WCC #9 - Shootin' From The Hip

[tenoverthenose]

Ever been shooting something at a wedding with one eye, when out of your other eye you see something more interesting? Ever been carrying your camera bag and see a touching moment that you want a frame of, but can't get your camera ready in time? Shoot from the hip!

Weddings are fast paced creatures. Show me your best shots where you either didn't have the time, availability, option, or just didn't care to look through the viewfinder. Maybe you're holding you camera over your head, maybe you're firing frames while walking - let's see them! Not looking through the viewfinder really frees up your shooting style, so this month is the perfect chance to take a chance and get some killer imagery!

Obviously no one is going to be able to verify if you were or were not actually looking through the viewfinder, so we're on the honor system here :) And besides, cheaters never win.

[Moogle Pepper]

Shot with my camera way above my head and tippy toeing to get it over a border...

http://tednghiem.smugmug.com/Weddings/Shaun/MG4287/838900599_ZFYDt-L.jpg

[Surfdog]

I tend to take alot of overhead shots just to get a different angle. (Even though I sometimes I miss my subject altogether.) I took this one this weekend at a funny moment where the couple and their parents had been trying to light a unity candle in a 30 mph wind...

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs431.snc3/24848_393528330853_81914680853_3975926_1759177_n.j pg

[LeeHowell]

Usually the shoot-from-the-hip mode comes in most useful during the dance-o-thon! I always enjoy playing around with these :-)

http://www.lhclients.com/Clients/Weddings/Piland-Earley-Wedding/PilandEarley-536/846896596_CyuQ7-L.jpg

[mmmatt]

Lowering of the veil.

Shot from a chair with my camera over my head. Flash didn't fire so this is ambient from a spot light above her. One of my favorites from the day.
http://www.lightcraft-photography.com/Client/Weddings/Loeb-Gelber-2009-11-07/IMG7580/722579140_Yueiu-L-1.jpg


Matt

[1pocket]

What the heck, I do the reach up and shoot thing, so here goes...

http://www.steveboothphotography.com/photos/853994365_Jcq5a-L.jpg

[Swartzy]

Shot from under the boat table....had to take a few but got one...LOL

http://swartzy.smugmug.com/photos/369984636_DKs69-XL.jpg

Shot literally from the side of my head....was surprised I got anyone..:D
http://swartzy.smugmug.com/photos/313900037_3jg8w-XL.jpg

[cj99si]

held down to the ground and hoped for the best.

http://www.coreymichaelphoto.com/Weddings/Wedding-Preview/IMG1729/631878005_qPdcb-L-2.jpg

[1pocket]

Guess I moved the photo or changed the galleries or something. Anyway, here is what I posted before -- maybe better titled "eye of the storm"

http://www.steveboothphotography.com/photos/862087747_WURYn-L.jpg

[tenoverthenose]

We're getting down to the wire here so take a picture without looking tomorrow! Next entry has a 1 in 9 chance of winning!

[tenoverthenose]

So not many entries this month (bad contest idea anyone?) but I hope that everyone had a chance to play around with taking a few shots without looking through the viewfinder. It takes guts to do this, it's not the safe choice, but the results may surprise you. Obviously everyone used a wide angle lens for this to capture more of the scene. My best advice to you as you play with this is the future is to know your lens. Know what it will take a photo of before you look through the viewfinder - then it isn't as important to look through the viewfinder, looking through the viewfinder will just slow you down. Another idea - this is not limited to "action" photos. What about posing the couple and shooting from different angle, or with the camera moving? Let's get creative together!

The winners!
1. CJ99si
2. Surfdog
3. Matt


- Ted I love the colors in your shot, but ultimately it is too centered for me (and the guy's belly behind the groom is distracting too). I think this will be a fun tool for you to explore with your PJ style.

- Danny I love that you took the risk to get this shot. Instead of trying to get a tight shot by shooting between people, you got everyone and the entire reaction. Also your WB looks a little off (did a flash fire?) in the shade. Well played!

- Lee I like the moment, not the tilt or the funky coloring. Perfect moment on the fathers(?) face! Get the coloring (gel flash) under control and you'll have a lot of fun with this.

- Matt I really like this. It looks like a paparazzi taking photos of the couple and it's a great moment! My concern is that it's too dark of processing. You crushed the blacks pretty heavily and it almost has the feel of funeral.

