Couple Portraits

I just got hired to do some portraits for a US Marine and his wife. It'll be an all day shoot at two different locations. In the morning, we will be at an LDS temple, and then in the afternoon we will be shooting at a park. Both locations will be outside locations. I need some advice and suggestions for lighting, poses, and other things. I don't have much equipment, and since we are traveling, I wouldn't want to carry around a lot of equipment anyway. I have an external flash for my camera and plan to see if I can borrow a reflector from a friend. What are some things I should keep in mind? I've never done a big shoot like this for anyone other than family.

Hi Jessica,

What camera, lens and flash do you have? Have they seen your work and if so what style do they want? Is this for B&W or color? Also is there a budget for rental. What body form and skin color and how formal. What clothes? Formal uniform or casual? Presumably he'll help you carry stuff?

Just for a start, can you find out more about the temple to get an idea of lighting? That could itself help to make the shots memorable. Sitting in and wandering rounf the chapel in the hour you set for shooting is the best way to plan. Outside the Chapel, steps, a flower garden, a bench are features that can be used in your composition to make things very different than "head and shoulders" or "full length" poses.

For the afternoon shots, I'd try to make it a little later or else get a white diffuser on a stand to soften the harsh sunlight. Shooting in the shade is another option, but for color, shooting in under a massive green tree will give a green hue which you may or may not like. Of course you can include a Whibal™ card. I always carry one! Warning: don't use it at sunset unless you want to remove that golden color of the setting sun!

Asher

Asher

Asher,

My camera is a Nikon D50. I currently only have 2 lenses. The one I use most often is 18-55mm. The other is 55-200mm. The external flash I have is a Nikon Speedlight SB-600. I'm not sure if they have seen any of my work. If they have seen any, it was the pictures I took of my brother and his wife (who recommended me to the couple). From what I was told, they were unhappy with their wedding pictures and kind of wanted a redo. I will probably have some in B&W and some in color. I, sadly, don't have a budget for rental at the moment, but could potentially borrow some equipment from a friend of mine. I'm not sure what he'd be willing to let me use though. I have not me the couple in person, so I am unsure of their size and coloring. Since they want to redo wedding shots, I believe the shots at the temple will be formal (with him probably in his dress-blues), and the shots at the park with be more causal. I will be dragging my boyfriend along to help me carry anything I plan to use and that I'm able to borrow.

Here are some pictures of the temple (taken by others, and not me) and the area around it.



I've never had the chance to really explore the grounds there. All I've ever seen is the steep hill that runs on the south side of it.

The weather for the planned day of the shoot says it'll be fairly cloudy, so I'm hoping that will help with harsh sunlight. If possible, I'll do the afternoon shoot later to limit the harsh light even more. I do plan to have a Whibal card on hand for this.

Jessica

If your gone to use fill flash try setting your flash to minus 1 2/3 you'll get just enough flash to fill the eye sockets but not so much it will be noticeable.,

I was married at the portland Template and I know that for the temple images you won't be be able to photograph inside the temple. Outside the temple they should have beautiful gardens, reflection pool and several spots where you could get the couple and the whole temple behind them. The doorways and arch ways around the temples are beautiful accents to any couple image. I hope this helps a bit.

Some of the photos

We ended up not going to Manti for the shoot, at least not yet. The couple still wants to go down there to get some shots, but for now, they settled with some shots at two local parks. Below are some of my favorites from the shoot. None have been edited, since I don't have photoshop on my home computer and haven't had time to do any post process work. I did not use my flash at all. All I used was my Nikon D50 and a reflector.

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Some more shots

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The last one was a shot that she insisted on getting. Her husband just got back from fighting in Iraq and didn't seem too keen on being back in his gear.

Hi Jessica,

This particular picture has the composition that would make a great enlargement for them. I like the fact that you had to drop down and then, unlike the other pictures frame them better within the background. The path behind them is often helpful in a couples portrait. Here it works. It shows them relaxed together and not awkward.. The path suggest their future together.



Compare this picture with the others and see how more comfortable the placement of the couple is within the background. You might also try a version in B&W. What that does is removes in some color pictures sometimes distracting color elements which can break up the continuity of things belonging together. You pictures does not have any such need but the look might please them. What do you think about that?

Asher

Asher,
I'm not really sure what you mean about the background. As for B&W, I definitely want to try some in B&W. I'm not sure how to pick which ones to try. I'll probably play with a few tonight and see what I come up with.