HTCG in 10
Lesson 18 from: The Wedding Story: Capture Creative and Authentic PhotosDavina and Daniel Kudish
HTCG in 10
Lesson 18 from: The Wedding Story: Capture Creative and Authentic PhotosDavina and Daniel Kudish
Lessons
Class Introduction
03:25 2What Are "Epic" Images?
16:50 3The Slideshow Formula
11:04 4First Client Meeting
08:19 5Establish Client Relationship
20:35 6Expectation vs Preparation
10:39 7Pre-Wedding Checklist
06:55 8Gear for Photographing Weddings
07:16Capture The Subtleties
03:32 10Show The Connection
04:07 11Importance of Capturing Transitions
25:17 12Sidelines & Story Telling Details
23:42 13Anticipation & Patience
09:26 14Let The Scene Develop
21:10 15Sequencing in Numbers
08:53 16Successful "Anticipatience"
19:52 17Examples of Poor Reaction Time
08:57 18HTCG in 10
06:41 19Giving Direction
15:33 20Have Variety With Light & Composition
10:24 21Capture The Mood
07:37 22Take Advantage of Natural Light
05:43 23Be Creative With Video Light
06:47 24On-camera Flash For The Dance Floor
05:32 25Find Flattering Ambient Light
04:09 26Don't be Afraid of Tough Light
04:32 27Composition & Framing
12:07 28Lens Choice
06:11 29Keep it Simple
18:13 30Purpose of the Creative Portrait
29:07 31Scouting for the Creative Portrait
17:06 32Maximize a Location
05:48 33Unique Posing for a Creative Portrait
12:04 34Experiment with Your Photography
12:42 35Make The Image Personal
11:19 36Post Production Overview
05:04 37Stay Organized in Post Production
04:42 38Full Gallery Edits
05:25 39Lightroom Workflow Overview
06:48 40Bring Out Detail in Lightroom
10:55 41Black & White in Lightroom
10:51 42Landscape Images in Lightroom
06:32 43Bold Images in Lightroom
05:18 44Slideshow Edits
07:26 45Importance of The Slideshow
08:18 46Selecting Slideshow Images For a Large Wedding
22:13 47Culling Slideshow Images for a Large Wedding
20:22 48Complete Slideshow Example for a Large Wedding
07:22 49Slideshow Images for a Small Wedding
15:24 50Complete Slideshow Example for a Small Wedding
09:49 51Build a Business Around Storytelling
08:10 52Portfolio for Clients
15:04 53Importance of The Inquiry Reply
11:35 54Price List Best Practices
21:04 55How to Price Your Work
12:10 56Final Thoughts
05:05Lesson Info
HTCG in 10
So along the same lines of mental state is How To Cover Guests in 10 minutes. I thought it sounded really snappy like that. (laughter) HTCG in 10. And what that is is basically fulfilling a responsibility well, but also as rapidly as possible, so that we can get back to documenting and working on our moments, and working on our photos to create the best images possible. So.. In our, sorry, In our segment on creative portraits, you'll see how we apply that same idea to portraits. How we get like safe stuff out of the way in a really organized way, and then it allows us to just focus on, you know, storytelling. So this is a sped-up version of all the photos we took at the beginning of the dinner. This is from one of our cameras. But we both did this. They had three very long tables. They had maybe about 80 guests. So, still a considerable number. But we took ten minutes just to go around while nothing is happening, and get candid photos of all of the guests. So this is what it lo...
