Your wedding dress is one of the most important pieces of clothing that you will ever own. It is a symbol of your wedding day, a reflection of your own tastes and preferences, and a beautiful piece that can show your guests your true personality. All that being said, wedding dresses can be hard to photograph if you are not sure what you are doing. There are a few tips and tricks you can use to get the best photos of your dress, and we want to clue you in. So when asking, “do wedding dresses photograph well,” we have some answers.
Lighting is Key
With dresses that are white, off-white, ecru or any other variation of white, lighting is a huge part of photographing and making sure that it looks great. Too bright and the dress is washed out and looks flat, too dark and you lose the light for your subjects. Finding the perfect light can help to light up the dress, bring out all the details, and still flatter your subject.
Natural light is one of the best types of light to use when photographing a wedding dress. Natural light streaming in from a window can help to illuminate both the bride and the dress and can cast the perfect shadows to catch details like lace, beading and detail work on the bodice.
Position Can Change Everything
With large items like a wedding dress with a billowing skirt, a long train or a flowing vail, it is difficult to get the right angle and the right position to catch all the details. When photographing a dress that is stunning and unique, take the time to take a few test shots and see what position is going to be most flattering to the dress that you are photographing. Some dresses look best from the back, others look best in profile, and some even look most stunning from straight on.
Taking the time to make sure you get a shot that is going to showcase the dress and the bride is essential. Making interesting shapes and profiles with the dress is another great way to show off details and to have some real fun doing it. You can pick up the train and show it off, you can do twirls and spins to showcase the full skirt, and more.
Backdrop Can Change Everything
With dresses that are white or very light in color, you want to make sure that the backdrop and background do not wash out the dress and that the dress does not get lost in it. Though a very dark background can create a very stark contrast, subtle tone and shade differences can help to bring the dress to the forefront without being too obvious.
Take the time to find some great natural tones that are going to help your bride and dress pop without being too showy and without being too contrasting. A gorgeous cream color dress looks lovely against the green of the grass and can really help make your bride the center of the photo.
Props and Extras
The last thing to keep in mind are any props or extras that you want to add to your photos. While props are fun, too many can make it hard to focus on the bride. They can detract from the dress, from the bride and they can make a photo feel cluttered or crowded. Be mindful when photographing a wedding dress of the props and extras that you are adding to the photo.
The goal is to find things that compliment the dress rather than detract from it. Try to choose things that help to compliment the dress, that flatter it and that make it look better. Try adding things that are going to add to the photo rather than take away attention from the dress and from the bride and anyone else that might be in the picture with them.
Taking the time to experiment and to try out different modeling poses, colors, shapes and lighting to find what makes the dress pop can make a big difference. Photographing a dress is a wonderful way to commemorate a dress and a wedding day and taking the time to take the perfect photo can help you catch all the details of the dress that you are photographing.
