All language subtitles for 8. Families

So we've already shared many examples of how

to photograph families, but now we're going to

actually look at this on perhaps a more

of a personal level, because when you're talking

about families, you've got different generations, you've got

siblings, there's all these different dynamics and we

want to show those off.

So how do we do that?

Well, I love playing with foreground background.

You've already seen that I'm a big fan

of that.

Now, I love the fact that we can

go from this kind of a shot.

Also, we can do an interactive shot like

this where, yes, there would have been one

looking in the camera smiling, but this is

the one that speaks to me more.

And then we can simply flick the switch

and then have the parents in focus and

get them kissing and all that kind of

stuff.

I just love it.

And then there's some times where you'll have

a very sophisticated wedding where it's going to

be almost crying out for a traditional approach.

So this wedding was the wedding I was

telling you about, that very, that huge wedding

in Rome.

So we've got looking in the camera smiling.

This is very classic, very traditional.

And even looking in the camera, looking at

each other is not so flamboyant or overt

or anything like that.

So just remember, you can't apply the exact

same approach with every single family, because think

of the families around you.

Would you say that your family is the

same as the people that you're thinking of

right now?

Think of the people that's your next door

neighbors.

Think of your crazy cousins.

Think of your nerdy uncle that's overseas.

Everyone is a little bit different.

And I think those differences should be celebrated.

So let alone the fact that within a

family, you are going to have different dynamics.

You're going to have very close relationships within

those relationships.

Now, it's funny.

One of my favorite questions I like to

ask is, do you love your children all

the same?

And there's a bit of a wry smile.

Of course I do.

They're my children.

I love them all the same.

I go, well, who do you like more?

And then a big smile comes over that

person's face, or the parent, and then they'll

say, well, this person.

In other words, you can love your family,

but if you weren't family, you probably would

spend more time with this person.

And that's okay.

That's just human nature.

But just know that there are going to

be certain stronger relationships within the overall dynamic,

and it's your job to uncover those, and

then how to portray that in a photograph.

In this particular case, we've got parents, we've

got the bride and the groom, and then

we've got the parents of the bride, the

parents of the groom.

By the way, a lot of these are,

some of these are retouched, some of these

are not retouched.

In this case, this is out of the

camera.

You can see the water droplets.

This is the wedding that it was raining.

But you can see this, and it's looking

in the camera smiling.

It's quite predictable.

Great.

But then, how cool would it be to

actually showcase the bride with her family, the

groom with his family, and then you get,

basically, you see how they're connected physically by

the flowers in their bodies.

So this is basically saying, well, this is

the whole family coming together, but there is

still this nucleus of a family that already

existed, and this is the other nucleus, and

now we're becoming one, which I think is

beautiful.

Then I wanted all the couples to kiss.

So I got, unbeknownst to the mothers, I

said, mom, turn around, turn around, face your

partner, and then, you know, let's see what

got you into this mess in the first

place.

Hashtag, you know what I'm talking about.

Then they kiss, and I say, who can

do it best, you know?

And then, of course, you're always going to

get a reaction after the kiss, which I

think is actually really sweet.

But a mother and a son and a

father and a daughter, there are going to

be dynamics that we just associate with that

sensibility.

You often hear a mama's boy.

You never really hear the phrase mama's girl.

It doesn't really happen.

You always hear daddy's girl or something like

that.

So you have to understand that those relationships

and dynamics will reveal themselves, and you know

that the mother's got a soft spot for

each of her kids, but you're getting married.

There's a beautiful relationship there.

You know, we want to showcase this relationship.

There would have been one looking in the

camera.

You have to get that shot, then get

the interactive ones.

You know, you might have one of the

brothers that's a bit of a comedian, and

you get that brother off camera, then you

get the dad and the son just having

a fun and having a laugh with the

guys.

But the fact is that we get this

kind of shot looking in the camera, then

we interact, and then we simply can get

the groom in the foreground again, and we've

got a different kind of a shot.

This will save you time and give you

a lot of variety, therefore, unemotionally, more selling

options.

And then being Greek and coming from that

sensibility and being loud and over the top,

like I said, give him a bit of

a, you know, a bit of a slap

on the head.

