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Fine Art Wedding Photography: How to Capture Images with Style for the Modern Bride
Many semi-pro and professional wedding photographers are looking to "wake up" their style, stay current, and stimulate business. And today, that means lifestyle photography, also referred to as "fine art wedding photography." Fine art wedding photography isn't just a catchy phrase; it's a modern approach in which design is paramount. Fine art wedding images are more graphic and stylized than traditional wedding photojournalism, as if they were pulled from the pages of a glossy wedding or lifestyle magazine.
Acclaimed wedding photographer Jose Villa was a pioneer in fine art wedding photography before it became a trendy buzzword. Here, he shares his secrets for bringing a stylized sense of composition, lighting, posing, and most important, design, to your images, while still keeping them organic and narrative. You’ll learn Jose’s trademark technique of capturing the more natural moment after a pose, and tips for getting images right in-camera to avoid the need for heavy postproduction. Final chapters show you how to integrate design through the delivered product, whether an album or slideshow, and continue nurturing clients after the wedding by expanding to baby and family portraiture.
Packed with real-life examples, solid techniques, and stunning images from one of the wedding industry's brightest stars, this book will both educate and inspire photographers seeking to update their work and satisfy a new generation of brides.
Acclaimed wedding photographer Jose Villa was a pioneer in fine art wedding photography before it became a trendy buzzword. Here, he shares his secrets for bringing a stylized sense of composition, lighting, posing, and most important, design, to your images, while still keeping them organic and narrative. You’ll learn Jose’s trademark technique of capturing the more natural moment after a pose, and tips for getting images right in-camera to avoid the need for heavy postproduction. Final chapters show you how to integrate design through the delivered product, whether an album or slideshow, and continue nurturing clients after the wedding by expanding to baby and family portraiture.
Packed with real-life examples, solid techniques, and stunning images from one of the wedding industry's brightest stars, this book will both educate and inspire photographers seeking to update their work and satisfy a new generation of brides.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
23 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 3, 2011
I bought this book a few months back, flipped through it to look at all of Jose’s beautiful photos, but never really took the time to digest the material inside it. Given that June is (was, since you’re reading this in July) one of my busiest months of the year with engagements and weddings, and because I knew this was a relatively quick read, I thought this was a good month to tackle it. I think the important aspect to this goal of mine (of reading one photo/biz book a month) is to recognize that it doesn’t have to be a BIG book to count or something incredibly dense and wordy. There are still some GREAT take-aways to be had from these pictorial lesson books (and its format reminded me a lot of Bryan Peterson’s “Understanding Exposure” — still my No. 1 recommendation for new photographers wanting to learn how to shoot manual. You MUST read that book!)
Here were just a few of the take-aways I had from Jose’s book (based on the bent-down corners I kept and the notes I scribbled!)
• Think about investing in a video light—I haven’t done this yet, but I loved Jose’s insight into how a few small video lights can be less obtrusive than on-camera flash (do any of you readers use video lights? If so, I’d love a recommendation!)
• Jose’s exposure rules for his style of work: 1) Overexpose 2) Expose for shadows 3) Photograph with aperture wide open—I appreciated how he included all the camera data with his images and gave insight into how he got the exposure.
• Don’t be afraid to shoot in Aperture Priority—while I shoot everything in manual, I found it somewhat reassuring to hear that Jose (expert that he is) keeps his camera in Aperture mode a lot when he shoots. When I find myself second guessing settings, it’s a mode that I need to remind myself is there for me if and when I need it.
• LOVED Jose’s suggestion on how to get a laugh from his bride and groom while photographing them during portraits: Have them kiss, but do it with their eyes closed. “Because their eyes are closed, they always miss, and end up kissing each other’s forehead or eye or chin. Inevitably, they crack up, genuinely laughing at themselves, and that’s the moment I’m looking for.”
And finally, one last tip I put into use from Jose at my wedding last Saturday:
• “Once they reach the last row or pew, I ask them to pause and kiss. I get that shot with my 16-35mm for a wide-angle view of them kissing and everyone behind them standing up and clapping. That is a winning shot right there. I did it as an accident once, and I’ve included it at every wedding I’ve done since.”
Here were just a few of the take-aways I had from Jose’s book (based on the bent-down corners I kept and the notes I scribbled!)
• Think about investing in a video light—I haven’t done this yet, but I loved Jose’s insight into how a few small video lights can be less obtrusive than on-camera flash (do any of you readers use video lights? If so, I’d love a recommendation!)
