The Beckstead Wedding

American Photo magazine named David Beckstead one of the Top Ten Wedding Photographers in the World. He’s an industry leader with a reputation for quality work and giving back to the industry. In this book, readers will get a behind-the-scenes look at Beckstead's unique, stylized wedding images, learning the tips, tricks and insights that have thrust him into the wedding industry's spotlight. From straight talk about camera work (exposure settings, lens selection, camera angle, and more) to lighting (indoors and outdoors, working in an array of conditions), to composition (using color, visual shapes, leading lines, contrast, and more), Beckstead shows readers how to maximize their skills while learning to see and create more stylized photographs, avoid pitfalls, cultivate a distinctive look, and create high-impact photographs that will send waves of excitement to prospective clients who know what they want and are willing to go the distance (financially and geographically) to get it.

American Photo magazine named David Beckstead one of the Top Ten Wedding Photographers in the World. He’s an industry leader with a reputation for quality work and giving back to the industry. In this book, readers will get a behind-the-scenes look at Beckstead's unique, stylized wedding images, learning the tips, tricks and insights that have thrust him into the wedding industry's spotlight. From straight talk about camera work (exposure settings, lens selection, camera angle, and more) to lighting (indoors and outdoors, working in an array of conditions), to composition (using color, visual shapes, leading lines, contrast, and more), Beckstead shows readers how to maximize their skills while learning to see and create more stylized photographs, avoid pitfalls, cultivate a distinctive look, and create high-impact photographs that will send waves of excitement to prospective clients who know what they want and are willing to go the distance (financially and geographically) to get it.

The material in this book is the result of asking each of the 10 photographers a series of 14 questions carefully designed to get to the heart of the matters of creativity and profitibility. As each profiled photographer has a distinctive style, background, and personality, the resulting answers will engage, inspire, and educate readers on all aspects of the task of creating stand-out imagery in a field in which only the best survive and thrive.

Wedding and portrait photography is a vast segment of the professional portrait industry. Those who cater to this demographic know that photographing couples during a very exciting period in their lives demands a unique skill-set—these sessions are done when emotions are high, in a wide range of locations, and under a staggering array of conditions. Still, the photographer must wrangle all of the variables to create images that flatter the subjects AND tell the story of their relationship. In this book, Tiffany Wayne presents 60 high-caliber images—each paired with gorgeous alternate poses—and detailed text showing readers how each image was conceived and orchestrated to flatter the couple and show their unique relationship to best effect. In 60 two-page spreads, readers will get a behind-the-scenes look at how the image came together. Wayne discusses her intent for each image, then shows the steps used to carry out her artistic vision—from positioning the individual subjects, to creating a physical bond, and eliciting emotion. Also detailed are the compositional choices that were made to reinforce and strengthen the portrait presentation. In the first part of the book, Wayne showcases engagement portraits—images made under more relaxed conditions when the pace of the day is not as hectic as it will be on the wedding day. In the second part of the book, Wayne turns her attention to wedding portraits of the couple. With the fresh, modern feel of Tiffany Wayne's images and her casual, seemingly effortless—yet perfect—posing approach, readers will find much to emulate in this book.

Photographers must have a clear understanding of how the human body, from head to toe, should be posed and adjusted in order to look good—and natural—to the camera. Learning effective strategies to flatter the face, arms and legs, torso, and hands and feet will allow us not only to flatter our subjects but also effectively tell the subject’s story. Regardless of your photographic style, the tips and techniques outlined in this book will allow you to better control what the camera sees and the mood or message you want to convey. Whether you are a portrait or lifestyle photographer, photojournalist, fashion or commercial photographer, this book is designed to help you learn skills that you can apply to your specific style and method of shooting. Stephenson maintains that you should first identify the intent of your portrait before you begin to analyze the way in which you will pose your subject or subjects. How will the client use the image? Does he or she need a business portrait, which will require an air of authority and confidence, with a traditional vibe? Is the couple who booked the session deeply in love, and would a pose that speaks to their emotional closeness be appropriate? The author then moves into a discussion on body language. The way that an individual holds himself says much about his mind-set, mood, and motivations. Image viewers subconsciously read the cues that the subject’s body conveys. It is important to ensure that the body language that is summoned through posing suits the mood/theme /intent of the portrait. There are traditions of posing that have been in play in the visual arts for eons. Many photographers fall into using the same pose for every subject. When this happens, all of the images that leave the studio begin to look the same. This can have dire consequences when it comes to the public perception of the photographer’s work—and can squelch the joy photographers feel when creating. Stephenson offers simple approaches to flattering every body part when photographing individual clients and also teaches readers how to create artful images of couples and groups, as in multi-subject portraits, each individual must look great and relate logically and aesthetically to other subjects in the frame. With tips for posing the young and old, males and females, singles, couples, and groups in both indoor and locations—and in reclining, seated, and standing poses, from full-length to close-up, this book will walk you through all aspects of posing and balance with examples and easy to follow instructions. It’s time to stop guessing and learn the art and science of posing.

In this book, Tom Gallovich shows readers how to use their camera’s exposure controls (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) to establish the focal point of the image and create the overall mood of the shot and choose a particular lens or focal-length setting to massage the way elements in the original scene will appear within the frame. Next, he presents chapters on using shape, color, lines, and arrangement to strengthen the intended visual message. Readers will learn how to best place their primary subject (and in some cases secondary subject) for maximum impact and will discover artistic strategies that reinforce that decision through careful use of color, tone, highlight and shadow, leading lines, curved shapes, and relative size—qualities that will contribute to the overall mood in the image. Copious illustrations emphasize the impact that putting these concepts into play will have on your images—and these are often coupled with images that show how ineffective images are when those important compositional needs are not attended to.

In photography, every decision, creative and technical, rides on achieving a good exposure. When shooting portraits or products, landscapes or architecture, we must control our camera’s settings to ensure that just the right amount of light is allowed into the camera. When we strike the right balance in our exposure, we have a full range of tones, from pure white to deep blacks. We have rich visual detail. We have a sense of dimension. The colors and tones and contrast in our images weave the visual story of our subject and scene in a way that visually computes. As a result, we see just the image we strove to create, rendered perfectly in a way that satisfies our creative vision. In this book, Mark Chen shows you how to take full control over the science of exposure, providing you with the foundational skill-set you need to maximize your artistic vision.

Photographers know that they must use highlight and shadow to create a sense of dimension in their portraits, sculpt their subject’s features, and add palpable mood in their images. However, enterprising photographers know that these uses of shadow only scratch the surface when it comes to maximizing their portrait effects. They are willing to go to surprising lengths to create dramatic shadow patterns that add texture, a sense of mystery, and compositional interest in their portraits. In this beautifully illustrated book, award-winning photographer David Beckstead showcases 180 of his most powerful images and explains how each shadow effect was created using commercial lighting, natural light, store-bought modifiers, and even common household items. Armed with the techniques outlined in this book, you will find a host of creative means to introduce and manipulate shadow patterns—both in the studio and on location—and watch your creative efforts and profits surge.