Wedding dress in a studio - UPDATED

Rudesing

Rudesing

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Ruth
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My sister is getting married in October and has asked me to take some shots of her in her dress. She's getting her hair & make up trial done at mine, and asked me to take some shots in the studio for her. She is happy to do some outside but obviously we have to be REALLY careful with the dress.

I have
4 lights (2x 500w, 2x250w)
2 material backdrops (white & black)
Hilite
A big window!

I was thinking of trying
- natural light by the window
- outside (if I can get permission from local C&E church to do some outside the church)
- or studio

My standard studio set up is blown background and big softbox for kids. Outside shoots always involved kids and never a lot of kit. Guessing I want something different for this.

Any tips on where to start? Many thanks
 
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I'd be gobsmacked if she allowed you to take pics of her outside the church in the dress before she got married! Bad luck and all that stuff!
 
admirable said:
I'd be gobsmacked if she allowed you to take pics of her outside the church in the dress before she got married! Bad luck and all that stuff!
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She's up for it - getting married at a hotel so won't get them otherwise. Think the church may have more of a problem with it...
 
Hi Ruth

I think I would try some studio stuff with natural light from the window. For head and shoulder shots, I would consider using a longish lens and some subtle feminine props in the background, like floaty white curtains in soft focus. Another background idea could be some nice defocused highlights produced by strips of twisted silver foil, white fairy lights, or candles, but obviously bring the background lighting down to allow the highlights to do their thing.

With regard to exterior shots, then doing it at home seems like a less risky affair and your sister would be more relaxed if she wasn’t worrying about mud and stuff. Have you, or a neighbour got a bit of the garden with enough tree foliage to make the location look lush and fitting for bridal shots?

Sam-D
 
Sam-D said:
Hi Ruth

I think I would try some studio stuff with natural light from the window. For head and shoulder shots, I would consider using a longish lens and some subtle feminine props in the background, like floaty white curtains in soft focus. Another background idea could be some nice defocused highlights produced by strips of twisted silver foil, white fairy lights, or candles, but obviously bring the background lighting down to allow the highlights to do their thing.

With regard to exterior shots, then doing it at home seems like a less risky affair and your sister would be more relaxed if she wasn’t worrying about mud and stuff. Have you, or a neighbour got a bit of the garden with enough tree foliage to make the location look lush and fitting for bridal shots?

Sam-D
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Thanks Sam ;)

I'll have a hunt for some props (liking the fairy lights idea) & material. I think I have just the thing....

I'm really excited about doing it. In practice with my mum, my kids, and the make up lady I think I probably won't get the time I want to do it justice.
 
its bad luck if you mark the dress!

Pre wedding shoots seem to be the next big thing coming over from the states, where brides often get a canvas done to be displayed at the reception
 
Id be terrified incase i ripped/stained the dress. Perhaps do some afterwards?
 
prince said:
Id be terrified incase i ripped/stained the dress. Perhaps do some afterwards?
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Actually, we are considering partnering up with the only other local business (a wedding dress shop) and doing makovers, on the day of the final dress fitting, and doing a studio shoot of the result. The wedding dress shop is 200 yds down the road (we are on the edge of a very rural village)
 
Richard King said:
Actually, we are considering partnering up with the only other local business (a wedding dress shop) and doing makovers, on the day of the final dress fitting, and doing a studio shoot of the result. The wedding dress shop is 200 yds down the road (we are on the edge of a very rural village)
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Sounds like a great plan!

I'm not too worried about the dress, it was my sisters idea and she won't do anything she's not comfortable with.

We'll mostly be in the studio - white or black background? I'm not sure - and then maybe drive to one location if we're feeling brave and the weather is OK
 
Rudesing said:
Sounds like a great plan!

I'm not too worried about the dress, it was my sisters idea and she won't do anything she's not comfortable with.

We'll mostly be in the studio - white or black background? I'm not sure - and then maybe drive to one location if we're feeling brave and the weather is OK
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If you have a clean studio, and a suitable changing area, then its no different to being in the wedding dress shop
 
Richard, if you don't mind me asking, will you be altering your studio set up because of the dress / style of the shoot?

Right now I'm thinking of going with a white background, with one soft box at 45 degrees, with maybe a reflector or natural light on the other. Then maybe playing around with a black background and one light to the side for a shadow / silhouette look.
 
lol - the builoders havent finished the studio... at the moment I have done a few shoots in the bridal shops, and each one has been different. Ask me in 6 months
 
What a disaster! The makeup trial was on Wednesday. It rained - a lot so no outdoor shoot. The makeup artist took twice as long as expected so it was too dark for natural light shots indoors. My Mum couldn't stay & watch the kids so we had no time to take photos.

Ended up with a key & fill light and used a wall as a backdrop - not particularly innovative.

Gutted really, will try & post some pics over the weekend.
 
Thats a shame that happened - why was the MUA running over so much?
 
Richard King said:
Thats a shame that happened - why was the MUA running over so much?
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Probably our ignorance rather than her fault, she arrived late (called & apologised first) and was with us for almost 4hrs, when I expected 2hrs - should have asked first.
 
Shame Ruth, it's one of the things we need to control at weddings because if the MUA runs over guess who loses out on the bridal portrait time?

Hope it all runs more smoothly on your Sis' wedding day.
 
4 Hours?!?!?

Make up has been responsible for buggering up more timelines than I care to mention.

But 4 hours????

Edit - may be the mark of a true professional, but I have seen women transformed in less than 15 minutes by a pro MUA. Probably goes the same for us pro photographers too, if they know what they are doing. I'd advise your sister (?) to get a more definite timeline on her wedding day.
 
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LOL!

My sisters hair took an hour, her makeup another hour, then there was chatting with the two bridesmaids (me & my daughter) and mother of the bride. She also had to set up / pack away - own chair / lit mirror and loads of bags of kit. Plus a cup of tea and further discussion about the timeline for the morning.

Edited to say: Hair & make up starts at 8am on the morning, for a 2.30 ceremony. I'm probably not getting her to do my make up now as there were some issues with the colour foundation she selected for my sister, so I want there to be enough time to sort that out on the day if necessary.
 
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