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Bride and Groom Flow Posing

Lesson 17 from: The Wedding Project

Doug Gordon

Bride and Groom Flow Posing

Lesson 17 from: The Wedding Project

Doug Gordon

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Lesson Info

17. Bride and Groom Flow Posing

Lesson Info

Bride and Groom Flow Posing

Today is an exciting day for me because if you've seen me before what I most known for its flow opposing that's where people know me for so you've waited two days for and that's what we're going to cover today, we're going to show you so many poses of the bride and groom more than you could ever possibly imagine how to do it quickly, how to do it efficiently and more importantly, how to do it in the best way possible while creating a love story and after we think we've gotten every pose imaginable, we're going to move on to even more exciting stuff when we get to the sexy, fashionable side and get more creative with what we're doing today more than ever. What I'm about to teach you is more important than you could ever imagine. If you look in the last week, the photo industry has changed dramatically again. We had a ceo come out and say the photographers aren't needed, and yesterday a newspaper fired their entire staff off photographers when the biggest newspapers in the country fired ...

their entire staff, saying, we don't need you anymore, this planning of people with cameras who will take it will cost us less so what I'm about to teach right now this minute this second. Is the most invaluable thing you're ever going to learn if you want to differentiate yourself? If you want to make yourself countess a photographer, you need to know one thing on one thing that's going to carry you through, you need to know how to create you need to know howto pose you want to do something different than everybody else know how to pose. I cannot stress it enough because now all these people are taking our job, doesn't matter, will overpaid were not needed. We press a button, you could do it on your phone, you could do it on your ipad, you can do it on your camera that you buy at costco, you could do it anywhere, they don't need us. So what do we need to do? We need to do something different right now this minute this second, and it starts with posing with I'm about to show you is something that has evolved over time. I'm going to take you through a whole realm of taking two people just standing there side by side and create more images than you've ever seen created in your life in the shortest possible time on a wedding, the segment that I'm about to teach you over the next hour and a half will take me probably I could do that, seventy four opposes and under about five minutes the rest of it I could do in another ten, and the only reason it takes longer is we're moving around location. It starts with a plan. So if your home, if you're here and you're asking, I don't know your weddings look alike because you asked me in the beginning of the week. Yes, they do look alike. That's a good thing. They differ based on people. They different based on shapes. They different based on locations they give for based on lighting. So let's, get going. You guys going to come over here? I need my bride and groom right here on let's. Start working because he has something. Why don't you guys come over here this way? You can get a better view of what's going on. So you're not behind the bride and groom. Let's bring you right over here because I want you to see what we do and you can come back by camera here. Now, here's the situation I am skirting on the edge of light. This will have to change very, very shortly. Because that light is about the peek out from behind that building. The first three images are the only images that I need the might hear. And they're the only images that I'm going to use a flash for their traditional boring full length images on with these full liked images, I want to capture some of the background, the rest of them we're going to start to move into a close up series now some people ask me all the time, why don't you take more traditional images? Because anybody could take a picture of the bride and groom standing there looking at the camera, not anybody could create that softness on the romance between them. So some of the things at home that have been asked that I see in the chat rooms or are they a real couple? Yes, they are are they models? They look like models, I think their models even you good? Yes, they know what they're doing, but they don't know what I'm going to make them do. So the idea is I have to get the body in a position and move them into what we need to do so let's, bring the two of them in here. We're going to take our bride we know all week and sorry, your feet must be freezing for this image on putting the dress behind the bright, most photographers do this and in just about every occasion, especially with a big gown it's going to make a back side look bigger. I'm gonna kick the feet under when I do a family group. There's nothing good about this. It makes her look wider by bringing it to the back. I'm going to set it up so that it is a nice true flow, huh? Body is in a three quarter position to the camera. I'm setting him up in a bait and again, I want to follow all my basic rules that we learned. I want his lips at the level of her ice. I want to create a b between them. So she's talking a back shoulder she's turning her head to may now, normally, I'd have her would've. Okay, here we don't have that no big deal and now we're turning her head and we're leaning their bodies together so we're talking the back shoulder. We're rolling the front shoulder. We're relaxing and pulling out and the bail becomes a cover. This bail covers the arm. I am going to turn this into seventy poses quickly and efficiently. So guiding becomes crucial turning your head and now, of course leaning forward. Now some of the things that I see in the chapel is he's so rough with them what you don't realise is I'm going in with open hands, this is very important, I'm barely touching them. And if I am going to pull, I'm going to let her know I'm just gonna bring you forward and come to me look where I'm grabbing the shoulders I'm not clamping I'm touching on again some people are sensitive touch you don't want to touch great that's fine, but to do this quick and officially I feel the need to touch I feel it's one of the most important things its a little gentle pushes okay come forward chin up matt come to make a little bit well meaning here she's tilted to the high shoulder facing the direction of the light right here the important part on this full length is I don't want to start to get the white in or the street or anything like it so let's look a lighting position right now I'm lighting directly into the face through the body because I want to pick up some background I'm going to make sure that I'm able to expose for the back and I want to go crazy it's on ly three images that I'm going to use the flash for because of camera height that's going to make a world of difference of what am I talking about? If this here was a plus size couple, would I