Like, you know, what are you doing getting

married?

Like, you know, all that kind of stuff.

So now he's slapping him a little bit

there.

You can see how mom's being protective with

her right hand, and the boys are just

quick to be happy to do that.

And I said, Come on, give him a

hug.

And then all of a sudden, then now

come, I love you, son, come over here,

gives him a hug.

And it's just beautiful.

But again, this is not technically difficult.

Arguably, it just should be a shift in

your in your psyche that you're focusing on

your camera too much and forgetting about the

dynamics of a relationship.

And it's going to be different.

I often say that you should often if

you should photograph, if you photograph through the

eyes of a loved one, you will only

ever see beauty.

If I photograph through the eyes of the

dad, it will make me do shots like

this.

You know, because now we can very clearly

see the dynamics and the friendships within the

family, which is beautiful.

This next photograph, this is of a bride

and parents, probably one of the most beautiful

photographs that I think I've taken.

It's so simple.

It's so clean, yet it says so much.

That beautiful gesture, the foreheads touching, the light

hitting the bride's face, the expressions, the negative

space.

We are trying to make our lives so

technically difficult.

It's so funny because when I started photography,

like as of 2020, like 20, almost 27

years ago, I shot with a Mamiya RB67.

For those of you don't know what that

is, it is a camera like this big.

And you look down as you would photograph.

You would do three actions when you photographed.

You would click the shutter, you'd cock the

mirror, and you'd wind the film.

And you would have 10 shots per roll

of film.

What you did was very premeditated.

And what I'm getting at is that you

just have to slow down and take your

time and then realize that really photography is

more about relationships.

And we're burying our heads into our cameras.

And it's almost like the cameras have simplified

our workflow in many ways.

But in many ways, we get so absorbed

with how many things our cameras can do,

where we totally forget the point.

We're there to create a legacy for a

family.

We're there to capture history.

We're there to capture the beauty of someone

or highlight the relationships between two people or

a family.

So I'm suggesting that we have to remember

that when you ask most people what's the

most important thing in your life, they would

probably say family.

What does that look like in a photograph?

Looking in the camera smiling or lining up

like a firing squad?

Probably not.

Does that have a place?

Yes, it does.

But these kinds of shots, I'm telling you,

will literally have a ripple effect of how

this family sees themselves and maybe what role

models of parents and a daughter should be

like for the future generation of maybe the

daughter's kids.

Being able to get shots like this where

the bride's wiping the tears off the mum

as dad kisses the shoulder and as they're

connecting.

Now, you might say, well, Gerry, you're just

lucky to have a beautiful, emotional family.

Well, if I told you that this was

half directed, would you believe me?

I don't really care.

And it doesn't matter whether I pose this,

it doesn't matter even if I directed it

or half directed it.

The fact is, the family will look back

at this photograph and see an incredible legacy

for the family.

If you're looking at this photograph and saying,

I wonder what lens you captured this with,

you're missing the point.

Seeing two grandmothers, you know, you've got the

cheeky one and then you've got the emotional

one and then you've got the bride reacting

the way she does.

And these grandmothers, I think they're in their

late 90s at the moment, I think they're

still with us.

How important is this photograph?

The mother's wearing a hat and I thought,

wouldn't it be fun to sort of hide

her identity and capture the relationship between, you

know, father and daughter and a suggestion of

mum, or being able to just use their

height differences and fit their faces like a

puzzle and have the connection between, the physical

connection between the mother and the son, but

then the connection with the eyes as well.

It's so beautiful that we can do this.

I'm going to be honest with you, I'm

sick and tired of hearing photographers say, oh,

family photographs are boring.

Well, let me just say, if you think

family photographs are boring, you are boring.

So get over yourself.

The wedding is not about you, it's about

who you're photographing.

Now, we've often talked about this, look at

the camera smiling, it has its place, take

that shot, get them to interact.

Now we're getting somewhere, get them to interact

some more.

Let's add a sibling to the photograph, let's

capture them separately with the father and the

mother.

In the end, it's your energy that you'll

bring to the equation that's really going to

get you these great shots.

