Whenever I am photographing the bride’s delicate details on a wedding date the first thing that I am looking for is beautiful light. The second thing that I am searching for is a compositional scenario that really allows the details to shine (no pun intended!). At this particular Four Seasons wedding in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I found a small mirrored table that I was able to freely move around the bride’s suite. I positioned this table close to an open window and had my assistant stand behind the table. Why would I have my assistant do that? Since both she and I always wear all black when we photograph weddings, her dark attire made the perfect black backdrop for this photograph of the bride’s pearl necklace. The mirrored table allowed me to get a precise reflection of the necklace, and the dark background really made the lighting and the reflection pop. There is no additional supplemental light in this image besides the light coming from the window off to the left of the camera. I made sure to use my 105mm macro lens so that I could really get close to the details of the pearls. I chose to position the necklace so that it flowed from left to right across the frame. If you notice that only the center of the necklace is perfectly in focus, it was a deliberate decision so that the viewer’s eye would travel across the frame, pausing in the middle on the sharp center. With any photograph that I take I am always considering the perspective of the viewer, and this precise composition was to elicit a specific viewing experience. Whether I’m photographing a portrait of the bride and groom, a documentary moment throughout the day, or even something as simple as a photograph of a wedding detail, the compositional experience is equally important.Keywords: current portfolio (75), detail (156), jewelry (9), wedding (1294). Filename: 37_reflections.JPG. 1/400; f/8.0; ISO 1600; 60.0 mm.