bring my camera height? Yeah, I don't think so it bring it up for an average size couple or even small a couple like they are I could bring it to waist level, but I like working higher. I don't want to bend over look at me do I look like I'm bending down that much? Ok, there's no absolute whatsoever so you're looking at may turn your head to the right, rachel leaning and close good turn you had what about beautiful till the top you had just like that, we're locking and I'm going to make sure I'm all set to go on my tether well, excellent looking right here you are doing terrific eyes appear looking where the eyes are way above the land smiling rachel, nice and happy teeth faking it a little bit more, matty good just like that. Excellent first image flash fires I have I'm looking to fill them and making sure I got good exposure. I have just enough on the background. I see you know what? I could pull it down a tad more. So what I'm going to do with this point, I believe I'm a two hundredth of a second, so I'm going to do is kick it up. I'm a two fifty eight f eight I'm just going to kick up my stop and I'm going to go right in here so let's, take a look, all right? I'm going to go to fifty eight f nine looking at me guys eyes up here smiling nice and happy turning head to you right h happy and hope a little bit more little bit more smiling beautiful happy teeth excellent. Keep those eyes open, matt one more just like that smiling teeth. Excellent there's image one watch how easy the next image comes into play you're looking at each other. Guys, look up his forehead, turn your head smiling, looking at him beautiful happy teeth third one give a kiss, just pressure lips together close your eyes and we got it. So now at this point, I have the flash as what? My main light I'm done. I don't need it anymore. I want to soften it up completely. I'm eliminating the light, I'm turning it off, so now I have two choices to make. I could either go to what, two lights, what light sources will make this work now torchlight or a reflector or reflector. So what I'm gonna do right now is I'm going to use the reflector. The only reason I'm using the reflector at this point is because I don't want everybody to think the only thing I'm trying to do, we sell the torch light, ok, now I'm looking he has to think they don't need to be here anymore, so rather than have to move them ten times based on lighting, I'm gonna pull them forward now to me they're going to come forward and I'm looking to get them in morva shaded area. Hide it behind the building right over here. Come over a little bit because I know that these air close ups at this point can I borrow one of you? Would you like to be my helper? So let's, take a look. The first one is the fourth damage it's not boring. Traditional image leaning forward again up tall and now look at the difference in their face. Why don't you guys come around back here so you could see and take a look but let's, look she's on this side here by going on this side here and reflecting light from the wrong side. So I'm bouncing in. So the idea is I want to come around here because if I do that where's the light going now through the dress into the body. So you're going to come right here. Beautiful just like that. Excellent. Thank you very much. So normally, like I said, I like toe work by myself, so if I'm working by myself, what I'm going to do is have that honest stand turn your head to your right, beautiful, lean your body and close matt lean forward with their I could work on program aperture priority whatever I wanted this point so what I'm going to do is go appetite priority and I'm going to go down to f for some four hundred or for you looking here guys chin down beautiful turning head to your right rich good about smiling they're nice and happy maddie faking a teeth excellent don't move there's our fourth pose now watch how we start to build we're going to bring her hand here the hugging post noticed the veil covering don't bring his hand on top it becomes noticeable and look at him he's got man hands he works hard so we're bringing in cover the arm because nobody wants to see the arm bringing here leaning forward look at my touch and my touching them or my bailey right in there looking here now we starting to tilt her down a little bit and the reason is tilting her down as I want to start to angle it backto open the body up make sure she's open now they're leaning forward and for the first time in the sequence I'm gonna add the element of camera till and that's why I love the bracket because I could just lock myself in right in here I have the spot I know where I am leaning forward to me guys just like that lean forward heads together matty smiling teeth nice and happy eyes up here excellent don't move look at how we see the next pose comes bring your nose to his cheek beautiful just like that staying in their tilt your head in a little bit and you get in right there now lean forward with tilting to me do I care that the backgrounds blowing out no because if I hit them with flash I'm going to get so much detail it's going to require more work and photoshopped matt you're going to smile you're serious rachel rachel roll out your right shoulder and stretch it into him matt turn you had a little bit matching down not your smiling nice and happy teeth eyes up here excellent don't move now look at each other rachel bring your eyes up to his forehead smiling teeth look in their perfect profile now rachel turn your head back to may matt knows to a cheek leaning forward turn your head rates still the top you had to him rachel glad turn your head to the right to the light do you see those subtle adjustments so subtle so quick so easy looking to write it may you're smiling beautiful map bring your hand up on a bicep more excellent looking here lean forward chin down rachel eyes appear rachel smiling excellent no I don't like it I got it before the smile happy excellent don't move now from here look at what we do not turn your head to make lean your head toe her turn your head to the right lean forward dropped the right shoulder now I'm going off center it looking right out here in my hand you're smiling guys happy teaching up rachel little bit haman reach my not that much could have been happy excellent keep those eyes there now look at what we do we're going to make off first change we're going to take mats right hand we're going to bring it around her shoulder we're going to take a left him with the ring bring it from the back we're going to open her arm up. The only reason her hand goes is a base here is to roll out the shoulder look aware hand went but I want to see it so right here turning it on this side remember the thumb in fended finger here covering up the hands with the veil she's going to turn and lean her body into him and now look down at her hand mattis going to lean in and look at the subtle adjustment look at matt right there we don't want to work and liquefy we just want to go like that do you see a lightly and touching on my barely have to touch him at this point to tournament on stretch looking down forward I got good light you're gonna light him up again excellent mean forward to may matt till the top of your head tahar on we're going to tilt a little bit more matt and turn your head to or I'm walking in just a little bit I'm at full zoom turn your head to your right beautiful just like that perfect don't move look at the beautiful light reflecting up eyes appear beautiful chin up a tad smiling at my hand turn your head to your right wonderful I couldnt x for bad a smiling gorgeous don't move now watch the adjustment we make the hand starts on the shoulder look at where his hand goes he's going to take her hand he's going to pull it in just like this and he's going to bring his lips to her hand not my hand what the hell is wrong with you you were afraid you like I know you better worry girl okay didn't kiss my hand I wish you did okay he didn't kiss my hand but the fact is it's a joke that works ok so you keep using its stretch look at what he's doing to his chin stretch on now eyes down veil in here just to cover it up a little bit and showing decided the hand bring it up stretch just touch if you ask someone to kiss to him what do they do? They go away okay you don't want that you just want to touch eyes down take that hand off her shoulder and now lean forward just a little bit lean forward roll out the shoulder rachel lean forward just to tide and your eyes down beautiful no smile rate serious matt turn you had to wear a little bit and bring a hand up good now watch this change was setting these up and thinking squares but now I'm going to go completely horizontal on I'm going to crop into what I think will be a panoramic print rachel turn your head tio turn till the top your head to him and just relax and he and don't overdo it and turn your head to a rachel you're going to look at me turn your head to the right a little bit eyes here so we're focusing here look at my crop through his thumb smiling beautiful nice and happy excellent don't move what I'm going to do is I want to switch give one of you a chance the holder reflected because I think you see it much better to someone want to come in so look the hand started on the shoulder that it moved to hear the next place it goes is right here look at where his hand went he's already been trained of doing it so many times I gotta cover on he doesn't know why he needs to cover her arm if he's a groom he just does it now here's the thing the hand doesn't really need to be here for the next two poses but it'll go to the third one because I'm cropping it out so way chose going behind him matt come a step forward and he is going to lean slightly in front of her coming front eyes here shin down matt right in there and lean your head behind him behind him a little bit not showing up and look look at me beautiful so matt is now right in front of her by a full head so basically if I would have focused on matt what would happen to heart soften up if I focus on her what happens to matt? He becomes an out of focus foreground so we're going to get in there rachel till the top of your head too now look at me matt lean forward just a little bit nope turn your head to her turn your head to harm at on come in front of her in front in front good rachel looking at me beautiful matt looked down hide behind him a little bit more rich smiling rachel happy teeth good excellent there's the first one we're locked in we're on her now look down beautiful just like that serious chin down turn your head to him a little bit beautiful look at me look down beautiful just like that perfect there's our image so the first one she's looking at may we've got beautiful catch tonight from the reflector second one right in there now from here I'm looking at it and saying you know what I think I'm a tad under over exposed so I want to make my adjustment back in front again we need to close and the reason I'm over exposed because I missed my market behind him much good turn your head to the right a chick look down beautiful matt I see a chin up rachel a little bit eyes down lean forward good we hide behind him a touch good just like that now they lean away looking at each other now we your bodies to me like the adjustment turn your head you're doing terrific turn it to him beautiful mohr mohr mohr look at his forehead on your smiling nice and happy excellent now matt is going to go in and press his lips to her forehead just press stretching out beautiful leaning forward to me both of you in the bodies just like that and there's our image look nice and tight all of them with the camera tilted towards him by tilting the camera towards him what's happening is it's angling up it's angling all the way up and keeping it nice and simple from here now what we're going to dio is turned the body a little bit we're going to kick how that leg in between his legs hand here she is now going to push the pelvis in so the lower part of the body is what matters pelvis and had back you like it when I do it money just like oh thank you very much excellent everybody's curious good just like that head back beautiful we pull her hair back the veil is going to stay in we cover the arm head back all the way and lean a little bit so I'm going to help them push back to know which good your neck and back are ok right good close your eyes right there now I'm going to go it down now if a bride does say to me like she just did I don't know if I'm gonna like this do I sit in oh let's not do it plough throw good lean your bodies to may can we step out our reflector goto her neck close your eyes beautiful just like that perfect stay there good can you pretend you're doing a good job at good just like that it's day they're good now turn your head to me rachel turn a little more and lean your body to may looking up straight goto a neck matt work the magic rachel you smiling dreaming wishing it was me doing it to you happy having good excellent now rachel I want you to bring your lips to his forehead just bring him in and just pressed them look att match chin stretch chichen press just press closing the eyes looking out tight we are on we're tilting towards him which will naturally raise him up keeping it simple beautiful overhead lighting do I worry about the tilted horizon? No, the finished crop will be in right on their heads here you have any idea how many poses we've done already already over twenty poses and did they ever move? Not bad, right? So we're gonna shorten her down now, but the first time I want to dramatically shorter so not that short down on his chest a little bit we're going to turn her head out he's going to hug her because he is the thing I don't need to see him. The less I see of him the better turn your head look at him. We don't want to see him chin down a little bit stretched the chin ice down, roll out the shoulder beautiful on look at my crop turning your head looking down I'm going to change my angle turn your head to me a little bit beautiful vice down now close them out up just a tad perfect and look at my crop don't move so the first one we're cutting him off I know this is going to be a five by ten sequence your eyes up to me a little bit rachel good chin up a little bit now get in a little bit closer with the reflector and reflect up just to tide rachel looking here smiling beautiful nice and happy eyes up excellent don't move so look it out different first one vertical he's completely cut out next one horizontal off to the side stand up straight hands around the head cheeks together looking at me the green forward we're going to go extremely tight this is one of the reasons I don't like flash during this so right in here I'm going to be tight right and he had tilt your head to her a little bit because I'm so tight I want to make sure that their faces are on the same plane so reflecting and right there lean forward to me a little bit matt chin down just a tad looking right here matt turn your head to me handsome and look at how tight we are finished crop is going to be of just their faces serious don't know smile goods smiling with your eyes turn your head a little bit matt good excellent don't move now watch how easy the next pot's comes together turn your head put your nose on his cheek beautiful the key is to make sure there's no separation you see that separation it's a disconnect down a little bit oh don't work it to heart and lean forward cropping is two k so for this one I'm going to finish a crop cut him in half down the bridge of the nose remember you're going to see all of these bless you in the eye did a u turn you had beautiful matt turn your head to me a little bit lean your forehead against him gorgeous good stay right there and now on the finished image you're seeing her ear and everything else I will crop all of that out on this image now look at each other knows is touching but not pushing just touch no push now from here we're going and we're fixing avail we're going to reflect up eyes up to his forehead beautiful smiling nice and happy tilting now she turns her head back to me maur all the way tilt your head chin down turn your head to your right matt close your eyes you're in tight now good just like that look at me beautiful serious good now look down gorgeous stay there and look at the crop change look at me actually look down chin down a little bit lean forward so now I changed my tilt to get part of the next tie now matt, look at me. Watch the adjustment we make mattis going toe green forward now rachel, turn your head to your right on lean and close to him look at me, rachel, but turn your head to the light matt tilt your head too hard now lean forward matt turn your head to your left he's about a foot in front of her so by putting them in front I'm going to focus on him on what's going to happen to harsh she's going to completely soften up looking at me beautiful just like that stay there and in my finished image you're going to see her soft smiling rachel happy now matt looked down chin down matt turn your head to your left eyes down to the ground and now I changed my focal point smiling beautiful we have all these images on we never once moved them let's change up our reflect the holder bring someone in now but a first time I'm going to change the body I'm going to turn the back to here so let's take look we all know this it's that traditional boring prom pose with the boring prom pose what happens nobody likes it they don't even look like they're attached they've been doing it since god knows when so what we're going to dio is how could I make this exciting it's all in the crop coming close you were going to tilt your head away from him a little bit and you were going to lean in close now shut up turn your heads a little bit we have to make one adjustment what is the one adjustment do you know where is their bodies that way so where is the light need to reflect from that way so we're right in here now so you're going to come to the other side and reflect from this side here now notice they're sitting back on the heels I'm going to bring the veil and cover them up because too much skin is never good lean forward looking at may traditional post how can I make it more interesting? I'm going to create three out of it looking at me you doing great? I'm going to crop matt and half turn your head to you left matt just like that mean forward a little bit rachel a little bit more matt look at may matt you're serious rachel eyes up smiling chin down a little bit beautiful turn your head to your left to tot smiling gorgeous nice and happy accident now rachel look down at your left shoulder open it up to him not turn your head to our mohr mohr stretched to her chin down put your nose on a cheek now here's the key watch the body position change when they lean forward lean forward more more, more you're almost leaning down more turn your head to him slightly rachel just like that look in there perfect now eyes up rachel looking out teal that groups I got a little excited and I need to get a little bit more reflective light and just like that excellent and look out over here to the side matt, come on, make a smile work your magic rachel pretend he's doing good. Come on. All matters excellent. You look but a candid moment I think she closed her eyes let's take a look off to the side. Eyes are coming out to the side a little bit and we should have a little bit of expression there. Okay? We have nothing good self from there. Let's change it up just a little bit. I looked at the wrong time. All right, so now remember, we talked about post photojournalism kind of the oxymoron here it comes at its best right now I want to set up the first stance because if you've ever tried to set up the first stance during a reception, what happens? You go up them guys get together cheeks together, cheeks together most times the rooms to dock, you can't focus because the rooms to dock. Then all of a sudden you are and focus and you have that videographer come behind it, amos invited you. Then when you're he's gone, you get in focus again. You got some uncle in the background doing one of these and then you fine, we take the image with you're on camera flash and you over expose them by like thirty to forty stops it doesn't work, how can you make it easier? Watch you can fake it right here with perfect lighting because I'm gonna crop real tight and then on top of the tight cropping I'm going to change to that auto white balance correcting action I talked about called black and white now here's the thing I'm not going to shoot their natural first stance yes but I'm gonna pluck these in just like the bride walking down the aisle to be part of the story so hands together bring your heads together and I want you to lean forward I'm now going to focus on the hands just like that so the first focal point is going to be on the hands so let's take a look back shoulders together so by bringing the breads together perfect so first image let me talk to you about what my focus is so my focal point is going to be right here on the hand so we're focusing on the hand on when the hand is in focus naturally everything else behind it's going to go what soft so that we don't lose any images why don't we take some questions all right great doug great it's amazing for me to watch how many poses your flow posing I mean this is incredible to watch right how many poses and and I know that I would need to watch that over I know her no you gotta