WEDDING DAY PORTRAITS WITH JUST THE BRIDE AND GROOM AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Amid all the flowers, food, music and festivities, there are two people at the focal point of a wedding: the wedding couple.

With all the attention heaped upon the bride and groom, a portrait session away from the crowds can help capture private moments between them. It gets the couple away from the pressure that comes with their wedding, and a chance to be alone to reflect on the occasion.

So why not consider at least a brief window of time to go off with the photographer to make some creative portraits in a picturesque environment, whether it be a park, old barn or nearby beach?

To be sure, a creative portrait session is not something that will happen at all weddings . Not all couples need or want one, and many prefer to let the moments captured during the ceremony and reception serve as photos of just the two of them.

And while it may seem like a deviation from truly just sitting back and letting the wedding photojournalist document the day as it unfolds, such portraits are no different than what photojournalists may find themselves doing most days while working for a newspaper, magazine or wire service. And it's hardly the heavily posed photos of traditional wedding photography , but rather a way of putting the bride and groom into an environment and sometimes just letting them be.

ALONE TIME

Ideally, photographers will want to spend a relaxed period of time with the bride and groom during a portrait session. But with the demands of the wedding planner, caterers and others worked into the schedule, that luxury cannot always be realized. Sometimes a schedule may leave up to an hour for portraits. On other occasions, it may be only five minutes, or perhaps no time at all.

If it is something they choose to do, the couple of honor should make sure there is some window in which they can get away. It'll pay off, as this quiet time will often produce some of the best portrait opportunities.

If the bride and groom choose to have a portrait session, says Miguel Pola, , "I'll suggest that we plan on spending about 20 to 30 minutes after the ceremony with me, away from everyone else."

WHEN TO STEAL AWAY

Opinions vary as to the best time for the bride and the groom to get some isolated quality time with the photographer, although most tend to try to capture a few portraits before the reception, when everyone still looks fresh.

A bride and groom will want to do the portrait session before the entire ceremony. In these cases, Miguel likes to start photographing the bride getting ready, and then observes as she meets the groom for the first time on their day which he considers the "first look".

Others find that taking the bride and groom away between the ceremony and reception leads to a great photo session, since the couple has just exchanged their vows and is experiencing the emotions of being a newly married couple.

A session after the ceremony also works well logistically, as wedding guests are often shuffling from the ceremony location to the reception hall. The travel time also lets the couple head off somewhere with the photographer for a shoot in an attractive environment.

Though it may be impossible to achieve the ideal alone time due to tradition, family responsibilities or scheduling conflicts, the bride and groom should work together with their photographer to find the best period in the day to have minimal disruption and optimal time.

LOOSENING UP BEFORE THE CAMERA

Unless the wedding involves a runway model marrying a seasoned actor, the odds are there will likely be at least one subject— the bride, groom or both— who is unfamiliar with being the focus of a portrait session. "Most people have a preconceived notion of what it's like to get their picture taken," Miguel says. "They almost expect to feel uncomfortable."

One of the best ways for couples to loosen up in front of the camera is by forgetting it's even there. "I talk to the bride and groom and keep them focused on things other than being photographed," says Miguel, who notes that he peppers the couple with questions about how they met, what they do, and where they're off to afterwards to put them at ease.

Another way to get a few creative shots is to pick a day before the wedding for a photo shoot. Herring tends to do this, taking the couple out for two hours to a location of their choice. This strategy helps to build a relationship and lets the couple get comfortable with being in front of the camera. When the bride and groom begin interacting with each other, the camera stops being the focus and the result is great, un-posed images.

TOP TIPS FOR GREAT PORTRAIT SHOTS

• Set aside a good chunk of time to spend with your photographer.
• Get away from the guests and family to capture those truly intimate moments between the newly married couple.
• If someone is camera shy, bring a relative or friend to help them loosen up.
• Go out for a pre-wedding day shoot with the photographer for a totally relaxed session.

"It helps to calm their fears," Miguel says. "I don't want them being nervous with me on the big day."

If on the day of the wedding either the bride or groom has a hard time acting naturally, Miguel sometimes will pull in someone else—either the best man, maid of honor or another sibling—just to make the mood more informal.

KINDLY DITCHING THE RELATIVES

With all the great emotions that pour out when the couple are alone together, the last thing the wedding photographer needs is a portrait session ruined by the couple being distracted by numerous flashes and guests vying for their attention. It can also be overwhelming for the couple to have so many "look here" or "do this" demands tossed at them from a crowd of well wishers.

