The bride, groom, and the bridesmaids are usually the ones who steal the spotlight on the wedding day. But this doesn’t mean that the groomsmen are to be left out. Groomsmen tend to get a little less attention, but nevertheless, it’s equally important to get shots of the them. Professional wedding photographer Vanessa Joy from Adorama takes us behind the scenes of how to photograph groomsmen:
Joy says that she tends to keep the flow fast and interesting. To do so, she shares some jokes, which help the groomsmen to get comfortable and get natural smiles. This is also important in the sense that men tend to prefer the “socialization” part of the wedding more and might find the photography session a little less interesting compared to the bridesmaids.
Get a Variety of Shots
Joy likes to mix it up and get every possible combination of shots. She likes to shoot the groomsmen in a group, each of them with the groom, and each of them individually, as well. She also suggests that if time is not sufficient to get all of this done, then skip the individual portraits of the groomsmen.
Pose the Group of Carefully
While posing the groomsmen for group shots, Joy likes to arrange the groomsmen in one row alternating according to height. This allows her to create a triangle pattern with the heads of the groomsmen. To make the photo more dynamic, use some props—chairs, for example.
Give Some Extra Attention to the Groom
The groom, after all, is the hero of the day, so it makes sense when Joy suggests to pose the group with the groom a few steps in front of the group and closer to the camera with the rest of the group behind him. Then, by shooting at a narrower aperture, you can get a result with all of the groomsmen in focus, and by shooting at a wider aperture, you can keep the groom in focus with the groomsmen being blurred out. Once the photo is taken, individual groomsmen can come up front and join the groom for a quick photo. This tip comes in handy when time is vital.
To make sure that she can fit in all the groomsmen in the frame, Joy likes to shoot with her 50mm lens and while doing individual portrait shots, she opts for her 85mm lens. These focal lengths have minimal distortion and have a flattering compression.
Shoot Upward
To make the men look more powerful and more masculine, Joy suggests shooting slightly from a lower angle in an upward direction while making sure that no double chin is visible.
Get Some Candid Shots
While Joy is busy arranging the groomsmen and taking their photographs, her second shooter is around with a longer lens (something like a 135mm or a 70-200mm) taking candid shots and close up shots of the groomsmen. This adds details and a sense of casualness to the photo album.
Do you have any other tips for photography groomsmen in a wedding?
Like This Article?
Don't Miss The Next One!
Join over 100,000 photographers of all experience levels who receive our free photography tips and articles to stay current:
Leave a Reply