Groom Photography Tips for Wedding Portraits

Wedding photography is a delicate art as is, but isolating the bride and groom means you have to master two different types of portrait photography. In the video below, Scott Kelby shares his tips for shooting the groom solo:

Kelby starts things off by setting up a Westcott 50″ Mega Apollo softbox at a standard 45-degree angle with low power, since it’s fairly close to him. The results keep shadows on one side of his face while brightly illuminating the other:

how to shoot a groom

But if you want to change the atmosphere of the photo without changing the rig too much, the easiest way is to add a smaller second light opposite the main one. Kelby’s main tip: Test the second light out on its own, first, to gauge its strength unobstructed.

backlight test shot

Once it’s set up properly, Kelby can get the type of shot he wants: one with a semi-soft light on the foreground, with a streak of shadow dividing a harder light from behind him.

simple lighting tutorial

It’s a better balanced shot, if a little less dramatic. The point, however, is that photographers can create a number of different moods and styles simply by moving the light around—adjust the main light by a foot or two, or take a step yourself to the left or right. Being stuck with limited resources doesn’t mean you’re stuck with limited options.

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