It's official - the time for wedding, proposal and anniversary photoshoots has begun! Every bride wants only the most beautiful and original pictures - the ones that, when you see them, will make everyone gasp in surprise and put a big smile on their face, but how to get such pictures?
We asked TOP wedding photographer Linda Brīnums which places are better to organize a wedding photo session and which are recommended to avoid.
Plan B and a transparent umbrella!
Linda recommends to be guided first by what the couple is like - romantic or a bit extreme in nature, who is not afraid of adventures.
The nature of the couple will probably also determine what and ultimately where the photo session itself will take place. The choice of place will also depend on the theme of the wedding and the chosen color of the wedding.
If the wedding is dominated by everything green and natural, then it will only be natural that the photo session will also take place in the open air - in a forest or a meadow.
On the other hand, if the wedding is held in an industrial environment or in a fine restaurant, then an urban environment will be more suitable than a deep forest. "Personally, I don't recommend going to Old Riga to take photos on Saturdays, because you probably won't be able to avoid meeting a few more brides, but the quiet downtown area is very suitable for beautiful wedding photo sessions, just like the National Library or the currently relevant Latvian National Art Museum ," advises the photographer. The last two places recommended by Linda, just like the greenhouses of various botanical gardens, will also be a successful plan B for the changing weather of Latvian summer, so that in case of rain, beautiful pictures can be taken indoors.
"I always recommend to all the couples I photograph to buy or borrow transparent umbrellas. It is the best choice for photo shoots. Sometimes couples want to match the umbrellas to their wedding color, but for example, putting purple umbrellas will also change the complexion. White umbrellas also cast a lot of shadow - these are things that couples usually don't think about, but they definitely need to be taken into account in order to have the perfect wedding pictures," says Linda Brīnums.
If, however, the wedding ceremony or photo session is scheduled for too sunny or, on the contrary, rainy weather, don't worry - Linda is sure that a good and experienced wedding photographer will handle any situation.
"However, you have to take into account that a photographer, no matter how experienced he is, cannot read minds, so all wishes regarding the pictures must be told.
For example, I am happy when examples are shown to me, because that way I can fully grasp the client's taste and the idea of the "ideal wedding picture". If there are some things that you don't want to capture too much of, that shouldn't be hidden either. Basically, it's quite simple - the more information about wishes and the course of the event, the better. I myself really like helping to plan the event - figuring out how to make wedding pictures more interesting and beautiful, telling how to get lively and cool photo session pictures, and, of course, talking about lights and colors and wedding moods. I have a very personal approach to things, and I would like to think that other photographers do the same," says Linda.
TOP place of Linda's photo sessions – forest
If the bride wants to feel the most special on her wedding day and would not feel good meeting another happy bride, then Linda recommends avoiding places that are especially popular for wedding photo sessions on Fridays and Saturdays. In Riga, for example, it is Arcadia Park with beautiful bridges, and as Linda observed, on a summer day you will be able to meet at least a couple more brides there. "Instead, I would rather recommend choosing Mežapark, which is much wider and can be accessed from different directions. If the wedding is taking place near Riga, then Jaunciems or Baltezers could be great places for wedding photo sessions, where the Baltezer nursery is also located with beautiful and bright greenhouses and greenery - really great pictures can be taken there," observed Linda.
Those couples who have taken photos with Linda will definitely know that her TOP place as a wedding photographer is a forest - a pine forest, an overgrown forest, a bush forest, but a forest. Ķemeru marsh is also a great place for photo sessions, where you will get wonderful photos, especially in the early mornings or sunset evenings.
The best time for a photo session is the evening sun!
The time of the wedding photo session, guided by the specific wedding scenario, tends to be different for each couple, however, if the scenario allows, Linda recommends organizing the photo session more towards the afternoon. "In my opinion, the best time for a wedding photo session is in the beautiful summer evening sun, because it will make the pictures look beautiful in the forest, near the water or in the city. So I would really advise couples to think more about the light and less about the location.
I encourage all of my couples, regardless of where the ceremony will be, to go outside in the evening sun and find time for a small photo shoot of at least 20 minutes.
The result will be much better than, for example, taking photos in the sunny weather of the day by the sea," advises the wedding photographer. If there is a desire to take photos by the sea, then it should be done only in the evening or in slightly cloudy weather, otherwise neither the couple nor the photographer will be comfortable in the open and bright sun and heat. It should also be taken into account that places that look wonderful in nature can create a completely different impression in photographs. For example, White Dune in Saulkrasti is a favorite place for young couples, but they don't always know that it won't be a great place for photos because of the bright light.
"I would advise you to avoid, so to speak, tourist objects, but to travel your wedding route ahead of time and find places that would be more suitable.
I always advise couples not to think so much about what will be in the background as about their own emotions. We often drive as a couple and stop in places where the light falls more beautifully and, therefore, the pictures will also get the desired mood," says Linda.
For those couples who don't get to bask in front of the lens every day, Linda recommends thinking about different photo session attributes – bicycles, a book that seems to be read, large balloons or smoke candles, which are current and popular in photo sessions.
“The main prerequisite for using accessories is to adapt them to the specific environment.
Blowing colored soap bubbles in the forest and riding a bicycle along a narrow forest path might not be better, but doing it in an urban environment will be much more appropriate. In the city, a couple can drink coffee in their favorite cafe or sit on a popular terrace - in other words, do the things that a couple likes to do together every day," says photographer Linda Brīnums.
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