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Shoot: The First Dance

Lesson 22 from: High Fashion Wedding Photography

Brett Florens

Shoot: The First Dance

Lesson 22 from: High Fashion Wedding Photography

Brett Florens

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Lesson Info

22. Shoot: The First Dance

Lesson Info

Shoot: The First Dance

Any questions from that you know we want to first on any questions I think we're good up here and we just we're just loving the way you're showing all these just different perspectives of things that you would see in high end magazines so even though we're in a small space, you're bringing that to the table because that's really the difference between what we're trying to show these yeah and sometimes you know when you're at a at a venue you are restricted by space it's not necessarily always going to be incredibly easy to go and shoot it is going to be easier but we can shoot stuff like this and you'll see in my post production we'll do some really cool stuff with that shot there to make it really worked nicely cool awesome. Okay first honestly good let's dance right? So if we could get a ll the congregation everybody that was at the wedding you guys could come over here please and hang out in this area over here the students you guys all know that you were in the congregation but uh ...

you guys are sitting on the bench, you're gonna I'm actually gonna get you guys to shoot a swell a little bit in the moment, okay? If we could just kill a cz many lights as we can obviously we need to make sure that the cameras can still work that's beautiful okay, so if you could just wait I'm gonna shoot from ana shoot from over there that's cool a mom and dad let's get you into the middle and I need you to all emotional and I'm a ghost of a little girl let's break up the black over here you can come in over there please you're dancing okay now sean, if you can put the inside the camera bank there's a little foot that men flutter ah led lighting goes on to and you put that on top of the morning pod keep the gels with you because I'm gonna ask you to change the colors off the gels and we can mix up the color of the backline let's get rid of this now don't worry about that. I'll do this you go do that. Uh oh my gosh. This thing's heavy okay, so what I need to do now is to put my speed light on. Well, I need to do now with the speed light on so if I can grab that from you sean thanks, mate. Thank you so much. Okay. And like I showed you a little early on if on right here on this auto focus illumination on I showed you how to do it a little early on in terms of the menu and this is going to show you how easy it is to focus in the dark all right so I'm just gonna take a picture of mom and dad here just turn your bodies in towards each other nice and close together um and I'm going to shoot this just on aperture party purely to show you purely to show you how easy it is to focus in the dark okay so ordinarily you don't have a competition with you call us but ordinarily ordinarily you'd put left your camera will be like a refined the focus look at this on such a low shot low put you here because it's quite dark so let's go up to ten thousand right and done focused straight away right there we go I know that the white balance is off we're on tungsten there are all sorts of things but it's not about that it's purely about how fast you can focus in the dark you can see that um if I can show you on on dad's jacket you can see there's a little red infrared lights that gets that gets illuminated from the flash straight onto them and bang it's in focus and if you look at my focus focal point I'm not sure if you can zoom in to where it was in focus just go straight into the middle actually focused on this area over here straight in the middle of the shot not where there was any contrast here right in the middle which is not a place that you can normally focus on just to show you anthony if you turn your back to me I'm gonna fill the frame with black and straight away I felt I was in focus and it's just there straightaway in focus no problems in the dark okay, so let's talk about first ons uh huh. What I like to do is to put it onto a continual high burst so that I could get a lot of frames that I can use for when they dancing. Shawn, you're okay? You get the foot and all of that day, uh, put a little bit of a chill on that. You've done that that's cool. All right, my assistant shawn is going to hang out over here. He's he's not gonna bother anybody because everybody is looking at the bride and groom, but he's going to kind of hang out over here and maybe get down a little lower so that he's not in the shot is up with the mon apart he's holding the the led as backlighting as bright as you can, shawn okay, bride and groom in the middle there, please, guys. Uh, kelly, if you can get a little bit closer into sean there that's cool mom and dad as well, showing a little lower with the led even lower might that's cool all right, so I was only on appetite priority they're, you know, showing you the example of focusing in the dark. I don't want to be an effort a priority here now because that backlight, if I was in appetite priority and the light entered into the shot, you'll see you'll see that my exposure will be off. My exposure is pretty cool, but the back light, the