watch it over and over and over again because it's subtle move just like from this pose here yeah they're doing on the next one is going here and changing to the face and little subtle movements you're talking a matter of inches and a matter of addressing the light right that's it and to do it over don't listen even if you set now and you're doing it and you have you don't do all seventy poses I want you to think about how many images not even poses images of a bride and groom alone you take on an average wedding how many do you take? I guarantee you it's probably less than thirty to forty I'm going to do one hundred puss over the next hour because although I said yesterday it's all about the family pitches who is the one who who is it really about it's the love story I'm not shooting for this wedding I'm shooting for the next one because that's what they're going to want to share with people shoot okay so so the question on I saw this yesterday as well when we're outside could you explain exactly what you mean when you say lighting through the body lighting through the body is the same thing we met when we're inside? I'm looking for the direction off light so in other words lighting through the body quite simply is heads together guys looking right here so the heads here if I go like this I'm knighting where into the body so if I blessed him with right this is all going over expose so lighting through the body means bringing it on this side to her body but opening her body to the light on turning her face to the light step out one second matt ah woman and a feminine pose is going to be like this head to the high shoulder isn't she if you tilt her had this way till to me a little bit turn that way but till two may if you do that now she's more of a basic mask you impose but if you have her here here can you do that? What every plus size bride no but you need to turn the head to get rid of all of this the only way whether neck doesn't look strained is what what I'm staring directly at you but there's nothing flattering about this so I'm lighting into the face through the body of a woman into the face through the body even though I don't have that light there I still have directional lighting I know it's right there in this case I'm reflecting from what's behind because I have reflective surfaces and moving in from there so I hope that helps a little bit ok susan all right there are some questions about the height of your camera, maxi t said since we all have different heights what do you recommend for height of camera in relationship to how tall the client couple is? Well, I'm short so I have to stand that's a great question I have a photographer's names of any he is by four one of the studio's top photographers he does about one hundred thirty weddings a year for us he's amazing! The problem is he's his name's many he's not short little guy so he's literally up to about here most couples a taller than him so what he's going to do is generally shortened them to accommodate him you could get a step up box, but who wants to be bought? The carrying another piece of equipment and everytime him stepping up so isn't it much easier to do this? What do this shortened down and just change it? It's about convenience for everybody al come said that you keep saying that you tilted to bring him up does that mean that you have the camera above them and not leveled? What it means is right now this was one of the reasons the bracket was so important to be right now clearly in a vertical image, but what I'm doing is if the groom is on this side for most images, I'm going to go forty five degrees to the groom right to my notch on that forty five degrees is going to make him higher so what it's doing in essence can we go to this camera right in here? Can I have the two of you here for one second so I can show you if they're right here facing towards maine video what I want you to dio lean your heads together leaner down I want you to take your camera and I want you to slightly tilt like that now look at what happens by tilting up to him what's happening at home is he's becoming higher? Isn't it? And now was starting to cut out now if we could go back to center on now let's tilt it the wrong way that's tilted to the left you notice it's off balance and you're seeing a lot more of hard aren't you so there's absolutely nothing good about that we want to minimize got it? One more question before we go on yes yeah I was wondering at what point you decide how far they're going to lean is it just in camera? You're just did ugo deciding how far they want to lean on a couple of different elements number one the whole purpose of leaning is to create what you are structure so if you're looking at me here right now I'm about his nasty looking as you can get if you look at me for main camera, I have a full face, I'm overweight I am what I am but I don't want to know it in my photos so the difference is if I lean forward start look there let's go to this camera here watch the difference here do you see it's tightening me up? I don't want to see my water but I have it so if we look in here was still here look at this I got this going on nobody wants to see that but look, got it. The other thing is, when I'm on that camera I want to lean forward enough so that the nostrils come up push with the forehead I could come down and still not get it so you just had so for the first thing you just lean until it's I'm leaning until I get it is titus I possibly right here is where the problems develop did you notice on the dad? I pull out until I get this gone it doesn't have to feel natural that's one of the reasons I don't shoot as many candidates is anybody think about it. Are you ever going to bias? If you're a plus size individual which remember the united states is the biggest country in the world, literally not by the amount of people by the size of us and I ever going to buy a photo of me doing this? No, I'm not going to buy that so, as greatest photo journalism is, when we talk about it later on during the reception portion, I'm not going to buy it. I'm here to make people look good, she could have the greatest expression ever, but approach in is down and she's got this I'm not shooting it that's just may if you do it that's. Terrific that's fine, but I look at it and say anybody could take a photo of someone laughing but can anybody take a person who's? Not the model who's, not a couple and make them look good. That's my goal that's why I enjoy it, that's. One of the reasons I stopped doing receptions because I want to make people look good. I want to make them feel good about themselves. The best thing is when someone comes in for a boudoir and their a plus size person or I had one a couple of weeks ago that just blew my mind. She was pregnant and she had one of the worst pregnancies you could imagine. She was bedridden and she wanted the maternity photo to remember. But she started crying because she had the danes going on. She had a catheter and everything. And at the end what she said to me is, this is the first time in the entire pregnancy that I have ever felt beautiful with tears in her eyes that was worth more than