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Shoot: Family Posing

Lesson 19 from: High Fashion Wedding Photography

Brett Florens

Shoot: Family Posing

Lesson 19 from: High Fashion Wedding Photography

Brett Florens

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Lesson Info

19. Shoot: Family Posing

Lesson Info

Shoot: Family Posing

The type of family shot that I would sit up right now I would do a group shot off the bridal party as well as the family so what we going to do now is I'm going to build up a situation where I have the bride and groom in the middle and then I can take away from that group shot so that I'm left with with obviously less people so I'm done with you you can go but then I don't have to set up the whole thing all over again so with what we've got over here right now I think it would be quite a nice idea sean if you could just sit down over here like this for me but your leg behind you so that my concert down in over here right so shawn's going to sit down in over there my you're going to go in right down next to him over there you're right there's okay coming over here with your back to sean and you bring your body around this way a little more okay nice and close coming over here right that's stunning ok so obviously I would sit up the bride side and groom side that kind of thing we've got ...

the bride and the mother of the bride the father of the bride when I'm doing my composition with regards to group shots recognizable shapes are always a winner it's very it's very good great to have recognisable shapes. I'm trying to triangles when I'm shooting the group shots. So already this shayes is allowing me to shoot something off. What would be a triangle? So what I could do over here, let me start off with you, kelly. So if you could come down over here for me on the side of your bottom over here, leaning onto the shades like that now and other questions already coming in. Are you gonna make the bride's maid sit on the floor? Yes, I am that's a perfect go in lice and close there. All right, that's. Great top leg. If you wait, stay. Stay there like that. It's. Cool. If you look at our top leg it's a little scrunched up around the back there and if I elongate off what? She's gonna look really regal and beautiful. So I'm gonna come in here. Just bring your leg out a little bit more for me to the side. And if you get your if you get some crab, just let me know but your flowers down over here because I don't want to see anything I'm not meant to see. Okay, that's. Great. Okay, beautiful can I get, uh, could you give the flowers to my mother? Okay and you're gonna come around the back here for me and you're going to kneel down over there you will sink down quite a lot which is quite cool for me and I was gonna come and have a look at this yes beautiful okay mom you look too young to be the mother was a teenage pregnancy or something that's okay just put the money in the bank right there we go way I'd like I'd like you to come over here for a six to little mid siders for me dad sorry that I'm flirting with your wife there okay you're gonna come in write in over here nice and close over there turn your body in towards mom if you could that's mom, if this hand at the back over here and I would probably be calling her mrs joins or whatever I'm just calling him I'm not because I don't know what her name is sorry about that. Okay that's called just keep that up over there from that's stunning very cool right that's looking good for me over there if I look at this group shot I don't really want these two growing out of these two the bride and groom at the bottom I don't want mom and dad growing out of their heads so I might try asked you guys to get a little closer together that's going to work for me nicely they write groomsmen I need you over here please, sir and you're gonna be over there like that arms folded you down over that you're going to be over here for me you sat down over here like this and you're over there just like that. Okay? All right, ok, if you could that that's perfect if you could sit on the side of your but because at the moment you see yeah that's perfect and yes, I would say but if that's what people are asking okay, that foot that's going out like that's worrying me a little bit rather cost the other leg for me right? Terms of my lighting shouldn't get this up a little higher please. Okay, I just need teo I've got the television in the shot but I will I will plan it out when uh when I have to in terms of what's going on for their okay, so what I would like here is as I'm looking at this this part of the shot is great for me but the bride and groom are worrying me a little bit in terms of the way that mom and dad are right behind them. So what I'm thinking maybe if I could move mom and dad across a little bit more that's nice that's great that's much better okay now when they've moved across is this great big hole where where dad was so if I could just ask you to come in across this way a little bit for me even more uh here we go that's beautiful that's stunning if you could please put your elbow up on two that's nice and that your hand just hang down there I see you're engaged when when you're getting married okay all right so I'm gonna be on I'm gonna be on manual now because I'm shooting with flash I don't have to be on two thousand years ago that was lame I don't have to be on two thousand s I want to go down to two hundred in terms of my flash aren't put let's go up to three all right that's good and I'm on manual to hundreds of a second if six point three so let's just have a little look at this and check out what my exposure is I think it might be a bit over exposed a little bit underexposed and I'm getting a reflection in the in the tv so if we could just get that tv turned a little sideways that would be cool for me please. Okay so then what's also bothering me is your little isolated over there so if you could if you could move across this way a tiny bit for me at the bottom here please and then you just turn your body in towards yeah that's cool maybe lean forward onto that section yeah that's uh that's nice there we go that's very cool. All right, good jump can let's have a little look at this? Okay and very nice keep it just like that I think that other shot was a little underexposed in fact yeah sean can we go turn the ten affection towards him a little more and go up on the power yeah that's cool just turned that to the head's facing them up a little bit more right that's good and upon the part that's three and a half is good. Okay, let's have a look at that that's beautiful and I'm focusing the questions that could come in would be where is your focus? I'm focusing on the bride there we go now I like that explosion I'll get rid of the television and all of that in the post production that's not that's not really too much of a problem. Um I'm going tio I know I told you to stand like that but this it's really my fault and it's not working for me mom and dad can you come onto this side please? You're gonna go and take mom and dad were okay now what's happening now that's that's much better that's lovely I think that that's great uh could you two please swap for me? Now the reason I'm doing that is because of the diverse the black suit was behind the black suit and then there was too much off the bridesmaids color over here it's very soft you'll be fine. All right that's cool that's very good right here we go again bridesmaid now is a little bit short at the back so that's that's my problem not your problem so if you could come and just hang out this is gonna work if you can come and hang out over here next to this groomsmen for me that would work but your elbow up onto a shoulder uh there we go. Let the flowers just hang down next to you okay, there we go that's a bit better mom, if you could come out of tiny but just so I can see a little bit more of that. All right, guys, here we go everybody looking at me and three, two one that's fantastic. Keep it there and looking good. All right. Okay, now what I need you to do everybody just find somebody to talk to and talk to them and sponsor shame there's nobody talking there's nobody talking to this guy right there we go that's beautiful kay and right I could get them to maybe look over there or, you know, just to give some sort of diversity in terms of the options that I need once I've done a great big group shot like this, I can start to take people out if I wanted to, um, when I get down to about four or five people, then I'm going to have them standing and not all over the all over the furniture. So this all stand up, please. Okay. And now the bridesmaids. You guys are sisters, one sister for the groom, one system for the brian. And you guys are on our brothers as well. So, in terms of the family, we gonna act out a bit of a family dynamic things. So bride and groom in the middle here, please. I would just get somebody to take that away. And right now no, no, it's. All good over there. Okay, so now what I would do it's probably changed my lanes. If uncle bob was here and I had to you worry too much about what's going on with him. Then I would be on the twenty four to seventy, and I make sure that I'm in his way. If I'm not, I would. I prefer the property's off the seventy two, two hundred, so, sean, please put the seventy two, two hundred onto that hey, maya, into the middle here. Perfect you guys uh you need to be on that side that's great you guys turn your bodies in towards each other nice and close together just hold on to her nicely there get your hand over the top of hers protection again remember that hey there we go ahead is nice and close together you guys are in every picture it's all about you so I'm gonna do this as quickly as I can wait to do some nice family combinations okay so what I would do here let's just say we've whittled it down to the one side of the family s oh now this is this is all maya's family what I would do here is on asked mom to come onto shore inside just because off the boy girl boy girl think of the male female male female thing when we continue back to sean that'll work for me dad if you could piece coming over here and cuddle with this gorgeous mom right turn your bodies and what you tell a close close close together that's perfect we've across this way just a section for me please come across yeah that's great. Thank you so much. Okay, what we do there let's just say for example that there was just one sister over here so what I'd like you to do coming over here here's our one sister now in terms of body language she could look a little isolated she could look like ok mom and dad are cuddling up but what happened to me all right so what we're gonna do here you're going to hold onto dad it's like uh is daddy's little girl here we go ready did you see that don't look right so you're an over there you could even do that for me and that's it right beautiful so from this side of side of things we could put maybe you in over here turn your back to maya for me that's cool you're going to come in over here right go in the little post its too okay if I if I end up with a situation where I can't go a couple couple couple I'm gonna bring you in over here across this way a little bit for me okay and you're gonna coming over here and at the end it's very nice to always get the guys to have the hand in the trouser pocket just to finish it off no not you okay you're here it's nicely finished off you're holding your flowers beautifully I've got a great shot over here but it's nice for you to do that this elbow can even come up over here put it up on to shoulder nice and close getting close she's gorgeous she's your sister sorry all right so let's just get this across here nicely okay and all right this is have a quick look at this can I really won't be long over here and it's just have a quick look there nice and close together the guys and three two one that's beautiful and last one like this keep it there that's stunning all right and there is my family shot without shooting the same type of shot everybody's in a straight line I'm not shooting so that everyone's in a straight line I'm shooting it s so that this nice is nice imagery going on the lighting is great that you know you look a bit half asleep but don't worry we'll take your eyes from another picture okay so all right so now um okay so at school will slip that back in for a sec okay so now what we're gonna do we're gonna mix it up with other combinations siblings aren't you come okay, maybe maybe I'm gonna shoot every single shot because it's gonna take a lot of time but maybe what we could do now because this is the part where we starting to think about the money factor we need to make money on the reprints for the family sorry can we just get a speck in the music? Okay, there we go. Beautiful. Okay, all right, so I've got the whole family over here these two are married so I'm going to get rid of the in law okay, so you're out for a sec and I'm left so we get rid of the in law so that they can have their family photo without the without the son in law I know it sounds quite harsh but you do it in a way you didn't no way that you know they feel happy with the way you've treated them so from there what we could do here is to swap you two you're gonna going over there you could even turn your back to mayer again in you go nice and close it on your head put your hands into your pockets close together they're arming to dad again okay close close close together even closer tight okay, so you can have the twenty four to seventy there please hold on to your wife she's gorgeous all right, head's nice and close to get a mom you're gonna turn around and cuddle up with dad you cannot but you can't cuddle up with your son in law that's even worse harry go that's beautiful keep it like that that's absolutely gorgeous. Okay, so now we've got the family shot without the son in law without the other son in law and we're going to make some money out of that shocked as well but all the siblings aren't for the moment please no you the grim you know sibling okay bodies in towards each other again mom on uh sean side dad, you're gonna come across onto my aside game and you go nice and close their right there we go okay here it is that's beautiful absolutely stunning mom tilt your head in towards there we go that's gorgeous keep it there little minute flowers down a little bit lower their peace that's it keep it like that okay whilst with their whilst we they will the two of you please just go over there for a sec so you're not and now now we gotta shut already set up with dad and his daughter his mass and close together get air we go there we go dad big moment that's it nice and happy big big smiles there we go guys and that's perfect dad out mom, could you please come in over here right bodies in towards each other nice and close together that said flowers down a little lower that please mark that's it uh mom, you've done this before. Haven't you all right, there we go. Okay, cool stuff. Thank you so much, right let's get more people in here. Uh, sean, could you coming over here, please? And then my you're going to be out shawn's brothers and sisters can we have you in here? Yeah, you three that's good enough. All right that's good let's get the girls on the outside because I've got a nice shape going on like that shown used and straight on to me if you could turn your back to sean from your section that would work nicely you're going to come in nice and close ok right guys there it is that's it nice that's it and then what? What I need here is just a nice really nice natural ones to put your arms over him uh there we go that's cool beautiful that's it and the reason I did that is because mom and dad are going to buy the first one and these people are gonna buy the second one. Any questions with regards to that so far you think you're you're thinking the whole time about that book that's selling right that's that's why that's why we're hearing it was so bad about saying that you know, but you really shouldn't because I mean that's I mean, I loved it earlier when you're like twenty dollars, thirty dollars physical I mean that's great because I mean but you're we're here to make you think this isn't your hobby, right? This is what I've gotta put my kids through school, right? So to hear this I mean, I think people walk into these shots and let me know if you agree your approach is to go into this shot tio to be selling either to the mother of the daughter or to these guys without a dot compassionately yeah, all right all right all right good okay so what I would do now if we could get maya back in here let's just do a couple of shots with the bridesmaid so guys you're done for the moment sean you're also done okay so let's go back to the seventy two two hundred please uh shawn all right so no your stereotypical shots would be this kind of shocked everybody standing in a line and it's you know but what I want to do is to bring a little bit more of that fashion element to these kind of shots now there's been some amazing workshops on creative life just go back into the archives and check out the fashion workshops the presentations you'll learn a lot about posing and all that kind of thing from that so er keep your flowers that might work it's good yours it's videos out of here for now I might give them to the mother of the bride or to somebody else that's great okay cool so now what I'd like you to do in fact that backgrounds working very nicely for me that way are seven look okay right to come across in over here turn your body in towards uh what is your name I'm sorry sorry rachel come come over here to this side over here kelly you're gonna come over here all right? So bodies in toward let your flowers just hang down next year in the other hand, you turn your body in towards maya there came I your arm over the back off kelly this hand over here that's it that's beautiful been this around a little bit on you are going rachel yoo this hand over here is probably going to come in and hold on to her there to new body in this way and maybe you had done in over there like that that's a little contrived I think turn your back on your back to maya that's it and then just lean up into her like that that's stunning and your head coming back onto her woodwork very nicely that's cool come a little bit forward in over here. Well, we have our okay yeah, I will okay, there we go. There it is. Okay, so let's have a look at this bridesmaid shot over here. Okay? That's stunning rachel just let your arms just hang down next to you there we go that's beautiful. Keep it there like that. All right. Okay. Shawn, can we get a little bit more contrast in this shot over here? So if you can take the flash to the side just go wait, hold on. We'll get this will work really nicely if you bounce that off this white section over here so yeah, and then turn up the power because we're gonna lose a little bit of yeah all right that's good. All right, ladies you're doing fantastically well but if you look at that image that you're a little too happy okay, I understand that this is a waiting but we want to shoot some ivory seductive and think vogue vanity fair okay, beautiful could not have said that now you're just giggling hey sorry about that work the shoulder there that's it all right, beautiful hold it just like that I'm getting down a little lower because at the back I can see the floor on don't really want that in the shop too much if you can see that in the previous shot but it's cool we'll do it and we'll do it in post okay so now kelly, your flowers are are really just hanging a holding closer to the heads and I like your knee coming in like that yeah that's cool that's good but you're hanging onto your leg there for me and then just been it's it's beautiful all right that's it keep it day stunning no smiling kenny just looking at me there we go beautiful chin down a little bit please maya that's good. All right, hold it them just having a look at lighting again okay, rachel, turn your body in towards that's it there we go that's cool okay and now we're gonna go landscape all right, very cool hold it there beautiful killing in a little closer or I like that. Look going on there with you. Well, that's beautiful. Ok, right. I'm happy with that. Um back to making money. Rachel you're out for a sec. Just the two of you together. Please. Okay. Heads nice and close together. If you notice things like underwear showing, let them know it's going to be beneficial to them killing you underway showing all right, there we go in over there to anybody in torture. Now we've gotta wait for her to go back to her normal color. All right. Ok, nice and close together. His nice and close together. That's beautiful. Hold it right. Like that. That's. Nice and stunning. Absolutely beautiful. Keep it there. Okay. Kelly, your art final. Thank you so much, rachel. Hearing yeah, to anybody's in towards each other hits nice and close together to new feet so that your feet are facing each other. Right? Lassen clothes beautiful hole that their love it absolutely stunning. There we go. Rachel, put your flowers just down on the floor for a sick don't throw them down there with a lot of money, but your arm was just hanging and I think it would be nice if it came on to maya's waste that's it there we go that's beautiful and there are a lot of people out there going this isn't waiting we can't do this for waiting so then we need one shot maybe where you are smiling so nice and happy ha ha there we go that's it beautiful very very happy with that bridesmaids done well okay bridesmaids done thank you very much bridesmaids you can go groomsmen it's going questions are you ready for a question, sir? Of course. Okay, so we did talk about this very briefly this morning but could you tell us a little bit about what your approach is to the psychology of posing? Okay when we go through the images tomorrow waken talk about a couple of things that I've picked up that with with people's heads facing the wrong way or the right way and how to control that and just to talk people through it without people knowing that you're changing it because it's negative body language and you're changing it too positive body language you don't want people to feel like you know the deep dark secrets that the mom doesn't really like that the other son or you know, you know I mean that the son in law or something like that you don't really want everybody every everybody to know that so you know you do it in a subtle way and I think it's important to ensure that you have positive body language in your posing as much as you can sometimes you can't know if somebody's really really stiff it can be difficult to manage but again you have to remember that they've never looked that good in a photograph great thank you bret okay wonderful ride boys what is a little bit more serious over here? No keeping it to the side sean I need to do you buy yourself please first cause I haven't done any of that two groomsmen who I haven't met yet chris hi chris and anthony hi good to meet you come a little closer to me stop there and exactly as your standing is perfect right hold it like that for me sean can we just go down on the flesh because I think I don't need to be on six point three and rather beyond two point eight yeah, they're crowns too much in focus I want to go down to two point eight okay hold it there and the flash probably needs to be right down it's just have a look to think that that will be too much. Yeah, too much good on no even more let's just have a quick look there all right looking good. Hold it just like that uh even a little bit more down so a little bit more down a little bit less right that's called right here we go looking at me very, very nice hold it there okay and right I need another option so turn your body away from the light and in turn you're facing towards me and this is probably the wrong thing to do because it under there we go that's cool that I'm talking about me not you sean okay there it is nice right very happy mommy is gonna love that okay, boys and you come over here. Okay? Anthony if you continue back to sean just a little bit there you're going to come in a little closer keep it nice there on you're gonna turn your body in towards sean coming a little bit closer in there for me and I need to go up probably too about if five just for five minutes in the similar focal distance away from me showing your hands just hanging down next to you on the side there and keep it nice and serious guys yeah that's looking good hold it there yeah that's pretty cool right looking they're straight at me like that very, very nice and okay anthony here out there please the two of you way can't get too tight but get a little closer together right that's cool good job hold it just like that and three, two one there we go thank you very much and you're out you're in okay, there we go that's brilliant that's it that's fantastic thank you and all right very quickly let's just do one shot of each groomsmen you're out there financer go back down to what we were shown so I can shoot on two point eight please you're going to stand over there turn your body a little bit sideways so you facing that way turn your face towards me we need one serious shot so let's work the blue steel there that's it our stop it there we go you flirting with me now? I can't hear it is nice and happy there go and right ches you're out of here next okay, there we go turn your body a little sideways, okay? And keep it like that. Chin down a little bit for me less unhappy there we go. Okay happy days. Bridal party done! They're all they have to know leave that area because I don't want to be shooting the bride and groom alone with fifteen other people watching them because you're gonna ask the groom to do things that might be a little embarrassing for him in front of his his friends and his friends are gonna, you know, have a little bit of a rag at him and it could be distracting for him so what I like to do is to, um, get rid of the bridal party so we can shoot the branding cream by themselves alone

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Informative, inspiring and impactful. Many photographers claim to share all their info and tips to success but Brett Florens is one of the few who goes all out to help, share and give the best possible advice. His talks are inspiring, honest and to the point. The way he talks just makes sense and his explanations always result in that 'penny dropping moment'! I loved watching this and I really feel like it has made a huge impact on my business. I'll also be visiting http://www.brettflorens.com/resources.htm for his incredible dvd One Wedding. This workshop is wonderful. If you want a to up your game and turn your business around, watch it! Thank you Brett - you are amazing.

a Creativelive Student
 

Because of Brett's course, I can honestly say I'm a better photographer and a better business person. I've already put his knowledge to work! (Thanks for the wide angle overhead shot on the monopod!) Brett is honest (even when he's tricky!) and to the point, and his leadership in this field is very much by example. He works hard - and it's inspiring. His people skills are top notch. His professionalism leaves no doubt as to why he's on top of his game. Like other commenters below, I'm blessed and amazed we can have access to this kind of training. Thank you Brett, and thank you Creative Live!

Gregory Mink
 

It was one of the "Best" wedding photography on CreativeLive. Brett was totally honest with his approach on capturing the whole wedding day. As a photographer, I loved Brett's philosophy on that it's a choice to run your photography/studio as a hotdog stand or a place of fine dinning. Brett has given me the confidence to go out and open a fine dinning studio and change how I photograph. I love what he said with no fear, "I am here to make money" when dealing with his clients. Brett Florens' class is a great investment, if you want to go to the next level. Thank you Brett PS: Gregory is here to make money too, see what you created Brett, ha, ha.

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