Pre-wedding shoots are the most ‘in’ the things these days and the trend is spreading like wildfire. From quirky vintage themes to pastel daylight floral photo shoots. Pre-wedding videos are coming about as well with couples tuning in and dancing and posing to melodious romantic numbers and setting the wedding mood with an infusion of energy. So before you get down to the field here are some pointers to keep in mind before you shoot!
1. Get comfortable with the couple...
No matter how camera-friendly people are, when asked to deliberately pose together in front of an unknown person it can get a bit off the track and the couple can feel a bit shy and the photographs can come a bit made up and fake where the entire point of the shoot dissolves. Hence, it is extremely important for the photographer as well as the couple to build a repertoire amongst each other so that they can feel light and unburdened by the lens and the feel at home when posing.
2. Do a recce trip to the location...
Nowadays conventional locations like gardens, forts, and jungles are being replaced by fancy cafes and sandy beaches. Depending on the kind of photographs and theme that is decided one can customize the type of location where the shoot would take place. It has to be ensured it is not too crowded and has sufficient natural lighting unless the shoot is indoors The photographer needs to well adapt to the site to ensure optimal usage of the shoot span and can get a rough idea on how the pictures will look like. And rest, be free to experiment!
3. Themes
To get an easy and broad idea of how to go about the photographs the photographer and the couple can decide on themes. Few common ones are classic and chique revolving around light faded tints and mostly pinks, blues and whites and gold Bollywood with its bold reds and oranges and film poses. New age couples are now going with queer and uncommon ideas like vintage, holi color, sports themes and black, white and gold creations
4. Timing
How natural and made up your photograph comes about depends a lot on the timing when the shoot is taking place. The photographer is the best person to throw some light (literally!) on this area. Misty morning pictures or warm sunset pictures depend a lot on the position of the Sun. Night photography would require a separate kind of an arrangement, after all, there is no better lighting than going full au naturel!
5. Props...
Another most important part of the shoots is props and products used to improvise on the theme. Moreover, props sometimes help the people in front of the camera gel along easier besides making the photography smooth and adding a creative touch to the images. Props can be selected according to the theme or otherwise. Some basic yet highly effective props are
- Polaroid photos of the couple.
- Sparklers and fairy lights
- Bubbles, Chalkboards, and Balloons
- Vintage Cycles with flowers.
- Wooden frames and decorated glass bottles.
- Trampoline
6. Poses and frames...
The most vital part of the shoot is how the couple decides to frame the idea into a solid photograph using the above-mentioned criterions. Here is where the role of the Photographer becomes critical. Starting from reflections on lake water to shots of jumping, twirling and shots in motion the photographer needs to bring out his technical mastery apart from awakening the creative nerve. Angle and framing, the correct focus and the correct alignment & Voila!
- Silhouettes
- Bollywood dance poses
- Quirky and fun shots inside colorful cafes and ethnic and aesthetic fort
- Under the umbrella by the railway tracks and tunnels
- Minimalism combined with twirls, kisses, and jumps.
7. Get out of the box...
The PRE WEDDING SHOOT is something which has to be set in a different mood from the wedding photo shoots. Why?
Because it is an amalgamation of being as candid as the photos can ever get without bringing in the notion of a planned photo shoot along with making it professional and dynamic. These days crazy ideas work better for both the parties because it adds to the challenge and makes it fun and helps the posers and clickers to enjoy the process. To-be-weds are loving the idea of offbeat photos, pictures with their pets, friends, unconventional vehicles like auto rickshaws, brick walls, crowded streets, miniature posting and amusing props like cricket bats and picnic baskets.
8. Clichés are not always bad...
It’s not always mandatory to go completely bizarre before you exchange your vows. Some overworked frames are overworked because they do great in terms of finishing and the moment being great to be frozen! Hence the swings, floral farm backdrops, flying capes and dupattas, color bombs and smoky soft focussed images work great for almost everyone!
9. Post shoot editing
This is another requisite for a successful set of photos that will actually be put into use. Sometimes the photographers are left with hundreds of photos from which he has to produce the best few. Also, who does not want a magical aura about few of the most memorable photos of their lifetime? The photographer is the artist now. He has to now make sure that the correct white balance, contrast, and saturation strikes apart. Lightroom works best in the most efficient manner to tick all the checkboxes.
10. Just Have Fun
In the end, ultimately it boils down to the how much the people involved enjoy the entire process. As long as you feel the energy and positivity of the shoot the end product can never come out to be unsatisfactory! So, live it up and get your imaginative juices flowing!
Written by Shraddha Ghosh for WorldPhotographersClub.com
Happy Clicking
P:S Cover Photo by Manish Arora
