Witchy Wedding
Non-traditional wedding attire for a Halloween elopement in New Orleans.
Non-traditional wedding attire for a Halloween elopement in New Orleans.
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May, 2022Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in New Orleans, Louisiana (USA). This Halloween elopement couple rented a "spooky" victorian home to get ready in, and take portraits around the property.Time
This was taken in the late morning. As it was indoors, the light was accentuated with a flash, off-camera, to the left.Lighting
I wanted to capture the ambiance of the morning light in the room, but I also wanted to see our beautiful bride's face. As she was facing away from the natural window light, her face was in shadow. I used my flash off-camera, to add a little sparkle to her face and eyes, under her dark veil.Equipment
This was shot on a Nikon D750s, with a Nikon 50mm lens, and one Yongnuo YN560 IV speedlight.Inspiration
I was so fortunate to have this fun, friendly couple book me for their Halloween elopement in New Orleans. They chose to book me for a full-day elopement package, even though it would just be four of us: bride (in a witchy costume), groom (in a blood-splattered white tux), me, and my trusty husband as our lighting assistant (also both in Halloween costumes). As artists themselves, the couple wanted to have a long, fun wedding day, creating memories and taking photos, while exploring New Orleans! We started at this amazing "spooky" victorian home in the Garden District, where we casually got ready, had their first look, and took both romantic and quite silly couple's portraits. They intentionally chose this location because they admired the architecture, so I tried to incorporate it into the background of photos as much as I could. And of course, although their Halloween wedding was untraditional to say the least, we all agreed their photos should still be taken in a traditional wedding style, which is what attracted them to me as a photographer in the first place. This is clearly one wedding that I'll always remember!Editing
My post-processing is always fairly simple; I use Lightroom to make minor adjustments. This image likely has a little exposure adjustment, contrast adjustment, shadow/highlight adjustments, and color correction, if necessary. I like to keep the lighting and colors true to my clients' experience.In my camera bag
I always carry two Nikon D750s camera bodies. I primarily use a 50mm, a 24-70mm mid-range zoom, and a 100mm macro (my longest lens). Now that I'm traveling, I carry a Rokinon 24mm tilt-shift, for landscapes and portraits, along with a vintage Polaroid camera and a modern "vintage-esque" PaperShoot camera. My light bag contains four speedlights, each with various MagMod modifier options, two lightstands, and a (rarely used) tripod. I use Yongnuo YN560 IV speedlights, which are often considered lower quality than other brands, but I absolutely love their incredibly long-lasting rechargeable batteries, and the ability to adjust power settings for all flashes, from the master flash! Of course, I always have a prism, extra memory cards, batteries, assorted bungee cords, gaffers tape, and other things that might come in handy. I use a BlackRapid camera strap, if shooting with one camera; and I use a HoldFast double camera strap, if shooting with both cameras.Feedback
When shooting the "getting ready" portion of a wedding day, I prefer to let the scene naturally unfold, with gentle guidance. I'll clean up the background if necessary, get my lighting dialed in, then let the couple do as they normally would. I may ask them to put on a piece of their outfit a little bit at a time, or I may ask them to look at me, or look away. But I don't typically request more than that, or get very specific with their posing or prompts. I feel like this helps them look natural, and helps each wedding couple present their unique charm.