That's why most suggest keeping the guests away for the private photo session. In fact, Miguel stipulates it in the contract that everyone stay away for the private shoot.

If the families don't understand the snub, just be sure that someone explains that the whole point is to get the best creative portraits of the soon-to-be or newly minted husband and wife—images that will season the collection of other, more unplanned moments to be shared forever among family and friends.

CREATIVE WEDDING ENGAGEMENT PORTRAITS

While the wedding ceremony and festivities can often be packaged into a tidy weekend, the engagement period usually lasts several months, and it is comprised of the planning, booking, preparing, tailoring and hiring, all of which lead to the actual marriage.

The extended time period makes it quite a challenge to cover the engagement from beginning to end, as a wedding photojournalist would do with a wedding. So, to capture the couple during their committed but not-yet-married period, it makes a good deal of sense to joint them on a venture to a scenic spot for a portrait session. However, this should not be considered merely a chance to recreate those traditional, cheek-to-cheek shots with a soft focus that find their way into the local weekly newspaper. Portraits can be so much more.

A number of WPJA members have ventured entirely outside the box in composing creative engagement photography . These innovative photographer s catch their couples in highly unusual settings or moments, sometimes even being obscure in the process. The result is stunning and memorable images. The members who create these images are taking the rulebook of traditional engagement portraits and throwing it out the window.

"All the rules go out the window when shooting an engagement session," states Miguel Pola. 

And while these wedding photojournalists will still likely oblige mom and dad's requests for some traditional-style close up engagement portraits, most will also include a number of eye-opening images that flirt with the creative edge.

CHOOSING A STAGING AREA

One approach of portrait sessions involves setting up shots in predetermined environments; another involves locations that are conducive to great spontaneity and creativity. Miguel Pola, an Orange County based wedding photographer , has found that choosing the right backdrop for his engagement sessions is a critical part of the process since, in his view the environment often becomes another character in the photos with the couple.

Miguel finds that there's no shortage of unique and interesting spaces in which he can capture creative portraits, though he does admit to having a slight affinity for taking couples to somewhat distressed areas like abandoned warehouses or unused barns.

FOLLOW THE LIGHT

There are a number of uncontrollable variables that still will keep the photographer on his or her toes in the quest for great images.

One of those unknowns is the availability and angle of natural light. Miguel uses the ever-changing position of the sun as an asset by getting different shots throughout the day of the engagement portrait session. And he does, in fact, make it a day, usually starting around 3 p.m. and ending sometime around 9 p.m. or later, visiting special client-selected locations.

"I just ask them to go to a couple of spots that are meaningful to them, but from there, I'm just chasing the light," he says.

When the sun starts to set and the shadows get long, all the better. 

Such photos serve another purpose: they give potential clients a chance to envision themselves in creative poses in a way that traditional, close up shots can't because they're focused on the people.

"I push it as far as I can creatively take it. It spurs me creatively to try to come up with something different every time," Miguel says.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

A creative portrait session can also develop into a great way to learn about the couple's personality. While you may have some sense of who they are through the initial interview and conversations, here is an opportunity for formalities to fall by the wayside. They'll let their guard down, and you'll observe them simply being together. The photo session is their chance for whatever it is that connects them to shine. And through careful direction, you can help enable that. As a result, that special something that defines their bond will be captured in the photographs.

Discovering what indefinable thing that links two people together does not need to be tricky. It's a matter of observing their personalities. Plan the session around their likes and interests? Ask ahead of time where they enjoy spending time together? What do they do for fun? For romance? Ask yourself what do you see in them that maybe they haven't noticed themselves? The B&G will be delighted when they find out you've picked up on a particular quality they possess but hadn't realized before.

An added benefit to the couple letting loose and having fun during the photo session is that you will get greater insight into what sort of wedding to expect. You will also learn how to best photograph them on the big day.

There's usually a strong understanding between the couple and the wedding photojournalist that while, yes, the portrait session is staged to a degree with the setting or some mild posing, the better, more unique shots come from the unplanned interactions.

"I tell them beforehand that this is going to be a collaborative effort between me and them," Miguel says. "If you can get them to trust you, you can create these authentic photographs with people laughing and being playful." Such emotions just can't be set up.