oks like. (purring sound) It's a really fun sport. You're like, "Alright let's do this!" "Get in there!" bambambambambam Very simple, just like long-lens candid photos, so that all of the guests are represented as much as possible. I actually find it to be a really fun challenge to give myself. I try to picture, like, would this guest want this as their Facebook profile picture? So, it allows me to, like, not just knock it out and just get a mediocre picture, but actually, it'll try to get, like, a good moment where they actually look nice and that guest might actually really like that photo of themselves. I really--we never promise our couples that we will cover all of their guests, but it's always a mission that we give ourselves. We always try, like even in huge weddings, we will cover as many guests as possible. And a really great time to do that is here. Yeah. So, someone mentioned before cocktail hour, how, you know, should you be at cocktail hour if your couple is doing something else? I don't really too much pressure on myself for cocktail hour, because I find it an awkward time to photograph guests, often. It's like, almost too new, you know, they're still feeling things out, they're not warmed up yet. Whereas at the reception, they're more relaxed. The couple might be going around and talking with them. I'd rather get them in the context of, you know, that more relaxed atmosphere. Although, when they're eating, that's not great, either. So, not while they're eating. (laughs) So all of these photos, you know, to cover 80 guests, took us 10 minutes. We just committed ourselves to it. It's done. Now this whole pressure of needing to cover all of the people at the wedding dissipates, and we're free to go in and just document the good moments between the bride and groom. Still showing a lot of the other people as well. Like, we want those people to be present. Ah, thank you. Such good service around here. I highly recommend this place. (laughter) Yeah, just, you know work on these kinds of photos, which require a little bit more time and a little bit more patience, and a little bit more dedication. This'll be extra grainy. Yeah. It's only ISO 16,000. And then, you know, during toasts, again, focus on storytelling, details. Having that mental space to work on this kind of photo is so liberating, and we have that capacity because we covered all of the guests. So we don't need to think about fulfilling our responsibility. Because we did that already. I take a lot of pride in the fact that we never hear that anything is missing. Like, brides are never like, "Oh, do you have more pictures? Do you have a picture of this person?" Or, "Did you photograph this, and did you photograph that?" Because I'm very aware of my obligations, and I knock them out, and then, I get to focus on everything else. So, if anything, if the expectations are met, then everything else is so exciting and so much more fun, right? Yeah. So again, just waiting for the peak of the moment. The whole aspect of needing to cover other things is not messing with our head. It gives us that inner patience to really stick to our moments, stick to our shots. More storytelling details. You know, spending a minute documenting the hands connecting. That requires mental dedication. And, the only way to get that is by getting some of the other stuff out of the way. That brings us back to our formula. Which is all the way at the bottom. So, other guests and responsibility. It's not part of our slideshow formula, but it is part of our shooting formula. And it's such an important part to allow us to do all of these other things with a very clear conscience. Just a question: how do you decide who of you does go with the bride or go with the groom for getting ready when that comes about? We used to really switch back and forth and call dibs on stuff. And I think now it's more, we're more set in our ways. Because we know what our strengths are, I think. You know, I think that's what's important, is like, not just switching back and forth for the sake of it. But, you know, look. You're good at this, so embrace it, and go with it. And you're good at this, so embrace it, and go with it. So, I think that's really more what it is, right? I think so, yeah. So, Davina will usually photograph the bride. Oftentimes I'll start with her. I'll stay there 30, 45 minutes, maybe an hour. Then leave for about 45 minutes. Get the groom getting ready. Make sure that he knows at what time I'm coming. So that, he doesn't start getting ready without me there. And then, try to time it also with the bride putting on her dress, so that we're both there for that. So I come back, so. Yeah, Davina stays with the bride, I usually photograph the groom. But, sometimes we'll switch, on purpose or by accident. Yeah. We did recently accidentally switch. Yeah. We got our addresses mixed up. It was our first local wedding in years. And we're like yeah, slept at our house, you know, that never happens. And, I showed up at the groom's. I'm like, "what are you doing here?" He's like, "what are you doing here? This is my house." I was like whoops, call Daniel: "By the way, you're doing the bride today, bye." It was fun, though. I liked it. It was a nice change of pace. And on this notion of sort of the safe shots versus the creativity, if you're a photographer who's not shooting with a second shooter, how would you frame that up mentally, in terms of how to go about getting the combination of both? I think similarly, making a time and place for those shots. I would make sure that if, when I'm going to do details, the bride's not doing anything important. So definitely communicating that, or working with the timeline, working with the planner, just to make sure that that's time that I can take away from being with the bride. Or, at the reception, when the bride and groom are just sitting around. Then go around and cover the guests, just keeping an eye on what the bride and groom are doing. But the same mental aspect of getting stuff out of the way I think, but in a, at the right times.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
a Creativelive Student
Holy Moly! I have been very familiar with Davina & Daniel for several years and I also work closely with Image Salon for the past 3 years. I loved their relatability, raw honesty, human connection, and their teaching method. It was also super helpful to see the GoPro footage on a real wedding day and walk through their thought process with them. A refreshing wind of inspiration has now flooded my mind and attitude. I am excited to begin my 8th year of weddings with a clear mind and full heart. These two are the REAL deal and I am so happy I made this investment. Thanks, CL for always bringing the BEST of the BEST.
a Creativelive Student
I’ve been following Davina and Daniel’s work for years and suffice it to say, they are in my top 6 all time favorites. I was so excited to watch this creative live and it didn’t disappoint. From their approach to shooting through the moments, to their stunning locales and minimalist gear, there is something for everyone in this class. Both Daniel and Davina have a tremendous knowledge of photography and their willingness to share and educate is second to none. Oh, and just so you know, they are also the nicest people on the planet. Super sweet, amazingly talented. Thanks for having them on.
a Creativelive Student
Davina and Daniel are fantastic presenters as well as an exceptional photo team (plus they are super nice people, too!). I love their approach and methods and felt like there is so much value in this course. Even though I've been photographing for a long time, I took away a lot of great value gems from their course and look forward to applying several to my own business!
Student Work
Related Classes
Wedding Photography