Using Signs To Tell Your Wedding Photography Story – Part 3 (The Establishing Photo) No comments yet

Church in San Diego showing sign as an establishing photo.

It’s pretty much like making a movie; you have an establishing shot of a scene and then you move into the scene itself. With wedding photography, it should be an automatic response to capture the “establishing shot” – where the wedding is taking place. The point of this photo is perhaps an obvious one;  you want to create an image of where the couple was married. In addition, this image can be added to the wedding album, whether a traditional one or flush mount/magazine style album. Aside from photographing the actual wedding venue, another establishing photo can be of the reception site.

There are several options that a photographer can exercise when

Zosa Gardens, San Diego County

it comes to capturing the establishing photo of a wedding, however, my focus for this post is the use of signs (since this is part of my signs in your wedding photography series).

Perhaps the most common image is one where you have the bride and groom posed in front of the sign as in the image to the right. Here we have the couple standing in front of the gates to their wedding venue – Zosa Gardens in Valley Center (San Diego County). However, you may want to capture a more creative pose as seen in the photo of the couple kissing as the exit the church. Visible, is the name of the church where the couple where married; another good example of an establishing shot.

Handlery Hotel in San Diego

Finally, you may not have access to the couple or prefer an image without them visible (left). I suggest taking a photo of the couple in front of the sign and one without. This gives both the photographer and couple an option when design their wedding album.

You don’t necessarily have to make the establishing photo as blatant as having the couple stand in front of the sign or the sign of the wedding venue by itself, but it is nice to capture such an image as an alternative to show the couple.

Some ideas for capturing establishing photos of the couples wedding and reception venue:

1. The wedding/reception venue sign by itself
2. The building/structure of the wedding venue
3. A photo of the overall site, including the building
4. The invitation (if it has the name of the location – as most do)
5. An image of the couple walking away with the venue sign in the background
6. A photo of the couple in the background (out of focus) with the wedding venue sign in the foreground
7. The wedding party in front of the name of the wedding/reception location
8. The limo driving in to the wedding site with a shot of the building in the background and name of the site in the foreground

This by no means is a complete list. Actually, there is perhaps an endless amount of ideas; you’re only limited by your imagination. If you have any of your own suggestions, whether you are a photographer, bride, or groom…or anyone for that matter, plesae do leave a comment.