anything I could have ever done. That's means the world that's awesome, dag and you're teaching us how to do that to try and right now keep going, let's keep going. So we're coming back within that first stand sequence, so we're coming right in here now, let's saying you don't have a reflector, you don't have anybody to hold it or you just can't afford it heads together like you're dancing, coming all the way forward. Veil over anethe again look at where their hands are there about a foot out in front close those back shoulder because we don't want to know where we are first focus on the hands then we bring the hands and closer we go from the hands to the face come forward just a little bit rollout your shoulder, turn your head to your right now in the face. Matt, turn your head into her a little bit. Lean forward ice down to your hands. Rachel, lean forward, take a look. You have no idea where she is. My focus point is showing the neckline and everything else. Now from here I start my spin, they keep rotating in stone when they're dancing on right here, I have so much information, this girl waited her whole life to wear this gown she picked it out after looking at a thousand of them this is probably the thinnest she'll ever look in her entire life she works hard to get this body my job is to show it off so what I'm going to do is focus on the key element which is the hand on dh the dress so I want to lock in till towards the direction hand is flowing got it make sure there's not a lot going on from here matt bring your lips to a shoulder rachel, turn your head to him turn turn, turn just like that bring the bail and to cover the back go in would they ever naturally do this? No. Have you ever gotten if you do ten weddings? How many spectacular first stance pitchers do you get one out of ten filling it and remember it's about creating the story? Rachel, turn your head to him a little bit lean forward close and tight. Get in real tight. Look at where I am. So everything else becomes a blur of closure eyes guys now perfect keeps spinning, keeps spinning, keeps spinning, relax everybody focuses on this on the bridegroom looking at each other addresses thrown all over the place upside down you got people in the background snapping pitches you're probably doing something wrong because you have the d j blasting lighted thumb his kinetic lights his intelligent lights blasting him so everything's off or it's blasting through and flaring you that's not always gonna work but right now I'm going to get this story is not about this the story is about what's here hands up look at each other and stretch your chin out I'm creating the body is a foreground making sure that there's nothing in it that I can see tilting smiling, laughing getting close getting close and now I've created a little heart in between I'm spinning because every woman dreams of this image matt can you open your legs and short yourself down really low you're going to give him a hug beautiful put your head up on the shoulder here looking up and looking up and smiling nice and happy turn your head a little bit matalin for it so I don't see so much here looking straight out isn't that what we dream of looking right in there smiling beautiful chin down just a tad eyes here happy come on come in smiling teeth there we go don't move watch the subtle adjustment turn your head to him beautiful put your lips on his cheek you're going to turn your head to hire matt just close your eyes just press turn your head to me rachel look down rachel chin down rachel close your mouth good hiding a mouth tilting to him he's higher now all set these are a bunch of great first stance pitchers would you ever know look at the body position that you're going to get that you must be real comfortable I did well I'm wayne relax the point is I just got first stance I take one picture of them doing first stance with the whole floor with everybody in it and then I plug these in a vehicle my goodness I don't even have to be there at this point but I accomplished the story all it's about is the story now let's bring him behind her we're gonna bring him forward just a little bit because I'm losing that light that I don't want again let's start in a peek over bring your arms around the top of her chest turning your body here but I'm right around the time not the good part okay right in here not there hands here hands here now turn your bodies to make lean forward look down now you're going to turn your head this way matt turn your head to her look at how far forward they're leaning look at that lean he's really forward eyes down just like that make sure it's out soft now I will use to reflect that let's switch it up you don't get to hold it yet turn your bodies to make rollout that shoulder look at that light right in there just like that didn't you hold it once looking down I'm teasing your eyes down stretched the chin no smile now look at me rachel straight camera smiling beautiful turn your head to your right a little bit happy eyes up common coming good excellent that's fake good excellent wonderful don't move matt turn your head all the way to your right till the top of your head to our rachel turn your head to him now let's bring you over here so we get some light on matt being forward looking up look at my hand guys matt looking at my hands stay right there you're smiling you are doing terrific hold it right there let me make sure like the light you're doing wonderful stay there one second just like that I see you guys next unhappy teeth there we go excellent don't move there's a lot of images, isn't it? Yes. Doug would you also do a similar kind of dance sequence with the groom and his mother and the bride and her father at times sometimes I just let it a car a little bit more natural. I could but I don't really want to know if I go to the well one too many times I'm sorry people are going to know it's fake you know what I mean? So now the profile watch the rotation here looking down turn your head matt leans out to make a keeper there look it I'm just using my fingers there's not a lot of touch here and leaning forward down look down at her with your eyes perfect profile I moved my body and my camera angle just like that turn your head to our matt just a little bit mohr mohr look up beautiful no not it may turn heads straight out smiling happy excellent now matt watch what we dio one of my favorite poses and whole sequence is right here I love to use the veil love it so let's take the bail and bring this up over their heads both of them when I first you could drop your hands matt when I first came up with dispose I thought there was no way that people could ruin it you found a way look at the camera smile that looks ridiculous okay the idea is to get the moment before the moment so look at each other getting closer and want you to pretend you're about to kiss open your mouth just sort of tilt your head wow that's sickening I think he's getting don't you had a little bit matt good close your eyes got the bail crease just breathing each other feeling each other feeling essential miss of it and cropping there you were doing great lean your bodies to me though