Wedding days can be exhausting. Carrying all the gear you need to properly shoot the wedding is quite a load. All the lenses, camera bodies, flashes, batteries, etc. will take up all your strength and hands often. So bringing a lot of props is really not possible.
This is where you can look around at what you have and what is available and you can tell the story. This is especially true for detail shots. Posing and styling details is critical to create a professional, polished image, but it can be done without a lot of fuss. It gives more meaning to the images when you are able to add in elements of the surroundings.
Below are some detail shots with set-up explanations to get your creative juices flowing.
You'll never guess where we got this beautiful background for the ring shot.
It was the shoe box top for the brides' shoes!
This set up with the bridal gown and the bridesmaids' dresses is a lot less glamorous than it would appear from this shot.
They were just posed inside the closet!
Just using the flowers at the venue.
On a tablecloth at the wedding reception.
On the bride's unique bouquet
On a tile on the balcony of the bride's hotel room.
Hanging from the canopy of the bride's suite, using window light from the balcony.
Using the box that the rings were brought up the aisle in.
In a tree at the venue
Wait for this pull back!
Just a white table with 2 flashes triggered behind it.
Great looking details can come from anywhere. Just be open to seeing what magic you can create.
