Florens - One Wedding: How to Photograph a Wedding from Start to Finish

Photograph by Samantha Lauren.

Brett Florens launched his career as a photojournalist in 1992, while fulfilling national service obligations in his native South Africa. Since then, his devotion to photography has taken Brett from covering police riot squads to a highly successful career as a wedding, commercial, and fashion photographerwith long-standing clients such as Wonderbra, Playtex, Quiksilver, and Roxy. Recently, he received the distinction of being chosen as the representative Nikon Wedding Photographer, making him one of twelve photographers chosen worldwide as the best in their particular field. Brett is also the author of Brett Florens Guide to Photographing Weddings and Modern Bridal Photography (Amherst Media). He currently travels extensively, shooting and hosting professional seminars. Visit www.brettflorens.com for more information on Brett.

Copyright 2014 by Brett Florens.

All rights reserved.

All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 586

Buffalo, N.Y. 14226

Fax: 716-874-4508

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Associate Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt

Associate Publisher: Kate Neaverth

Editorial Assistance from: Carey A. Miller, Sally Jarzab, John S. Loder

Business Manager: Adam Richards

Warehouse and Fulfillment Manager: Roger Singo

ISBN-13: 978-1-60895-696-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013952492

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

Contents

E very wedding is a journey. It starts off slowly, many months before the big day, then begins to accelerate as the auspicious occasion draws closer. All along the road, frenetic activity, unforeseen challenges, and heightened emotions cause bumps and swerves. When the day dawns, the hill to climb in the hours ahead can seem arduousor, for the ber-prepared and relaxed, it can be smooth sailing. Once the formalities are over and the party gets started, its usually a happy downhill ride to the end of the day!

P-1. Meet Claire and Chris. Theyre an engaged couple, and were going to be following them throughout the course of their photographybefore, during, and after the wedding. Well also look at the albums that were created for them.

P-2, P-3, P-4. From the engagement session, to the wedding ceremony, to the reception (and beyond!), well look at how images were created for Claire and Chris.

As professional wedding photographers, we are there to make this journey as pleasant as possible for our clients. With our guidance, the process can be completely enjoyable and memorable for everyone involved.

One Wedding will clearly explain how I planned and executed each phase of the shooting.

In this book, Im going to take you step by step through an entire wedding, showing you how to smooth the road for your clients. I invite you to follow me through the process, from the pre-shoot production procedures (engaging with the client about the look and feel of the shoot, developing and researching mood boards), to the engagement shoot, all the way through the wedding day, and on to a post-wedding shoot. Well even look at how the shooting and album-design processes go hand in hand to produce the couples perfect engagement and wedding albums.

One Wedding will explain how I planned and executed each phase of the shooting. I will take you through equipment choices and explain the technical elements that go into creating perfect products for my clients. Marketing is essential when trying to attract a specific client, so Ill also be sharing techniques to help attract and secure your target market, allowing you carte blanche to create images and storybooks that reflect your vision and unique interpretation of the event.

After your initial meeting with your client (where they secure your services, contracts are signed, and terms and conditions are discussed), you will need to set up a meeting to discuss the engagement shoot. This shoot is usually scheduled six to eight months before the wedding and has a few very clear advantages. First, it allows you to get to know your client better and helps them get accustomed to your manner of working with people. Additionally, it is a great opportunity to explore different facets of their personalities by shooting images that reflect not only their individual styles but also their identity as a couple. It is during this session (and day-after session; see ) that you have the greatest poetic license to design creative images for the couple.

1-1. During the engagement session, you and the clients can get to know each other.