This is a bridal party portrait taken during a One King West wedding.
Before discussing the artistic merits of this photo, I need to make a few comments about my colleagues. I know for a fact many Toronto wedding photographers consider family portraits boring and unimportant. My take is completely different. The family photos are the most important set of images we can deliver. Why? First, because documenting the presence of family members who might leave us in a few years is crucial. I had quite a few brides email me and thanking me for taking beautiful photos of various deceased (now) family members.
But I digress. Let's get back to our group portrait. Because this marriage occurred in the winter, we had to take the formal photos indoors. Fortunately, the wedding venue has plenty of spots that create perfect backdrops.
For this wedding party group photo, the couple chose the Chairman's Boardroom. The beauty of the Chairman's Boardroom consists in its classic elegance. Opulent without ostentation, this room is perfect for family photos.
For this image I grouped the wedding party so that their heads create triangles and are positioned alongside diagonals or reciprocals.
To illuminate such a large group of 10 people I used a Profoto B1 diffused through an 8ft umbrella.
I remember my second shooter commenting that this was overkill but looking at the beauty of this image that looks like a Vanity Fair cover, I think it was well worthed.
The photograph was created with a Canon 5D Mark III equipped with a Canon 24-70 f 2.8 vII lens.
In post production, I applied skin softening, selective vignetting, some dodging and burning, sharpening and obviously colour correction.
Location: 1 King St W, Toronto, ON M5H 1A1.
