superb locations magically appear.
The next consideration is lighting. You may have noticed that photographers jump for joy on cloudy days. This is because harsh shadows melt away and we are left with an even, diffused light that is oh-so flattering. On sunny days the task actually becomes a little more difficult, but this can be overcome by photographing in the shade or facing away from the sun. Be a bit more creative and use direct sunlight it in your favour to create lens flare for an ‘arty’ look to your photos. If time in on your side, then really spectacular images can be captured at the ‘golden hour’. This is the key time a couple of hours either side of sunset and sunrise when the sun provides a flattering golden yellow and everyone and everything looks a million times better 🙂
But the most wonderful moments of genuine laughter and honest smiles are achieved when everyone is relaxed and just themselves. Therefore is hugely important to trust and feel at ease your photographer. If possible, use an engagement photo session as an opportunity to get comfortable with your photographer and more importantly, how it feels to be in front of their lens. An engagement shoot also allows the freedom to seek out more remote or harder to reach locations. You are also not restricted to the time constraints of a wedding day schedule, so if possible try to shoot at the ‘golden hours’ for that really special light.
By understanding and observing these simple rules, the quality and locations of your photographs will dramatically improve.
Joleen Cronin is a lifestyle and wedding photographer based in county Cork. More than anything she adores ice creams (preferably 99s), swimming at the beach and photographing in natural light.
Check out more of Joleen’s fun, natural and laid back photographic style at www.joleencronin.com or follow her on twitter @joleencronin