Yes, the gear, it's a tool of a

trade, but once you know that gear, it's

no different than a calculator to an accountant.

Know how to use that gear, but you'll

spend more of your time as a photographer

really manifesting the relationships of not only between

you and who you're photographing, but really giving

people permission to love each other and feel

good about each other and have some fun

on a day where it might be a

little bit nerve-wracking.

I love this shot because this is basically

the bride coming down the aisle, we've got

the parents right down, they're having some fun,

but we just see this whole dynamic and

literally the light and the staircase gave me

the idea of this photograph.

Having beautiful light where the mother is about

to put the veil over the bride's face

and giving her some last words of wisdom,

you could almost hear the words that she's

saying.

You have to understand relationships and to photograph

them.

I'm not saying you have to be flamboyant

and over the top and outgoing, although that

certainly helps.

The same way that you can practice your

photography, you can also practice your personality.

You might say, well, how do you practice

your personality?

Well, I believe it's practicing the art of

empathy and humor.

I think they're the two best things that

actually disarm people.

The minute if you mention something taboo that

is no longer taboo, then all of a

sudden the gates open.

People are going to want to laugh with

you before they want to cry with you.

I love the fact that we can get

the father and the bride and the back

of a convertible and with the bridesmaids in

the background, but a beautiful moment where most

photographers would have gotten in the car and

driven off to the church and not taken

that photograph, or maybe not have the foresight

or get ready to focus on the mum

through the veil while the bride's adjusting the

veil of the bride.

I'm not saying that this is easy, nor

do these shots really reveal themselves so comfortably

in front of my camera, but the more

you look for these moments, it's sort of

like a coincidence, and I say that in

inverted commas, that you become a magnet for

moments because you're looking for them.

These shots, I just love.

I love the fact that we've got those

different dynamics between all the kids and the

bridal party and the families are interactive.

No one wants to remember and look back

at photographs and say, you know what, look

how amazingly conservative we were or are.

I mean, yes, what you're probably thinking is

that what about the photographs from 50, 60

years ago where the shutter speeds were so

slow where people had to just sit there

for like a second or even 60 seconds

at certain points in the evolution of photography?

The fact is that there was a certain

charm about those photographs because it became popularised

that you had to stand stoic and still,

but there was a different sensibility I find

that in 2020 and beyond, I think that

there's a certain expectation certainly of a new

generation expecting experiences, expecting a lot more truth

and authenticity, even though it's an oxymoron where

there's so much things that are fake on

social media.

At the same time, there's a lot of

people also revealing so much of themselves in

an authentic way, and what I love about

society at the moment, apart from the things

that I'm challenged with, as I'm sure you

are, is that we are embracing so many

things.

When I was growing up, there were the

cool kids over here, there were the nerds

over here, there were the brainiacs over here,

and if you weren't one of the popular

kids, well, you're alienated, but now in society,

and there's musicians and different people out there

and people in positions of leadership that are

popularising that it's cool to be a nerd.

That means you're smart.

It's cool to be a jock because you're

actually physically doing some things that are demanding

of your body or whatever, but I think

that people are being celebrated like they've never

been celebrated before, and no matter who you

are, there's a place for you.

I love the fact that we're celebrating different

sizes and shapes of body types of girls,

guys, whatever.

There are so many people out there that

are doing so well that it's now okay

to be bigger in ways or parts or

whatever.

So what I'm getting at is how does

this affect what we're talking about?

We're talking about dynamics, relationships, being individual within

a group.

So how do we show the strength of

unity and also show individuality in between these

is actually understanding who you're photographing.

Without understanding who you're photographing, at best, you'll

say, look at the camera and smile.

Go deeper.

Trust me, this will make you stand out

ridiculously above and beyond your competition because you're

the only one who probably cares.

So do that for me and for yourself

and for your clients.

So this one here, traditional photograph, looking in

the camera, smiling.

Do that.

Great.

In the can, but then have some fun.

Get the groom with the brother in the

foreground and the parents in the background.

I love this shot.

We've got a very handsome sort of groom

in the foreground here, and then you've got

the actual parents in the mirror in the

background.

