This image of the father escorting the bride to the first look location was taken during a wedding at Liberty Grand. The bride and groom decided to have a have first look before the wedding ceremony. As such, on this sunny but cold February day, the bride is being accompanied by her father towards the place she would see her future husband.
This photojournalistic wedding picture contains two stories. In the foreground the father, to the right of the bride is looking at her and is caught in mid stride. He's wearing a tall hat under which we can see his long grey hair. In his right hand he is holding a cane. To his left, the bride is walking, holding the wedding bouquet on her right hand, and lifting of the dress with her left hand.
In the mid-ground, we see the limo driver heading towards his car. I remember the temperature was around -25°C that day, not exactly the best temperature for a outdoor wedding portrait session. As a Toronto wedding photographer, I don't have a choice and photograph sessions regardless of the weather. At this wedding, taking pictures outside was a challenge because the bride wore a sleeveless dress and wasn't wearing a jacket. However, she faced the elements bravely and we managed to take a few stunning images in the courtyard at the Liberty Grand.
Because the light was harsh and unflattering for an environmental portrait, I waited for the bride to step into the shade and only then pressed the shutter button.
This is a striking image from a composition standpoint. First, there are three subjects in this picture (the bride, her father, and the limo driver) which according to the rule of odds makes this picture appealing. Next, the shadows of the bride and her father, but also the limo and the edge of the sidewalk treat golden triangles pointing towards the bride. In effect, the emphasize the main subject of this image, the bride. Also, in this image everybody's moving from the left to the right for a normal flow of the action in the frame, which is also an important composition rule. Because we read from left to right, our brain is comfortable when the subjects in a shot move from the left side of the frame to the right.
Because the colours in this image were a range of brown and greys, I selected a black and white processing. Also, in post production I removed a pole and telephone wires that were creating distractions in the background. Through dodging and burning I made sure that the bride is the brightest part of the frame so that the viewer's eyes go directly to her.
I captured this image using a 35mm lens, my favourite choice for documentary wedding pictures. To be able to capture multiple stories (the bride and her father but also the limo driver) I shot at f11.
As a photographer specializing Liberty Grand weddings I am familiar with the surroundings so I know the best indoor and outdoor photography locations to create beautiful imagery regardless of the weather. After the first look we went to the courtyard for a quick photo shoot followed by a portrait session in the Governers Room and the wedding ceremony and reception later that day.
The massive windows of the Governers Room are perfect for wedding portraits. Because the decorators were working continuously in that hall, I used a medium telephoto lens to capture a series of portraits of the couple.
Location: 25 British Columbia Rd, Toronto, ON M6K 3C3.