a little bit excellent stay right there rachel I love it matt, you doing ok? Perfect. Relax off to one side now, actually kiss and when I kiss, I go to seymour, notice him crop to aside now when I kiss, I'm going to go right here and I'm cropping back, tilting towards matt and I'm off centering them now someone saying that's not right that's, not that's, not a rule. You can't do that. I'm telling it home. I don't care because I know the rules that can break them. Once you know them, you can break them now. From here. Bring your head back. Beautiful back. Lean back, goto a neck, head back a little bit. Close your eyes. Open your mouth just a little bit. Stay there. Perfect. Now watch a crop change being forward to me. Guys first one there. Now take a look, matt, lean out a little bit. Chin down. Beautiful. So I changed and look he's there. But the only part of him that I ever used was his hand that's it it's all used who needs him? You do right now is good. What you're going to do here is change it up. So more rings turn your back here going to go here, focus on the hands everybody loves to take pictures of the rings but what they do is take their hands strong on top of the flower blast it with on time a flash you see so much detail and every man piece of his hand he wants his hands to look soft but he's a hard worker it is what it is. My job is to make it look better. He doesn't have manicured photographer hints, which is heads together, leaning forward looking down bring the hands forward, reflect light and all I need is just a little bit of information and I got a perfect hand shot addresses a background and now I have my image not bring your hands up close looking down at the hands, turn your head to her, tilt your head to the right beautiful leaning forward to make lean forward being forward ice down kosher mount up! Perfect good, excellent! Now we're going to start the push a little bit more. We're getting to the end of flow opposing we did a lot of poses didn't wait come right here and now this is kind of my opening to get a little sexy with them I know the lights coming from there, I'm gonna pull him back just a little bit what I want you to do is start lifting up your dress for me. I want to bring it up to about your name. Okay, right in here and now I want you to bring your foot in here setting the curve pushing that hip back, winning the top forward the thing that's going to make this work is match okay, what? We need to see a little bit of like right there. Sorry good. This will not be for every bright and that's ok, hands here down turn your head to her just like that looking there they're looking down no reflector full liked image I could add flash and I'm going to come right over here looking down lean forward a little bit beautiful I'm hiding the telephone pole behind her head just like that and I crop right there excellent go into a neck look out to the side beautiful lean forward and look up with your eyes nope turn your head to him and lean forward and look out like you're looking to your left around him now pretend he's doing a good job again smile and excellent now watch the subtle change you're going toe drop your dress bring your hands up around his head just like this hands here look at her arms what does he need to d'oh cover it up mean forward pushed that hip look down now I'm going to show you something that we didn't use before but going to be important we're going to use the inside panel can I borrow you michael on what this is going to do is what block the light to make it not is direct see that's one of the reasons I work on a stand I don't always have someone of michael's height noticed the push to the hip pushing him back clean for turn your head to our michael and notice the crop look down michael stay right there to eliminate her arm now look up at me beautiful smile and gorgeous happy teeth excellent now walk one step away take a look one step away head back to him now bring you lips to a forehead can you bring your head give her a little back support close your eyes don't push so hard michael don't take it and shoot it up her nose go on a profile to a closure mouth michael good matt closure why they ask you to coach you're so I'm michael look at the crop right up there were cropping in getting rid of everything they're close your eyes now one last one you're going to turn your body away from me facing towards the water beautiful you could bring your head up, go facing her matt we're going to wrap your arms around your husband shoulders you're goingto put your hands onto the top of her shoulders on you're going to push you left again I mean your head all the way back to me all the way back beautiful kick that leg all the way back head back keep coming pushing can you lean your back back to excellent go get a go get that love and it looks like he's breastfeeding but that's ok smiling excellent keep your eyes off me, matt good looking at hard getting close to him that don't look like you're scared of goto that neck happy come on. Perfect matt tilt your head to your right. Smiling good not you met goto anak mac kiss it. Good. Excellent. Relax. You just saw seventy poses it's pretty good. Isn't it? Pretty good? Simple quick and easy. I did it toward it and about forty five minutes I could shoot it in about seven. Five right near depending on a couple and this is only the beginning. This is more poses. How long? How many weddings would it take for you to do this? Many just shots of a bride and groom alone to three. We just did it one if you're sitting there thinking there's no way I can do it, pick what you like and make it work if you don't know how to do it you have the posing dex. We have or I even made an app. You can go look at your app on line at the apple store. The android store. You got an app that walks you through it? Oppose. So I have to do it. My phone is like next next flip right through. Very simple stuff. Babies q and a time cue and hear more about this. Oh, I didn't even mention it all week. That thea piss. Pretty cool. I made the app for the three most essential parts of the entire wedding. I made it for the bride alone. I made it for the bride and groom, and I made it for the groom. You start by buying the bride and groom together. It shows sixty poses. It has videos in it and all that sort of stuff. And I think it's fourteen, ninety nine and then if you like that one, you could buy the bride alone in the groom alone is an purchase. But it's got over one hundred plus opposes between all of it. It's. Pretty good. Cool. Okay. Okay. Questions? I have a question from chris kaye from bend, oregon. If this were a real wedding, when during the day do you shoot all of these types of shock? I'm doing it in the exact order I would do in a real wedding day if the day continued the way we've been doing this class, it would start with the engagement session months before I go to the bride alone at the house than the bride's family than the groom and his family are shoes that it would be the ceremony that it would be family than it would be bridal party bride and groom last I get and work from big too small and get rid of everybody get it out of the