Perhaps because I live in the fog of San Francisco, I get really excited by rich, vibrant colors in my photographs. Naturally, one of the most frequently asked questions I get from my clients is: “Do you shoot only in color? What about black and white wedding photos? Do you do those?” Since I’m escaping the fog to shoot a wedding in LA this weekend, I thought I’d flip the script with a quick post about how I approach black and white wedding photography. The answer is, of course, yes. I love black and white photography and you can certainly see examples of B&W photos on this very blog. Today’s high end digital cameras shoot everything in color, and black and white conversion happens in my digital darkroom. Not all photographs are conducive to black and white…usually, if something has rich color to begin with, why get rid of it? However, I’ve found that candidates for black and white photos have a certain “timelessness” to them, even abstractness in some cases. Generally, photographs with strong contrast (pronounced highlights and shadows) are perfect for black and white. Black and white also offers the ability to use different filters, that screen for certain colors, such as red, yellow, green or blue, and achieve a very dramatic effect. Ever see those National Geographic photos with dramatic, almost black skies? That’s a red filter in front of the lens. Fortunately for us digital photographers, this kind of effect can be applied seamlessly and precisely in the digital darkroom. Check out the “fish” photo from Alla and Pavel’s engagement session, and see if you can guess the technique! So, the bottom line is, in my work, converting photographs to Black and White just for the heck of it doesn’t cut it. Whether it’s wedding photography, an engagement shoot, or a portrait, black and white images need to be purposeful in order to achieve a striking, timeless look.
Archive for the ‘Weddings’ Category
Inspiration | Black and White (B&W) Wedding Photography
September 3, 2011Amelia + Jonathan | Wedding at J & J Ranch in Sonoma
September 1, 2011Back in April I had the pleasure of venturing up to J & J Ranch (Amelia’s parents’ home) in Sonoma to frolic on the farm with Amelia and Jonathan for their engagement shoot. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and romance was in full bloom. The country setting really left an impression on me. I took the warmth of that day back with me to foggy San Francisco, and ever since then I had been glancing expectantly at my calendar, impatiently awaiting the arrival of August 13, when I would have the opportunity to return. J & J Ranch is one of those places that’s not simply a place. Like Paris, like Burning Man, J & J is a feeling. It feels like summer. Like home. Like carefree, barefoot days. So as I walked through the gates the second time, I felt as if I was being enveloped in the most wonderful of hugs. No doubt that through the efforts of Amelia, Jonathan, their family and friends, all of the guests who showed up to celebrate that day felt the exact same thing. A margarita was artfully crafted during the ceremony, right before everyone’s very eyes. The kiss was long and sweet. There was a cornucopia of delicious food (oysters! freshly shucked on the spot!). There were hugs, kind words, tears, smiles. There was a walk through the vineyards. There was a beautiful sunset. The DJ lit up the dance floor, and Amelia, Jonathan and their guests, displaying their ‘Moves Like Jagger’ danced into the warm, country night.
Wedding at Campovida | Janet + Jason
August 11, 2011I proudly present the story of Janet and Jason’s wedding at Campovida in Hopland. Of course, you could get the full story by looking through several hundred images. But you could also look at any one of the pictures below and I believe you’ll sense the warmth, ease, and friendship which defined that summer day. As I looked back through the chronicle of this wedding, I had a couple of realizations…or perhaps they were reaffirmations…The first is just how fortunate I am to be present, camera in hand, at wonderful weddings like this one…how lucky I am to earn the trust of my clients and to be among them and their closest people on such a day. At Janet and Jason’s wedding, I truly felt welcomed by their community, and I am so grateful for this. The second reaffirmation I had was that a wedding day is a living, breathing thing in itself. It’s not enough to show up and just capture “the one” picture, the “hero shot”, as it’s sometimes called. A wedding day is comprised of millions of moments, some of them perhaps anticipated, such as the walk down the aisle, or the exchange of rings; but others completely unexpected…the gust of wind, the ray of sunlight, uncontrollable laughter, or perhaps tears. It takes hyper-awareness to be present on this day of days, and to freeze in digital amber just a few hundred moments out of the millions of possibilities. Back to Campovida. What an incredible venue. Beautiful greens and yellows abound. Gorgeous trees and expansive fields and hidden trails make every inch a joy to explore. It’s no surprise that this very venue was chosen for this very wedding. Jason, Janet, her son Gabe, their handsome pup Oliver, and a bevy of close family, dear friends, and terrrrrific dogs were all in attendance and it felt like everyone just belonged there. Dina conducted a beautiful ceremony, and the music of the phenomenal Daniel Berkman, a wildly talented musician, was ubiquitous. Daniel played a rare African harp, the Kora, to accompany the ceremony, and his DJ-ing skills packed the dance floor for hours. Jason and Janet were so at ease with one another, so connected…A feeling of peace and tranquility settled over the day from the very start, and followed me all the way home.