backlight is influencing the camera, the cameras like sitting, so if they were close together, go gives to get close together there, okay? And I looked at that, uh, I'm gonna shoot myself in the foot because it's gonna work, but generally, generally you're back light is going to have some sort of influence. Sorry about you sleeping again. Backlight is gonna have some sort of influence in terms of your camera meet matrix metering system. All right, so a little bit closer together, I'm gonna go on to manual because I'm really exposing for the light landing on them. I'm not exposing for the backlight I'm exposing for the light landing on them. The backlight is my special effect, so here we go. I'm probably going to be on air four because I need them to be I need to have a little bit of depth in case she's dancing like that, and I catch your elbow elbows and focus right dancing hold onto each other nicely there ok that's beautiful there we go, shawn a little lower with light even lower body okay that's cool, nice and close together and what I'm gonna do is I'm going to move around okay don't get up a little higher now that's it okay? And because of this because of this I cannot move and also the music's going guys so this good it's not going to have a major effect on uh gosh look mom's face mom's loving it how's that for a first on shot kelly you're also loving it a beautiful backlighting coming through okay, sean bring out the secret weapon going get the telcom party we don't wantto flood this place but just a little bit of talcum powder just to show what we can do with this low budget waiting who didn't have a smoke machine and brett you'll use that we use the the are probably not probably not just showboating at the moment good cool I just wanted to you know I wouldn't like that would be that I would do it I'll do it like later on if I'm doing a night shot or something like that yeah, but I just all right let's get going okay, so let's get you in the background there, okay and sean, if you could go a little yeah that's called okay the congregation get in a bit closer there for me all right that's nice okay remember when I need to shoot landscape as well not only fortune but landscape is well here we go all right right here we go on a little bit of smoke everybody are so beautiful there we go that's cool keep it there okay so I'm not too much not too much we're gonna get in trouble here right that's cool and keep it there keep it there beautiful and right remember okay that's cool all right good job that's enough of that we're gonna get into told okay sorry about that guys can you just sweep up there for a sick okay um but I think you can see that effect okay, I think you guys need to shoot this that's coming shoot this we're gonna shoot you're gonna shoot with my camera hey okay and then she won't bring the others bring the other led and I'll bring in a mix of the color of the light so put the what the the orange tell on the one about that put the orange still on the one and the blue on the other one yeah that's perfect right so call us you're gonna come over here you gonna shoot from it and the cool thing is you need to shoot options full length it's nice and close together they're going to just be done seeing and moving around yeah, ok nice and close what's that they yeah, they just got done all right let's have a look at this now you've got two assistant call us like that okay right nice and close together and then remember call us you don't really want to get me in the shop all right let's go okay don't sing guys this have some romance wait you could have gotten that call us you are my gosh that's beautiful you could have got that because you're gonna be in focus as you press that button you're going to be in focus okay? We're going to gorge yourself right let's go again couple more dancing shots there alright that's beautiful, lovely stuff uh okay all right good job and hand over the camera to the next person any questions from the internet while we're going because I can talk and work at the same time coming out coming out of focus right here. Oh that's beautiful hey, brat school yes, sir. When you're working well and this was just a technical question your your focus points are all over the place I imagine. Yes, this one right now you cannot that's a fantastic question. You cannot use this focusing system on a f c can only use it on a f s that's why I'm shooting in eleven frames a second burst because I'm getting eleven frames and maybe then they are the focus because you cannot shoot with a f c with that infrared illumination coming out you can only shoot that on if is great so what you can do then is shoot shoot shoot because you re focusing all the time then as opposed to holding it down and you're keeping a thumb in and focusing because as soon as they change that focal plane they're gonna be out of focus. Okay, great. Thank you. Okay let's keep going right fire away sorry maybe uh I've got lens hood thing on there might be bothering you which which idea shoot with okay let's just do that for you yeah, I shoot to the different all right mom and dad let's get you over there. Okay, so you gonna pop that that that's a great tulloch's well just to put on the mon apart and so that there are about that you didn't feel like a real photographer that's cool that happened you pick it up you