Then I asked the parents to grab their

wedding photograph from probably what looks like to

be married in the 80s or something like

that.

And then they're just sort of mingling and

twinkling noses there as well.

I think it's just absolutely beautiful.

Having such a close bond with the father

and the bride, you can see that the

bride had this in her because she would

almost treat dad like a Labrador.

You sort of wrestle, you wrestle, you're cute

with it, you're playful, whatever.

You knew that this would probably reveal itself.

Sometimes it's the brides or anyone you photograph,

you just need permission to do that or

feel that way.

Even doing a big group shot of the

church, which you've often seen, I personally like

to do it either from a bird's eye

view where I'm photographing down on people so

I can see more faces.

Or if there's enough steps, we can have

rows of people so we can see everybody.

But don't forget that after that shot that

you take, get the couple away.

Well, let's just say that a girl with

the name spelled S-I-R-I thought

I was talking to her and that's why

she interrupted me.

But anyway, so we can get the bride

and the groom in the foreground and then

all the family in the background, which I

think is really fun.

But look at this shot.

Look at the dynamics of this shot.

Yes, there was a shot looking in the

camera smiling, but that interaction I'm telling you

will be the difference between why someone books

you and not somebody else.

But this shot, there was that shot looking

in the camera smiling while the bride and

groom were with the family.

But I'm like, hey guys, I want you

guys to walk away from your family.

This is it, this is your time.

Family, celebrate that couple, blah, blah, blah, hype

them up a little bit.

And we've got that shot.

Then you've got that traditional family portrait on

the stairs.

But that also has a home.

You just have to understand who you're photographing,

what you have time for, what is going

to be realistic under the circumstances.

Whatever you think you can do, push it

because you're probably going to get a lot

further than what you think.

Even at the front of a house, you

think about it that you welcome people at

the front of a house.

So that's what you do.

That's the first impression that people give.

And if all of a sudden I take

a family portrait at the front of that

house, that would be meaningful to the people

who owns that house and so on.

But I love the fact that we can

go from looking in the camera smiling to

interactive.

Then we've got mum and dad.

So mum and the daughter looking off.

You've got dad kissing the cheek, interacting with

siblings and then the brother.

This is not that difficult, guys.

What we just need to know is that

there is a home for all of these

photographs.

So you just have to start to understand

when you're photographing a family, this could be

your family.

What would you want for your family if

you were being photographed?

I want a blend of these traditional photographs.

I want clean representations of what's going on.

I want photographs of siblings and different connections

like that.

And sometimes you might just do an extra

photograph of the mother, of the groom and

the father.

But mum and dad were actually, on this

particular wedding, mum and dad were just standing

on the side and they came to the

location portraits with us.

So there I am in my mind thinking

that we had already done all the family

portraits, but they came with us to the

location.

So I took some shots with the bride

and the groom, the bride sitting on the

groom's lap in this case.

And then I feel the energy of mum

wanting another photograph.

I'm like, well, when would be a good

time to do that?

Well, wait a second.

I've done that one standing up, looking in

the camera smiling.

What would I do now next?

Well, perfect opportunity.

Let's just change it up.

She sat in the lap.

Hey, stand together.

We took that shot and that was it.

But this is very much the kind of

shot that I like to do.

Look in the camera smiling, but a bit

more than just a fake smile.

And then we interact.

Then we have some fun.

Then we get the personalities of the kids.

Then we get brothers just stirring each other.

And then after a while, what will happen

is you'll, there's shots that you'll have in

your repertoire that you'll do.

And you think, oh my God, that kind

of shot will perfectly suit this family.

You'll walk into the bride's parents bedroom and

see an incredible classic photograph and think, oh

my God, that reminds me of what I

did like a year ago.

Oh my God, that would suit them as

well.

And then the mum and dad are going

to love the fact that you paid attention

to them, let alone had the foresight to

bring that photograph off and then photograph in

the foreground.

And then we've got the kids playing around.

We'll talk about reveals very shortly.

And then the girls are getting ready as

well.

But all of these shots all represent family,

all represent unity and harmony.

So just remember, again, to push it a

little bit further.

People just need permission to be themselves and

have some fun.

I love these shots.