• Jose’s exposure rules for his style of work: 1) Overexpose 2) Expose for shadows 3) Photograph with aperture wide open—I appreciated how he included all the camera data with his images and gave insight into how he got the exposure.
• Don’t be afraid to shoot in Aperture Priority—while I shoot everything in manual, I found it somewhat reassuring to hear that Jose (expert that he is) keeps his camera in Aperture mode a lot when he shoots. When I find myself second guessing settings, it’s a mode that I need to remind myself is there for me if and when I need it.
• LOVED Jose’s suggestion on how to get a laugh from his bride and groom while photographing them during portraits: Have them kiss, but do it with their eyes closed. “Because their eyes are closed, they always miss, and end up kissing each other’s forehead or eye or chin. Inevitably, they crack up, genuinely laughing at themselves, and that’s the moment I’m looking for.”
And finally, one last tip I put into use from Jose at my wedding last Saturday:
• “Once they reach the last row or pew, I ask them to pause and kiss. I get that shot with my 16-35mm for a wide-angle view of them kissing and everyone behind them standing up and clapping. That is a winning shot right there. I did it as an accident once, and I’ve included it at every wedding I’ve done since.”
May 13, 2011
I hadn't really considered this book until a photog friend told me about some fun tips she had leaned from it. I was a little apprehensive, even though I love Jose's work, because so many people seem to want to make a quick buck off fellow photographers. Ultimately, my love for Jose grew. He explained things beautifully. He was very open about everything he does. I enjoyed reading about how he shoots film, even though I do not. I respect that he has put so much out there in the form of a book, whereas so many people are charging thousands of dollars to be followed around by someone hoping to pick up a few pieces of valuable information.
Key things I loved learning about- how Jose gets couples to relax and turn a "posed" photo into a comfortable one. How he approaches each phase of a wedding.
Key things I loved learning about- how Jose gets couples to relax and turn a "posed" photo into a comfortable one. How he approaches each phase of a wedding.
August 12, 2011
I love Jose's style, and this book was clearly written as a response to all of the "how did you do that?"-type questions he surely gets. I loved the imagery and enjoyed the book, but I don't yet know how I'll be able to incorporate this information into my business. Mostly I intrigued to note that he shoots in aperture priority (me too! besties!), and was stuck on how I could deliver my clients a bunch of blurry images and call it art.
March 29, 2013
Surprisingly, one of my favorite photography books right now. This is a deceptively advanced photo technique tutorial disguised as a coffee table book.
December 28, 2020
Not my particular style of photography. I felt like most of the pictures were blurry (though the author admitted they were for "movement"). The author also uses a film camera half the time which I didnt feel helped me. There was some useful info in it though for building a business.
June 20, 2020
Рассказывает что важно для него и как он это делает. Полезно начало, где описывает ключевые моменты как получать такие фото, и конец, где больше прошелся по маркетингу.
March 14, 2017
Worth the read if you're wanting to shoot film or hybrid as a wedding photographer
July 4, 2012
A great read for any wedding photographers who want to re-evaluate their business, or newbies looking to get into the business. Not particularly helpful for people who are new at photography (for that, as always, I recommend the book Understanding Exposure).
Jose Villa is a talented wedding photographer who shoots exclusively film. I've gotten so used to seeing nothing but digital photography anymore, than it was refreshing to see some film grain and relatively untouched images. Almost enough to make me want to shoot all film weddings, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. I do enjoy tinkering around with my film cameras, and I am going to check out his recommended film types next time I get a chance.
Anyway, the tips offered in the book are useful, especially Part 2, in which he walks the reader through a typical wedding day and explains what you should expect to encounter, what equipment he uses for each part (telephoto for ceremony; fast lens for reception), and some tips on the types of shots he likes to get. Another thing I found helpful was his tips on how to get couples to interact naturally, yet still be in an attractive 'pose' for the camera.
An all around great book to check out. His images have wonderful natural coloring, and offer much inspiration. The only pet peeve I had was the images which were out of focus, what he referred to as "intentional soft focus". Call it artsy if you wish, but I call it out of focus when I see a photograph with nothing in focus. It works in some cases, but in some examples in the book I was not a fan. Other than that, great book!
Jose Villa is a talented wedding photographer who shoots exclusively film. I've gotten so used to seeing nothing but digital photography anymore, than it was refreshing to see some film grain and relatively untouched images. Almost enough to make me want to shoot all film weddings, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. I do enjoy tinkering around with my film cameras, and I am going to check out his recommended film types next time I get a chance.