know it's gonna be a good shot, okay, sure you can bring it in a cross so that it's even behind them like that because all then she has to edit out is the pole okay? All she has to get it out is the pole rather than anything out a whole person okay it's nice and close together guys that's it we're trying to keep you going, titus well going titus well because that's a that's a beautiful shot but we need thio assuming you don't have to come in with your body yeah there we go I'm not used to this no no no that's cool here it is okay just in terms of the just way too sick just in terms of the way you holding the camera I know that your camera doesn't have this but put your elbows in how cool is that right let's go all right there it is beautiful very very nice oh yes we have a winner look at that you see that tim hey so it's on me anyone can do this both are rare and I were sitting up here like you want to come and shoot him I let the students were eleven that we're living those lights and we're both saying those were going to be part of our tool kit but you don't have tio thing about it is also you need to remain discreet yes it can all be about all look at the lights you know yeah you're showing us the strategic placement carrying those lights which is what which is an important about class yeah all right uh turn your hand the other way around so you've got a bit more stability at the mote yet bring your hands up naina let go that we're on and then you just bring your hand further back no! No no you're doing good there like that and you move up and on like that they're okay keep your elbows in right happy days all right there you go guys. Nice and close together there beautiful yeah that's cool you're getting that right? Okay that's it that's a nice that's last life coming out onto his jet onto his jacket they're going nice and tight there bring it in super tight into her into themselves zoom in it's gorgeous look out here that is and how easy that is you know and it's so much better than direct flash for the first dance I mean it's so much better. All right, we good that's perfect hand over it somebody else should and I know that you've got that pole in the shot there but you khun take that pull out pretty easily it's not difficult, right? Let's dance. Any other questions, jim? Yeah, and this is just something for reiterating. Do you ever use any off camera flash somewhere during their first dance somewhere like mounted up with you and use your your pocket wizard toe too? Yes, yes for guests dancing? Yeah, it's just okay, you guys keep dancing out. I will talk for guests dancing that's when I'll have that isthe seed twenty nine extension cord and I'll take the camera the flash off the camera and I'm shooting it hand held I've got the flashing my one hand and my assistant has the flash on the monitor pod in the background for backlighting so yes at the during the dancing I used flash it's never on the camera it's always off the camera with the tl extension cord that's beautiful great thank you but I cannot follow up to that yes of course do you ever use second curtain yeah way area ria curtain the concern I do but that's just really slowing the shutter down yeah, I don't I make sure that it fires first so that I know when when I shoot it that's when I'm gonna get the frozen emotion you don't want to fire at the end ofthe the shot because then I could have stuff that was going on in the image before I know exactly where the flesh was gonna find so I could have compositional issues there oh my gosh I wish I'd shot that that is stunning absolutely beautiful well done good job are you all done there you know done why don't you just come thank you so much to the congregation why don't you come out for a second? Um let's take another night thank you guys so let's take that off there and we're gonna put it on to single shot okay and uh it's just a couple of shots of sean there by myself so you can go hang out over there for a second okay right come a little closer to me not going to go wait you're gonna go portrait so turn the camera this way round for me that's ok we're good in this hand is going to come over to this side that's okay and which line do you shoot with which I do you shoot with that their life one all right there we go yeah that's cool right sean you're going to bring in the light coming in from behind over here you need to make sure that you focused on his eyes his eyes in focus let's have a look at this see what goes on here hold on wait my mistake you're in manual for the first dance so he's gonna be over exposed his face is gonna be over exposed okay, so we need thio probably got up on the shutter speed keep it down on two point eight it's got up on the shutter speed all right, let's see what that looks like? Okay, go closer in the shawn can you just wait one second phone put another another piece of tail around that I wanted to be more blue it should. It was after jonas seventy one that looks like chin up a little bit of a look nice turn a little bit more sideways for me here we go right and then sean, you hold that blue gel in front oh, yes, yeah talk to him. He needs to know needs reassurance he's a he's a insecure kind of guy who needs to know? I don't think so. All right, you're getting excited. They handed over right there we go. I think I need to make it a little bit more