wendy and ed wedding

"Are you here for the Carnival Wedding?"  That is what the museum attendant asked me upon arriving at Ed and Wendy's wedding (they were married at a small Art Museum in Milwaukee.)  I think it was in response to the fact that they had lawn games, face painting, a costume filled photo booth, and a charactercher artist for their reception.  Even with all of that, this was one of the best locations I have shot a wedding at; with lots of character in the building, and great settings like a terrace, gardens, and big rooms...plus (since it was outside) I had a great quantity of light, that's good if used right.

Figuring out how to use the harsh noon light was something I have been working on for a while.  Proof that practice before pays off when you need it.  I knew that I needed to keep my subjects in the shade as much as possible.  To do this, I utilized parasols, garden foliage, and overhangs.  It was also helpful that by the the time we got the the reception, the balcony that we were using was in open shade (shade created by a building, but nothing above.) 

Some more great light came in the evening, when I could use back light to create drama.  Below is natural back light from the setting sun, and for the dancing I used my flash for a similar effect.

You may remember their pre-wedding portraits: their first "fun" set here, and then the "serious" set here.  These two are a joy to photograph, and a joy to spend the day with.  "Carnival Wedding" probobly doesn't explain it right, but it was a lot of fun!

Thanks again Ed and Wendy.

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