Bride and Groom Before and After

This is a simple before and after shot. As we were walking around the Chicago Art Institute we were looking for good light. We were just wandering the halls waiting to see something that looked interesting. I always look for large walls of color or texture. In this case, we stumbled upon a large wall painted black. We don’t find many spots like this when shooting wedding photography so I figured we should stop. Black walls have the ability to offer a very ‘studio’ style look and feel which can be a nice departure from the photojournalism or busy backgrounds.

This photo is actually taken in the doorway leading to the dark room. If we had actually gone into the dark room then we would have lost the great catch-lights in the eyes. We also would have had to crank the ISO up. I knew the door frame wouldn’t really be wide enough for the both of them, but I also knew that if I could get black around them then the edges would be easy to black-out. As such, Jamie held the door open, we placed the couple in the center as much as we could and we took the shot.

• Canon EOS Full Frame
• F-Stop: f/1.8
• Exposure: 1/160 sec.
• Canon 50mm f/1.4

There was no need for photoshop in this post processing. By simply using the brush I was able to darken the door frame and the background. Also, keeping the whites and highlight levels high in Lightroom you can then drop the exposure about 1-stop to make sure the background goes full black. After that we can brush in some of the black in the suit. Sure, we could leave the photos with the backround, we will deliver both copies, but the little things can elevate your brand to the next level. I also used the spot removal tool (hard to see probably) to remove any dust spots on the grooms tuxedo. These subtle differences are important. Follow these links if you are interested in seeing more before and after wedding photography or photo tips in general.