This Wedding meets Ballet, Polo and Candlelight Perfection: Captured by Bushwhacked

‘A Favorite Image’
There was a surprise ballet performance when dinner began, and it was even a surprise to me. I love those moments when I get to be just as caught off guard as the guests because the energy of the moment naturally shows in the photos.
I kept my shutter speed around 1/80 because I wanted the photos to reflect the movement and pull the viewer in instead of freezing it too cleanly. As the dancers moved I tracked them with the camera so they stayed more in focus while the people behind them blurred slightly. It helped isolate the performance while still capturing the guests’ reaction.

The Preparation

“I was in St Tropez wrapping up a wedding and flying home as my impeccable team was covering the welcome party. I had given direction for a few poses I really wanted to my team and they crushed it.”

Lauren (the bride) and I had discussed so many accessory ideas for the welcome party and landed on a veiled hat to really highlight the outfit and the event. I arrived around 2am into Newport and slept a few hours before waking up to tackle the day. I had so much adrenaline going from one inspiring event to the other and was so excited all day. I’m a very minimal shooter as far as gear, I have one backpack with everything I need.

Photographer: Bushwhacked

The Gear & Details

Camera & Flash: Sony a7rV, Profoto A2
Shooters: 3
Coverage: 11 hours over 2 days

A Polo Race Welcome Party

Lauren and Steven opened the weekend with a little Newport Polo. Such a unique choice that gave the whole weekend a deep sense of place and character that reflected the couple. What a fun way to welcome guests, right?

Getting Ready on the Wedding Day

Lauren messaged me a couple weeks before the wedding asking if we could add a private portrait session in the morning. She had a “getting ready look” that she had created the most insane mood board for. I absolutely adore that my clients are so creative and love to collaborate on their ideas. It was so exhilarating to start the day with a moment of creative freedom before we transitioned into the more documentary moments.

The Ceremony

Inside an old stone chapel, I led the primary coverage at the altar, my second captured the must-have angles from a different perspective, and my third focused on guests and creative moments in between. Delegating tasks/moments helps me feel at ease with everything covered.

‘Behind the Lens’
Sometimes we are limited to getting the classic shot when what we really want is the more artistic version. That is why having a team is so valuable at large weddings. I captured the straight-on shot as they exited the ceremony, and I sent my third shooter to the side to get a little motion blur. When it comes to motion blur, I only love it when it matches the direction of the movement. I never want blur during a moment that is still. I use it to enhance what is already happening, not to create something that feels forced. For larger weddings it is important to provide multiple options so the couple has variety and feels completely taken care of. You will always receive a clean version along with the more artistic interpretation.

Portraits

I’m a big fan of storytelling and I spend a lot of time curating my images with music that adds to the story. I want my viewers to digest the day as it happened and feel the way I felt when I was there.

I always direct my images with the intention of portraying my couples energy together. In this case, Steven was so calm and observant of Lauren. He would watch her as she moved around with adoration. It just made sense for Steven to be anticipating her as she flowed towards him throughout the portrait session.

‘The Background’
Lauren grew up in ballet, was classically trained in violin, and spent her life around equestrian sports. I am deeply inspired by renaissance paintings when it comes to lighting and posing, and I wanted her portraits to reflect that feeling. I always shoot until I feel that gut certainty that we have the image. As we were wrapping up our portrait session, I had the idea to have her sit on the wall and lean slightly to the side. The moment I saw it through the lens, I knew that was the shot. It felt like stepping straight into one of those paintings I love, where everything is still yet full of emotion and subtle movement.

The Reception

The reception was lit by candles and chandeliers. To immerse myself in the space I mainly used ambient lighting. I had my third shooter using flash for the dancing portion of the night so that we didn’t disturb the environment too much.

One of the most beautiful things about Rosecliff Mansion is the sheer scale of every room. The architecture is unbelievable. Dropping my shutter speed and leaning into the ambient light really helped capture how the scene felt.

At the end of the night my bride changed into a mini, and I always love walking with them for the outfit change because it gives me a chance to capture a quiet moment away from the guests and do something a little more artistic. A huge part of photographing a wedding day is simply being in the right place at the right time. I had one of my second shooters hold the flash up and to the left so I could create a shadow from the statue. It gives the space more dimension and shows the height of the statue in the frame.

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