- Dave The first one doesn't help that the groom is camera-aware and she isn't. Also, the table is distracting. I like the second one, but it is almost incomplete. It's the kind of shot where I want to see the bride on the far left about to toss the bouquet - that would be perfect.

- Corey I really dig this. You made good use of the entire frame. Perhaps a bit too contrasty for my tastes. Watch the tripod/lightstand that is framed between the two women.

- Steve Good frame! The man in blacks finger giving the little boy a mustache kills it for me. It sucks he had to put his hand right there... Also it would do you well to gel your flash to match ambient.


Thanks everyone for playing, I know this is not the easiest contest!

[mmmatt]

*snip* Obviously everyone used a wide angle lens for this to capture more of the scene. *snip*

Thanks 10!

For the record mine was shot at 68mm (24-70 f2.8L) and was uncropped :D. Thanks for the comments. Congrats CJ and Surfdog!

Matt

***edit*** I thought the idea was a good one btw. Fresh ideas are going to get tougher as the months go on.

[heatherfeather]

I wanted to enter, I just didn't have time to go back through the bazillions of photos and think... was this one from the hip or not. Great idea for a theme!

[1pocket]

So not many entries this month (bad contest idea anyone?) but I hope that everyone had a chance to play around with taking a few shots without looking through the viewfinder. It takes guts to do this, it's not the safe choice, but the results may surprise you. Obviously everyone used a wide angle lens for this to capture more of the scene. My best advice to you as you play with this is the future is to know your lens. Know what it will take a photo of before you look through the viewfinder - then it isn't as important to look through the viewfinder, looking through the viewfinder will just slow you down. Another idea - this is not limited to "action" photos. What about posing the couple and shooting from different angle, or with the camera moving? Let's get creative together!

The winners!
1. CJ99si
2. Surfdog
3. Matt


- Ted I love the colors in your shot, but ultimately it is too centered for me (and the guy's belly behind the groom is distracting too). I think this will be a fun tool for you to explore with your PJ style.

- Danny I love that you took the risk to get this shot. Instead of trying to get a tight shot by shooting between people, you got everyone and the entire reaction. Also your WB looks a little off (did a flash fire?) in the shade. Well played!

- Lee I like the moment, not the tilt or the funky coloring. Perfect moment on the fathers(?) face! Get the coloring (gel flash) under control and you'll have a lot of fun with this.

- Matt I really like this. It looks like a paparazzi taking photos of the couple and it's a great moment! My concern is that it's too dark of processing. You crushed the blacks pretty heavily and it almost has the feel of funeral.

- Dave The first one doesn't help that the groom is camera-aware and she isn't. Also, the table is distracting. I like the second one, but it is almost incomplete. It's the kind of shot where I want to see the bride on the far left about to toss the bouquet - that would be perfect.

- Corey I really dig this. You made good use of the entire frame. Perhaps a bit too contrasty for my tastes. Watch the tripod/lightstand that is framed between the two women.

- Steve Good frame! The man in blacks finger giving the little boy a mustache kills it for me. It sucks he had to put his hand right there... Also it would do you well to gel your flash to match ambient.


Thanks everyone for playing, I know this is not the easiest contest!Thanks for the feedback -- good points all.

[cj99si]

Thanks Ten! Yeah the light stand bothers me as well, your right it is super contrasty i was trying to work with the edgy scene.

As far as the theme goes, I think it was a good theme, but its kind of tough to pick a photo for. Just like themes are hard to choose:scratch

[cj99si]

Usually the shoot-from-the-hip mode comes in most useful during the dance-o-thon! I always enjoy playing around with these :-)

http://www.lhclients.com/Clients/Weddings/Piland-Earley-Wedding/PilandEarley-536/846896596_CyuQ7-S.jpg

This image would be a great candidate for a conversion, the white balance is very distracting.

[LeeHowell]

Congrats to the winners! I thought the theme was fun! :-)

Thanks for the tips/comments/suggestions....

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/2881/846896596pilandearley53.jpg (http://img138.imageshack.us/i/846896596pilandearley53.jpg/)

[Moogle Pepper]

Well to be fair, Pat, I wasn't looking where I was shooting. :rofl

Congrats to the winners. I think cj99si is on a roll here!