Depth of Field in Church Weddings

When I shoot weddings I like to get at least one photo of the Bride and groom at the front of the Church enjoying the ceremonly.

What follows are a couple of samples of shots taken at a recent event.

Taken with a Nikon D200 with an 70-200mm F2.8 lens, at 200mm, f2.8, ISO set to 640, this photo was shot from about 30 feet away using a lens-mounted monopod for added stability.

The slightly out of focus groom in the background keeps your attention squarely focused on the bride who is clearly enjoying the moment.

To the left is another example, this time showing how changing

the orientation of the shot can capture that extra bit of detail (the flowers) can add an extra element to the shot that was previously lacking.

Of course it's also hard to miss the fact that both the bride and groom seem to be enjoying this moment even more than the last. Timing is everything when it comes to shots like these and this is good example of how it is possible to get a great shot with a little patience.

This shot is also a little brighter than the last. It was shot with the same lens as the last shot, but this time at 155mm, f2.8, 30th of a second and ISO800.

What I find makes these shots interesting is the shallow depth of field combined with the soft lighting of the environment. Shooting with a bright lens is what makes this possible, so if you don't already have an f2.8 or brigher lens in your camera bag, now's the time to go get one.