Bridals

Bridal sessions are one of the most requested add-on sessions for weddings. In the past it was practically a necessity to have your bridal session shot inside a studio. Modern brides and digital imaging have created bridal sessions that mimic magazine spreads rather than traditional posed portraits. Photographers are able to get immediate feedback on their shots as they take them, eliminating the uncertainty that film caused. Don’t get me wrong, I love shooting film and love to shoot part of a bridal session on some Ilford 50 or Kodak Tri-X black and white film with my vintage cameras. Film is my heritage; I learned the basics of photography through studying, trial and error, and hundreds of rolls of film.

Back to the topic at hand - bridals. You (the bride) get to choose how your wedding day turns out, and part of your wedding day should include your bridals. But wait, bridals are done ahead of time, aren’t they? Yes - so technically you get two wedding days: one that you get to marry your fiancé, and one that you get to play stress-free dress up and have amazing photos taken. While you (and I) have to consider your future husband during your engagement session, we get to concentrate on you for your bridals. When you begin planning your wedding, you need to be sure to include some creative time to plan your bridal session.

With plenty of notice, almost anything can be accomplished. Bridal magazines and photographer blogs are great sources of inspiration. I don’t mind discussing with you what will work, may not work, and absolutely won’t work. You bring the inspiration and I’ll bring the know-how. Typical bridal sessions are preceded by an appointment with your hairstylist and makeup artist. You’ll want to be sure to have a bouquet and of course, your tailored dress. I don’t want to burst your bubble, but if you want magazine-like bridal shots, the hairstylist and makeup artist are necessities. Most bridal magazine models go through rigorous preparing for their shoots.

Posing comes naturally to some brides while other brides are going to need direction. That’s not a problem. It helps to have your maid of honor or a close friend or two along for the shoot. It relieves some of the tension, your nervousness in front of the camera and gives you someone to laugh at (or make you laugh.) Most of all, I want your bridal sessions to reflect whom you are.

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