What Inspired Me To Take This Photo?
When I enter a room I am always looking for potential opportunities for different images that express the essence of the day and I felt instinctively that this was one of those opportunities.
Having observed various members of the bridal party move through the corridor, I continued to wait quietly keeping one eye discreetly on the bridal party in a room adjacent. A few moments passed as the father of the bride prepared himself, but none were necessarily decisive. It wasn’t until he stood still for a short period that I noticed he had his phone in his hand at his side and I just felt that decisive moment was going to happen. Slowly lifting the camera to my eye, I framed the shot and waited a little longer. At the moment that he looked at his phone, I pressed the shutter and the shot was done.
If the bride’s father hadn’t looked at his phone I probably wouldn’t have taken the shot as it wouldn’t have had the crucial element that gives it interest. I love the way the image is partitioned into areas; a reflection in the picture frame and him standing in the arch give a dual element of interest that adds depth to the image. These are the type of moments in a wedding day that are about reflection and calming the nerves. Understandably the attention is normally focused on the bride but for her father this is a hugely emotional time. It’s good for a father just to gather his thoughts, maybe check his phone or work on his speech and get ready for the day ahead, and though it is a quiet moment it also portrays to me a feeling of time flying by….where have the years gone? Today I give my daughter away…..
This photo is a favourite of mine because…..
The father in this image is totally unaware of anything else around him and I love the almost ethereal feel of his reflection in the picture on the wall….
For Photographers:
Though the light in the corridor wasn’t perfect I knew that pushing the ISO high would add another gritty dimension. Even with the ‘noise’ from low light and the use of high ISO I have added extra noise/grain during processing to add to the gritty film quality of the image.
As with any photo there are ways of making improvements for example better light, or the father looking at his watch rather than phone, but these elements are out of my control and in the documentary style photography approach that I use, I wouldn’t have stopped the moment to create or manufacture the end result.
Technical Bit:
Kit: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 16-35mm f4 lens
Settings: f4, 1/50, ISO 8000
I would love it if you would share this post on Twitter, Facebook etc. with friends. And, if you are looking for a photographer to capture your wedding day as beautiful unscripted story contact me to check my availability and let’s talk….This images is from Emma and Chris’s gorgeous wedding at Longstowe Hall. Thanks for stopping by.