Destination Wedding: Cruise to Mexico | Diana + Eugene
August 9, 2011I have to admit that I was pretty excited when Diana and Eugene chose me to document their wedding on the Mexico cruise. I imagined a week of fun in the sun with close friends, pastel hues, gorgeous sunsets, wind and surf…and you know what? I was spot on. Moreover, I was fortunate to be amidst a vibrant and dapper group of family and amigos who were all eager to make the most of their photogenic sailing adventure. There were many fun photoshoots throughout the week: some on land in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, others at sea on the windswept decks beneath dramatic sunsets. Through it all, it was clear that Diana and Eugene were ecstatic about having their closest people with them for a week of celebration, and about the fact that they could share such a beautiful memory with family, friends, and of course, with one another as husband and wife!
Byington Winery Wedding | Tammy + Brian
August 8, 2011Hey! It’s 8/8! Not a bad day for a blog post! Planning a wedding from across the country is no easy task. Fortunately, Tammy and Brian had a support crew back home in California, and an lovely, welcoming venue in Byington Winery to help make it happen. It’s crazy how time flew since Tammy was a bridesmaid at Fontaine and Sam’s wedding back in October. Now, a few months later, I was fortunate to be reunited with Tammy, Brian and many of their awesome California crew. Although the day started out a bit overcast, by the time Tammy and Brian got around to reading their vows, the wedding was bathed in ample sunlight. Byington wine flowed freely, wonderful words were spoken by true friends, and the dance floor was instantly packed. When all was said and done, Tammy and Brian headed back to New York City, and I headed back to foggy San Francisco. Thanks guys! Enjoy the photos! I hope you had a wonderful time in California!
Martinelli Event Center Garre Winery Wedding | Chez + Craig
August 4, 2011I always knew that Chez and Craig’s wedding would be fabulous. From the moment they sat down on the couch in my studio, it was apparent that they had an incredible connection and boundless energy. Then I found myself shooting their engagement session at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Turned out that the sun-drenched day on the pier was a perfect preview of how their wedding would unfold. Chez was so fabulous on her wedding day that I literally had to go and look up the word “fabulous” in a thesaurus because I didn’t want to overuse it in this post, but alas, I couldn’t find any good synonyms. The decor was big on peacock feathers, which looked awesome no matter where they were applied. The boys brought the heavy artillery in what appeared to be 64oz. stainless steel flasks. Available on Amazon, said Craig. Anyways, Martinelli Event Center is a lovely venue, perfectly secluded with an intimate courtyard, a lovely gazebo for the ceremony, and a spacious building for the reception. In the late afternoon the courtyard was flooded with sunlight, which bounced off the walls and created some awesome photographic moments. Guests successfully dealt with the heat by downing delicious, ice-cold beers. Before I knew it, the reception was in full swing…and, no surprise, it was a fabulous party. Btw, Chez and Craig also asked me to create a video for their wedding, which will be appearing here soon! It’s been a crazy busy couple of months, so bear with me, blog readers. Thank you, Chez and Craig!