Anyway, the tips offered in the book are useful, especially Part 2, in which he walks the reader through a typical wedding day and explains what you should expect to encounter, what equipment he uses for each part (telephoto for ceremony; fast lens for reception), and some tips on the types of shots he likes to get. Another thing I found helpful was his tips on how to get couples to interact naturally, yet still be in an attractive 'pose' for the camera.
An all around great book to check out. His images have wonderful natural coloring, and offer much inspiration. The only pet peeve I had was the images which were out of focus, what he referred to as "intentional soft focus". Call it artsy if you wish, but I call it out of focus when I see a photograph with nothing in focus. It works in some cases, but in some examples in the book I was not a fan. Other than that, great book!
December 11, 2014
impressed! jose goes into a lot of detail on what he concentrates on during a wedding day, and what equipment he uses.
not a huge amount on posing, but he also doesn't like to hugely pose clients. was looking at one point for information on family photos, as i was going a large group, but very little was given, other than - keep them on the same focal plane, get them done quickly. ;) wedding day family photos are different from family photos in general, though. but group posing tips might have been somewhat helpful.
found the advice about marketing to high end clients (or just marketing in general) to be very obvious and eye opening for me. get it together, kim! fix that website and portray some serious professionalism already.
not a huge amount on posing, but he also doesn't like to hugely pose clients. was looking at one point for information on family photos, as i was going a large group, but very little was given, other than - keep them on the same focal plane, get them done quickly. ;) wedding day family photos are different from family photos in general, though. but group posing tips might have been somewhat helpful.
found the advice about marketing to high end clients (or just marketing in general) to be very obvious and eye opening for me. get it together, kim! fix that website and portray some serious professionalism already.
August 15, 2011
I really enjoyed this book! Jose Villa is one of my all-time favorite photographers, and his use of film is just gorgeous. Half of the joy of this book was looking at his images and hearing his thought process behind taking each one. I love when photogs carefully plan each photo, instead of just snapping away like crazy and hoping for the best. With film, each press of the shutter is expensive, so you really can't be careless.
This may not be your first read for learning photography, but definitely enjoyable for any wedding photographer. Glad I own it!
This may not be your first read for learning photography, but definitely enjoyable for any wedding photographer. Glad I own it!
May 8, 2012
The best wedding photography book I have read!
Jose explains things beautifully and it is a pleasure to read his book. I think he could have gone deeper with some technical aspects. But it might just be me who always want to know more.
By taking the time to show examples, this books serves its purpose. Since I have first read it, I have taken it a few times from the shelves to read some particular chapters.
Jose explains things beautifully and it is a pleasure to read his book. I think he could have gone deeper with some technical aspects. But it might just be me who always want to know more.
By taking the time to show examples, this books serves its purpose. Since I have first read it, I have taken it a few times from the shelves to read some particular chapters.
April 2, 2011
This was good. I think it would have really helped me out a lot when I was just starting to shoot weddings, but I didn't really find it too beneficial for where I'm at now. Still, Jose is awesome and the images are all really pretty. Nice to read about his take on things. Read this in under 2 hours.
December 11, 2011
I bought this because I love Jose Villa's work. He shares very openly his techniques and tips - my main takeaway was to really challenge myself to shoot wide-open as much as possible (usually under f/2). It makes such a huge difference.
September 29, 2012
Oh Jose Villa, what do we say about you. I liked this book well enough, and it did encourage me to dip my toe back in the film pool, but I just don't buy into the "it's on film, so I embrace my mistakes" mentality.
July 6, 2015
Must must have this if you r portrait, wedding, child / candid photographer..
You will come to know many technical and aesthatic aspects in this amazingly written book
For any query mail at manish.ray03@gmail.com / write at https://www.facebook.com/raysclicks
You will come to know many technical and aesthatic aspects in this amazingly written book
For any query mail at manish.ray03@gmail.com / write at https://www.facebook.com/raysclicks
May 11, 2018
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. With simple instructions it has helped my photography so much. Which I still can't afford the lenses that the author uses, his techniques and suggestions have made such a difference that I pass this book on as a recommended one to any new photographer.
April 7, 2011
Makes me want to shoot, develop and style, and move somewhere warm. :)
August 31, 2011
This book inspired me to shoot more film! Loved it.
August 15, 2011
Mostly things I have heard before, but I really enjoyed that he told you the films he uses and some of the discussion of learning from your mistakes!
December 16, 2011
I feel like this book would have been really beneficial to have read when I was first starting out, still it is a gorgeous book and I love Jose and reading about his approach :)
August 28, 2012
Si te interesa incursionar en la fotografía de bodas, consigue este libro, léelo y después te preocupas por lo demás.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews