Available light photography at weddings 163- One photograph of the bride and groom walking up the
aisle, again taken at the back of the church. The fl ash
exposure certainly caught the bride and groom, but the rest
of the scene was lost to darkness. - A photograph as the bride and groom prepared to drink
champagne together. The photographer arranged this scene,
instructed the couple on intertwining their arms and
stopped them just as the glasses reached their lips. How
cruel! With the chilled champagne just inches from the
mouth, these couples had to stop and wait for the picture
to be taken before enjoying. - The next planned photograph involved cake cutting. Once
more orchestrated by the photographer. He or she would
position the couple at the cake, even instruct them on best
way to hold the knife. If that wasn’t enough of an inter-
ruption, the couple was then instructed to cut halfway into
This image was made at a popular Colorado wedding site for summer ceremonies that overlooks the Conti-
nental Divide. In the winter months, it’s buried in several feet of snow. After the formal portraits were taken,
and as the guests departed for the reception, the couple stayed behind for their own quiet time. Without inter-
rupting or closing in on them, Barry took this photograph with a 70–200 mm zoom lens. The telephoto lens
compressed the distance between the couple and the mountains. The cropping is loose enough to give a sense
of scale between the bride and groom and their outdoor surroundings. Notice that the bride’s back is to the
camera, the groom’s face is partially hidden—they’re not posing—and yet it’s her favorite photograph. She
loaded it onto her work computer as a screen-saver image, reminding her of the wedding day every day. ©
2004 Barry Staver.