Engagement Photography with Segna & Elecia – Going Downtown SLCMonday, February 6th, 2012
Downtown Salt Lake City makes for a great location for engagement photographs. Although the weather is warmer than usual it is still too cold to ditch jackets – even for photographs. We have a beautiful couple today – this is Segna and Elecia. They are from Spanish Fork but didn’t start dating till they moved to Salt Lake. They will be getting married beginning of March – and I hope the weather will be perfect for them.
They wanted an urban feel to the photographs – so I picked a downtown location that has a bit of everything. There is graffiti, brick, some urban decay and even one building has a water tower. We ended the photo shoot on State Street after we new we had some amazing photographs.
Using the sun for some lens flare to add a unique look to the engagement photos
Breaking the rules of photography can lead to some amazing results. Usually you want to avoid lens flare – but if you do it right you can definitely create some magical and unique photographs. I am sure Photography teachers are groaning right now but don’t worry we have a variety of photographs.
Sunset is a great time for photography - the light makes people look amazing
When planning a time for your engagements (or even wedding portraits) the closer to sunset the better. With my portable lighting setup I can photograph anytime and anywhere – but it is ideal to get as close to sunset because you have some directional lighting and the light is more golden and warm. I love to have the sunlight coming from behind the bride (or brides) and then fill in the shadow with my own lighting.
Golden light is perfect for photographs - the sun was about to set
I love graffiti. For the last few weeks I have been going on a graffiti scavenging hunt. I am collecting graffiti photographs as backgrounds for some Photoshop magic – but also so I know where to go when people want that urban feel. And what says urban more than graffiti?
Graffiti is always fun - and there are some cool locations downtown with great color
…especially when the artwork is a dinosaur. I am sure this wouldn’t appeal to mom – or a lot of brides. Maybe only grooms would dig this kind of artwork – but it is fun.
Fun with a T-Rex - I love this shot
I am sure I have blogged about my Polaroid photography – I am trying to get at least one Polaroid out of an Engagement session. Right now I scan them and then I give the original to the couple. In the future I will just hand them to the bride at the end of the engagement session. It becomes a one of a kind photograph and it gives the bride something to hold onto while I edit and process the rest of the photos.
A Polaroid engagement photograph - taking advantage of the graffiti
A good wedding photographer should be able to create beautiful photographs anywhere and at anytime. Location can be important – but light and composition and the subjects are much more important. And in the end that is what makes a photograph.
Don't tell anyone but this shot was in a car garage - anywhere can be a location for engagements
I love to put brides into locations that look a bit rundown. There is just something cool and twisted about beauty in an ugly location. Granted you don’t want to be there at the wrong time of day – and you want to go in a group of people but the results are really cool.
Part of the fun of photographing downtown is the "decay" in some areas
Urban locations make for great textures and backgrounds
If you haven’t noticed there are a lot of photographers who shoot weddings and engagements. And a lot of them advertise themselves as natural light photographers. Natural light means they don’t use flash or anything artificial. I can photograph natural light but I prefer to mix natural light with my own artificial light in hopes of creating something magical. I think it is becoming part of my own style – something unique.
Sure I can photograph natural light - what sets me apart is my love to mix natural light with my own lighting
With all my interest lately in film photography I am still a digital photographer – that isn’t going to change. I have so much more control – and better quality with digital than I can ever hope to achieve with film. I can take a digital image and create some truly unique black and white images. I am finding that I am spending more time on fewer images. Quality over quantity – but I am not sure how to market that yet. While other photographers make create 3000 photos at a wedding I am finding that I create 1200 and I whittle that down to 700 photos. And of that 700 I want to create 20 truly amazing and unique pieces of art. Is that something that will appeal to brides?
Digital photography obviously gives me, the artist, so much more control
I love brick backgrounds - and the bigger the variety and color texture the better
If you are curious about this location just look for Floral Street on Google Maps. The area is a bit run down and boards as an alley way. The way things appear it might be demolished someday – which is a bit sad.
This is a favorite location to shoot in Downtown SLC.
Another Polaroid photograph for the engagement session
Holding hands
Always fun to photograph the footwear
I am particularly proud of this photograph. The sun had just set and we have the Walker Building in the skyline. Getting a tall building and getting people at ground level to be in the same photograph can be a challenge. This is all about camera angles and perspective.
Engagement photos with the Walker Building in the background
Great light makes for great photographs. I have been working my hardest at practicing my lighting techniques and mastering my equipment. I think it pays off in this photograph and many of my photographs. If I can get the photograph right in camera that makes the final image so much better.
Great lighting makes for great photographs
And getting it right in camera is often the first step. Adding some cross processing or some color effects to an image can add a unique look to the photographs. As always I have to find that balance between a cohesive look and new creativity.
Playing with some cross processing to give some edge to the photograph
Black and white engagement photograph
This photograph was published in QSalt Lake Magazine
Maybe this spring I will have to chance to photograph Segna and Elecia again. I would love to give them a chance to get out of their winter coats.
Check back in a month for their wedding photographs!
Last photograph. Love the little bit of wind blowing in Segna's hair - I didn't even need a wind machine!
Blog Archives
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Jan | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | |||
Visit Photography GalleriesSee the PricesLearn More Contact Me