way so I can move on to them and have alone time. I don't really want a lot of people here if I want people here, I'm kind of just that point trying to show off to boost my business because if they're having fun and enjoying it, it's going to be a good recommendation based so this is right before the reception this is right before that cocktail hour starts guests and it's all of that all of those things included in when you have when you say you're shot list that you're including can write them down or is that so the shot list is going toe that's included in the course is basically going to be all the family combinations I can't really include a bridegroom because to try and walk someone threw that yeah, it would be a nightmare so you know, you got to take a least, most retirees say, well, I got to get the story of four of the bride alone. I think you have to get forty to fifty of the bride alone. You want a couple of the bride and groom, maybe five to ten. I want one hundred of them. I want so many pitches so that they never have trouble saying, oh, I can't choose a thank you. I can't choose a wall portrait. I want us many is possible. I don't take very many looking at the camera. You noticed, right? The whole sequence I took a total of four images looking at the camera. That was more than enough because that anybody could do that. Cool. So a question you've talked about propping on dso the question from joshua pheneger in san jose. Do you have a fixed size in mind for the print when composing the shot? Or do you leave room to crop for almost a whole different? I know exactly. And my head what's coming what's next I know that I want this to be a ten by ten. I know that I want that to be a five by ten I know exactly what I'm cropping for because I know it's going to be faster if I'm sitting here taking this image with no idea of how I'm going to construct it later on that's just going to add an hour to post production on I don't know how could I send it off the pilot imaging and say hey you figure it out I got to know what I want to accomplish in a knee to know that's why we have a strict posing guide in our studio of what we're going to d'oh and then everything after that is gravy a thousand words photography would like to know if you do any of the same dance poses pictures with the groom and his mom or the bride and her one of the people that asked that before will I do that probably not because it's like going to the well one too many times if I have the exact same shots of the bride and dad and the groom and his mom you know it's not gonna work a bride and groom are usually guaranteed to have that tender moment a bride and her dad may not so I'm going to try to make it happen as much as I can but I'm going to take that kind of as a live approach great thank you more on the sequence from juan mahia photography do you do the same flow in evening shots I have a wedding that starts around six p m off lighting force ideo when I thought out and came up with flo posing, when a photographer comes to me and says, I did your flow, opposing it took me forty five minutes. I know right away that it took them too long because they didn't do it in the order that I did it. Everything's got to be a quick flowing look. You saw how much I touch him guy's arm around each other turned towards each other real quick hand in your pants pocket bring your hand to your hip open your body up a little bit to me beautiful turn your head to your right a little bit to your right gore just matt come one step forward leaning your heads together looking at me nice and happy smiling excellent. Now look at each other knows this together nice and happy god it give a kiss close your eyes back to me again heads together looking it may turn out to your right. Open your shoulder now lean forward take your hand off the back of a waste three quarter close up now go in. Give her a hug, sweet cheeks. Got to put your hand on top can you take your bail? Bring it around to shoulder. Good. Just like that. Now put your hand on top of her biceps. Now lean your body's ford to me, matt, turn your head to make cover him up for a second so they have better light on a michael matt, turn your head here looking right here smiling nice and happy, we tell to common to the groom happy teeth good you're gonna put your nose right on his cheek, beautiful chin down when you forehead against his matt till the top of your head to your serious, gorgeous stretching out that you're smiling, nice and happy teeth. Excellent. Now look at each other, good looking each other, look at each other smiling teeth. Now turn your head back to me. Beautiful. Now lean, put your nose on the cheek, matt, till the top of your head there, lean forward, just like that. Chin down, beautiful, turn your head to your right. Look at me, gorgeous, rachel, smiling, happy teeth, just like that, it's. Just a matter of knowing and look, I have them trained so well now. I didn't even have to touch them, but notice I'm looking for key key things. I'm looking to see where that it is. I'm looking to make sure she's in a two thirty or making sure the hands of covering all of that good stuff.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Bride Alone Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Bride her family and BP Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Doug_Gorden_Wedding_Album.pdf
Doug_Gordon_Posing_Guide.pdf
Full Family and BP Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Groom his family BP and the Ceremony Photo Editing Video HD.mov
Doug Gordon Creative Live Shot list.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Doug is one of those teachers who combines the right blend of humor with knowledge to keep the learning process inviting. Doug's heart is what draws me in...his passion for photography as an industry not to mention his personal desire to see those around him excel in their new-found skills. I have witnessed first-hand Doug's ability to transform an ordinary environment into an extra-ordinary work of art. Don't miss an opportunity to learn from someone who studied with the great Monty Zucker and who offers a system for integrating posing with an understanding of classical lighting. Don't miss a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of the best!

a Creativelive Student
 

Highly recommend to any wedding photographer, be you experienced or new. Although based in the Uk, most of what doug taught is relevant and has helped boost my confidence when posing and making adjustments to peoples pose. amazing depth to the way an image is created and lovely to see the images then used in an album to tie everything up from start to finish.

Sherry Callahan
 

Loved and bought Dougs first Creative live workshop and learned so much from it that I intend to watch and learn from this one as well! Just from watching the first creative live workshop I can see a big improvement in my work, so I am looking forward to this workshop and learning more from Doug. This one looks very interesting and more real to what us as wedding photographer encounter in real life. Cant wait!

Student Work

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