Why Bridal portraits are so important on a wedding day

First and foremost, it's important to understand the role that the bride plays in a wedding day. As the centre piece of the event, the bride is the one who everyone is there to see, and as such, it's essential to capture her in all of her glory. There are a few things that you can do to ensure that you get the perfect shot of the bride on her wedding day.

One of the most important things to consider when photographing the bride is the lighting. The right lighting can make all the difference in the world when it comes to capturing the perfect shot. The ideal lighting situation for bridal photography is natural light, but this isn't always possible, especially if you're shooting indoors or during inclement weather. In these situations, it's important to have the right equipment to make the most of the available light. This is where prime lenses with great autofocus come in. Prime lenses are lenses that have a fixed focal length, and as such, they offer a wider aperture than zoom lenses. This wider aperture allows more light to enter the camera, resulting in brighter, more vibrant images. Additionally, prime lenses are known for their sharpness and clarity, making them ideal for capturing every detail of the bride's dress and accessories.

When it comes to bridal photography, one of the most popular prime lenses for wedding photographers is the Nikon 85mm 1.4. This lens is known for its incredible bokeh, which is the blurred background effect that is achieved by using a wide aperture. The bokeh effect is especially important in bridal photography because it helps to isolate the bride from the background, drawing the viewer's attention to the subject of the photo. The Nikon 85mm 1.4 is also incredibly versatile, making it an ideal lens for a wedding day. It's long enough to allow you to stand back and capture candid shots of the bride, but it's also fast enough to allow you to get close and capture all of the intricate details of the dress and accessories. Additionally, the autofocus on this lens is lightning-fast, which is essential when trying to capture fleeting moments on a wedding day. Of course, the Nikon 85mm 1.4 is just one example of a prime lens that is ideal for bridal photography. There are plenty of other options out there, including the Canon 85mm 1.2, the Sigma 85mm 1.4, and the Sony 85mm 1.4, just to name a few.

The important thing is to find a lens that works for you and your shooting style. Another important factor to consider when photographing the bride on her wedding day is the composition of the shot. The composition is the way that the elements of the photo are arranged within the frame. When it comes to bridal photography, it's important to keep the focus on the bride and to minimise distractions in the background. This can be achieved by shooting with a wide aperture to achieve the bokeh effect, as we discussed earlier.In addition to using a wide aperture, there are a few other composition techniques that can help to make the bride the focal point of the photo. One such technique is to use leading lines to draw the viewer's eye towards the subject. It's a technique that comes naturally to me as a wedding photographer in South Wales

Leading lines are one of the most powerful composition techniques in photography. They are a tool that photographers use to guide the viewer's eye towards the subject of the photo. Leading lines are defined as any line or series of lines that draws the viewer's attention towards a specific part of the image. Leading lines can take many different forms. They can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or even curved. Some examples of leading lines in photography include a road or path leading towards a subject, a staircase leading up to a door, or even the lines created by the architecture of a building.

The power of leading lines lies in their ability to create a sense of movement and direction within the photo. By using leading lines, a wedding photographer can guide the viewer's eye towards the subject of the photo, creating a sense of depth and visual interest. They can also be used to create a sense of tension or drama within the photo, depending on how they are positioned and used. When using leading lines in photography, it's important to consider the placement and orientation of the lines within the frame. Horizontal lines can create a sense of calm or stability, while diagonal lines can create a sense of movement or energy. Vertical lines can create a sense of height or power, while curved lines can add a sense of grace or fluidity to the image.It's also important to consider the relationship between the leading lines and the subject of the photo. The lines should always lead towards the subject, drawing the viewer's eye towards the focal point of the image. This can be achieved by positioning the subject at the end of the leading lines, or by using the lines to frame the subject within the photo.

In bridal photography, leading lines can be used in a variety of ways to create visual interest and draw attention towards the bride. For example, a path or aisle leading towards the bride can create a sense of anticipation and drama, while the lines created by the folds of the bride's dress can add a sense of movement and fluidity to the image. The lines created by the architecture of the wedding venue can also be used to guide the viewer's eye towards the bride. Overall, leading lines are an essential tool in the photographer's toolkit. They allow photographers to create dynamic, visually interesting images that draw the viewer's eye towards the subject of the photo. Whether you're photographing a bride on her wedding day or capturing a landscape or architectural scene, leading lines can add depth, drama, and visual interest to your photos. A back of the dress shot from a low angle is one great example of how to achieve this.