Previous: (Page 1) Why Lisa Choose to Stay with Traditional Film
Question: What is the current hot wedding photography trend?
Lisa Berry: There seems to be a divide between the trends that photographers are outputting and the trends that clients are seeking. I think there's a lot of excitement among photographers now that we have so many possibilities with each image. There's a lot of fiddling that goes on in post production, but much of that is novelty. Sometimes beautiful images are made to look unnatural because they are overworked.
Without careful discernment, a client's wedding album will have that particular decade stamped all over it. For the album to be timeless, it must often resist gimmicks and trends. My favorite digital photographers make only subtle edits to slightly improve upon their photographs without going overboard on alterations and effects.
Most of the couples I meet come with a desire for very natural-looking prints. They hope to look like themselves, and they want to remember the wedding day as it really was. The challenge is to present this reality as beautifully as possible by simply composing the shots well, using high quality materials, and training your eye to look for small interactions of love. No Photoshop filter required.
Question: You approach weddings using the photojournalism style of photography in capturing photographs. Do you have other stylistic preferences? What styles do your clients prefer? What is your least favorite style, and are there any photographic styles you discourage your clients from using?
Lisa Berry: I may not be a "pure" photojournalist in the sense that if there's a plastic bag in the middle of a gorgeous shot, I'll probably remove it. Actually, I'll bet Cartier-Bresson would have removed it too. I'm also not interested in making brides look bad for the sake of a funny shot. However, real life situations and facial expressions are the main focus of my wedding photography.
Brides and grooms today don't want to be plugged into a formula or a painted backdrop. In general, they don't want to fake something for a photo op. If I have a photograph of the couple engaged in a kiss, it's probably because I saw them sneaking a kiss, not because I told them to do so. One could argue that the reality or spontaneity of the moment makes it even more meaningful as an image.
Portraiture and formal family photographs are still incredibly important documents in wedding photography. I enjoy looking at my grandmother's wedding portraits and hearing stories about each family member. This is something I never leave out, however, it only makes up a small portion of the photographs for the day.
Many of my clients also love to have the details of their table settings, fresh shots of the flowers, and beautiful still life shots in the mix. So much work and planning goes into the details, and they're all taken down after the event. I like to challenge myself at every wedding to find new and artful compositions for these small, beautiful arrangements.
I also enjoy stepping back from the scene, exiting the action for a moment, and shooting the entire setting. It's sort of like the first page in a novel, or the beginning sequence in a film. If you were married in a castle, you want to remember what the castle looks like from afar. If you were married in your backyard, chances are you've worked hard to make it look its best, and a wide photograph can help you remember the setting. Some brides and grooms are too busy on the wedding day to see the things they have planned for so long, and they're always grateful to have them in the album. I don't know if there's a word for this particular style. It's not necessarily photojournalism, though it's close. I think of it as covering the entire wedding.
Question: You shoot in a variety of film formats. What is your favorite film format to use when shooting weddings?
I love to shoot with medium format cameras. I bring a Hasselblad and a Contax 645 to every wedding. (no, it's not the ONLY way to go, but I love the results) When I sit down with a prospective couple, they will often point to my medium format samples and ask "what makes these prints look so beautiful?"
I set the apertures and the focus manually, and I tend to slow down and compose my shots carefully when working in medium format. You will always find a 35mm camera at my hip in case some fast action or zoom work is needed, but the primary tool I use at a wedding is medium format film.
Next: (Page 3) Lisa's View on Photographic Technology & Film Development
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