I remember photographing the bride and her parents

from behind there.

And you've got the parents kissing.

And I think I made the parents blush

on the bottom left because mum and dad

were kissing quite passionately.

And forgive me if you think this is

offensive.

I said, oh my God, mum and dad,

you're kissing like porn stars.

And I developed enough trust with this family

to say that, knowing that they wouldn't get

offended.

And you can see how the bride just

freaked out and laughed.

But mum and dad thought it was all

too funny.

And then we added her daughter and then

we added the brother.

And of course, we got those shots as

well.

But families, guys, let's get closer up.

Let's get a bit more intimate.

Let's develop and understand the dynamics and the

relationships with all that we're doing.

These aren't that difficult to do.

You just have to make it a habit.

This is what we do.

We photograph traditional photographs individually.

We do a little bit closer up.

We have a little bit more fun.

This will be something for everyone.

To this day, I've got to say, I

don't think there's been one wedding in my

lifetime that I've photographed that someone said, well,

where's this kind of a shot?

Where's this variety?

It's all there because I'm giving them not

only what they expect, which is usually looking

in the camera smiling, but it's also the

interactive ones and those little gestures that people

do and those little intricacies of those families.

I love the fact that we can do

all this.

I think I showed this one already.

So pardon me for that one.

This one here, again, the sun was actually,

we're photographing on the rooftop of a building.

We've got LA buildings in the background.

So backlight's probably going to be the only

choice that I've got.

So I get them really close to shield

that sunlight coming through them.

But again, I do the ones looking in

the camera and then I get all this

cropped nice and tight so I can tell

you what's going on.

But that's the beauty of it, guys.

I also like the idea of actually using

like a car, like they're about to walk

out of the house.

So this is the last time the bride

will walk out of this house as a

single girl.

This is a pretty important moment.

If they have a fancy car of some

description, great, but you can also use it,

whether it's for a reflection, whether it's walking

on the way to the car or whether

it's actually using the door frame to frame

this beautiful portrait.

I love the fact that we've got dad

escorting the bride in, but then you've got

him celebrating the two beautiful women in his

life in this case, which I think is

just absolutely exquisite.

And then sometimes you can just do a

totally different perspective.

This is actually me inside of the vehicle

photographing with the ribbons of the car.

This is actually quite a popular thing to

do in Australia where you would put a

white ribbon on the ornament of the car

or, and then put it on the, we

call it bonnet, I think you call it

hood.

But then we get all the family interacting.

Now, this did not happen naturally.

I put them in that rough position, gave

them something to do, had a bit of

fun, and then that's how it revealed itself.

So guys, hopefully I've given you a different

perspective to really understand what the meaning is

to actually photograph with the eyes of a

loved one and appreciate that families, every single

human being on this earth, I don't think

there's any exceptions, is that every single human

being wants to be seen, loved, heard, and

respected.

If you are photographing the bride and the

groom, you might think it's all about the

bride and the groom, but how did they

even come into existence?

Well, the parents, the grandparents.

You might have a poor grandmother whose husband

just passed away six months before the wedding,

whose dying wish was it that they actually,

that they go ahead with the wedding and

please, you know, celebrate your wedding and I

wish I was there.

There are so many things that you just

don't know about.

And I'm saying to you is get deeper

with your clients.

Ask them what's important about family.

Who do you have a soft spot for?

Ask them relevant questions.

What interest do you have?

What interest do you have?

And is there any of your family that

has the same interest?

That's like a nice way of saying, who

are you closest to?

Look at the photographs on their walls when

you're walking in their house and all these

different things.

You start to understand why these people are

who they are and who they are together

as a family.

And that's the most beautiful thing that we

can do.

So these shots aren't difficult.

What you've got to do is get out

of your head and stop doing just the

basics.

Go a little bit deeper with the relationships.

And trust me, the beauty that you will

see is a lot more than f-stops

and shutter speeds.

Next, we're going to look at the reveal.

Now, not just the reveal as far as

the bride and groom seeing each other before

they get married, but actually doing a reveal

where the bride sees family for the first

time as a bride and how much beauty

we can actually get out of that.

So looking forward to sharing that with you.