contrast ng so let's go from the side there right there. You know showing you coming on the way we go that's cool, right? They got solid good take your hand to the side, their collars that's it. There we go where we are no it's exactly what it feels like it's meant to be look down, go in closer call us, you need to zoom in a little bit more. I had dinner with callers last night, so I got to know him a little bit. So he's not going to be upset when I tell you this. As with a lot of photographers, some people have a little bit of confidence issues. I can tell from the way people shoot if they zoom, aren't they leave a lot of space around the place there? They're not as confident as they should be. You can see with my shots on there and I know what I want can you see how much more confidence you gain? If you look atyour images, you'll see two shots back that light was in the shot you didn't need that but your thinking just take the shot everybody's looking me these thirty thousand people watching line just take the shot thirty thousand half a million right so let's go go in nice and tight think about you're framing your hand your other hand needs to go down to the sign there we go that's cool looking smart look at the confidence shining through you too much space above his head you cut his fingers off a little bit too much space above his head zoom in for for only his face now zooming only for his face love your work call us next that's a very nice little too tight at the top how are you still thinking in terms of yeah of course you need a couple of options it's nice with the title then that's very cool asian thank you but if you give young photographers one piece of advice for shooting a winning what would it be? Stay calm, stay calm and don't ever show anybody that you're in distress. It's really important teo give the illusion that you're in control of everything even when things are not going so even when things are not going right yeah, I know that things are going right now don't tell anyone that things aren't going right case in point right it's working you need to you need to put that focal point where you where you wanted to be in focus so you got a focal point I move around with my thumb all the time you turned aside just a little bit that's okay don't panic don't there you go and your hand needs to go to the side now this top hand needs to get there we go ah yes there we go right hand over next person what's the tilt too many tilting their little bit to sideways okay it's all right don't worry we're getting there listen here and then when you clip it use this one doesn't have a meal another one to cover it yeah okay too much on this side and whatever another color now hold on hold on hold on don't get too excited now okay let's just see what this is gonna look like just hold on a sec let's just check out what's gonna happen there not too much maybe I've turned to power down I'm not a very good assistant ten thousand ten ok make sure that you're that light isn't in the shot that lighting there's working beautifully uh great assistance well done guys okay going nice and close with a portrait shot you've got the landscape shot going with a portrait shot now oh right two more and then hand over how many more people need to shoot just one way individually. Okay. All right. Good job. Okay. That's pretty much it for me, in terms of in terms of, uh, what we've done this afternoon. So if we have any questions, that would be great. Otherwise, uh, yeah, right on first, all I want to let the students no great job on shooting it's. One thing to be here on creative life for the first time and be on camera and put yourself out there. But to actually really get on the floor and shoot with the instructor is something also really great job. You guys all right. So one question for we wrap up for the day and this is from kobe. One, two, three, four, five and this is from a little while ago. How did you get your first high end wedding? Sincerely, I doubled my price. Um, I had I had bean quoting for jobs that were out of town, and it got to a point way. What I would do is because it's out of town, I would merely add on the travel. And I was traveling to a more affluent area to a more affluent city. And I was making the same amount of money as if I was shooting a waiting at home, so to make it with my wile, if I'm gonna fly to a different city to go and shoot the way it's going to take two days out of my life in the beginning, it's such an ego boost, like, oh, my gosh, somebody's flying me some way and that's enough to compensate for the lack of finance that you're actually making. But after two or three times you think, well, I'd rather be shooting at home and be at home in bed by midnight or one o'clock, and I just thought, well, I'm just going, you know, I've doubled my price. And I got my first gig like that. And then they're not realized. And I realized that I'm capable of doing this work it's so much about confidence in our country. It's, right? That enough that there are so many very, very competent hot dog makers at the mine they producing the most the most gorgeous gourmet hot dogs they need to get out of the hot dog market and open up a fine dining restaurant and start making some real money.

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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