Let’s kick this off with one of the first shots I took of Amy on the day (the image above) - no dress yet, hair being finished up, secluded in her loft room on the third floor at Faunbrook. I love how the black and white removes any distractions from the image and all you get is this window into Amy’s experience before her wedding. What you can’t see is that she’s looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror; you could read a world of thoughts and emotions into her expression.
Faunbrook B&B in West Chester deserves its own image and special mention here. Have you seen a movie in which the location is so individual and intrinsic to the events that it becomes a character in itself? Faunbrook is like that. Quirky, unique and full of character, and Amy went to great lengths personalising the whole property to make it fit their vibe and their day; with the expert assistance of her event manager Tara of Engaged Event Management, who definitely fits the description of ‘natural organiser’.
Back to Amy here for a very different image: this one colour and at a much wider focal length, giving you a view of everything that’s happening in this moment as if you were there in the room with them. Not to mention that even in colour images the pure white of a wedding dress is a photography dream - it’s bright and bold and it just works.
Back to black and white. I am a big fan of candids, of genuine moments in between the rigid wedding schedule, but I love a bit of mood and drama in an image like this. This was taken in the stairwell at Faunbrook as Amy headed down for her first look with Jeff. The light was just perfect and I didn’t need to direct any particular expression, just asking her to stay where she was and look out of the window was plenty. Wedding days have more than enough feeling as it is without any need for direction!
Also a quick gear mention: the Tamron 28-75 was my go-to for shots inside the building. Faunbrook is full of long rooms that quickly transition into narrow, winding hallways, so you need to go from a wide angle to almost a telephoto in the blink of an eye.
Switch from mood and drama to candid storytelling! This shot was taken just a minute after the previous, with me up in the stairwell as Amy walked past an open door to gasps of surprise from wedding guests who were holed up inside to get ready. Still on the 28-75, zoomed in to 40mm.
I have to include this image as well before we move on. Not just black and white but almost gothic feeling, I love the drama and the open black space that fills the left side.
Colour again, and a clean simple image that conveys a truckload of feeling. Jeff, the groom, waiting by himself for the guests to take their seats and the ceremony to get underway. Again, Faunbrook as a location is just gorgeous and provides colourful, natural backdrops that contrast with the dark wood of the building. 28-75 at 65mm.
And that first look moment. We got images of Amy and Jeff separately on either side of the door that initially parted them, but this shot hits all the heartstrings. Nothing much to be worked on here - simple, clean, perfect as it is.
I just love this. We went outside while the light was perfect through the trees, set Amy and Jeff up to be backlit, and let them do the rest. Shot with an 85mm prime at f/1.8.
Something I’m appreciating more and more is the value of an entire scene, almost a tableau, just shot wide and allowed to stand on its own. Here the focal point is obviously Amy coming down the stairs in that brilliant white but you really get a feeling that this is part of a larger event, a standout moment in a tapestry instead of being isolated by itself. And something about the building - the shutters? - makes me think of a cross between the 1920s and the old wild west! Love it.
The sparkler exit is one of the newer standards of weddings, and it’s a lot of fun to shoot as long as you get the lighting right! Just before we started here I got the limo driver to kill the rear lights on his car otherwise we’d have had some unpleasant red highlights going on. Aside from that this was smooth as silk: natural, happy faces and perfect sparkler highlights around them. You can’t go wrong as long as you’ve thought it through beforehand.
Let’s finish up with the image I chose to end their online album with. This was actually taken by Tina, my wife and second shooter, on her a6400. She was using the Tamron 17-28 f/2.8 which is why you get this lovely wide shot that puts you right there in the group, watching Amy and Jeff as they finish their night - or at least before they headed out into town! I love how the sparklers captured the faces of their family and friends even more than theirs. Beautiful.
People of Interest:
Event Manager: Tara Thislethwaite, Tara@Engagedmgmt.com, @engagedmgmt
Location: Faunbrook B&B West Chester, Faunbrook@gmail.com, @faunbrook
Flowers: Q & A Design, hello@qadesignsphiladelphia.com
Hair: Shannon McNally
Gear:
Sony A7III and Sony a6400
Sony 85 1.8, Tamron 28-75 2.8, Tamron 17-28 2.8