As a wedding photographer, I have a keen eye for colour; I tend to know what works and what doesn’t. So, when WedMeGood got in touch with me with a bunch of questions to help readers be better informed when shopping for bridal outfits, particularly which colours that worked and what are the no-no’s, Praerna {my wife} and I were only too happy to help.
Here are eight tips for colours and clothing that’ll help you photograph better on your big day.
Warm and bright colours look better than pastel colours, purely from a vibrancy point of view. In certain communities, whites and creams are the norm, and while that also does well, in terms of actual ‘colour’, the more saturated, vibrant, and richer versions of a coloured photograph fare better than its pastel counterparts. Specifically reds, oranges, pinks, purples, blues, and greens are always wonderful colours to work with.
Ideally, one colour should dominate the outfit, rather than the outfit being a riot of various bright colours.
The décor and colour theme are very important with respect to bride’s outfits. A big no-no is for the bride’s outfit and the décor colours to be the same; she’s going to end up just blending in with the backdrop.
No matter the time of the year, morning {or early evening}, outdoor weddings trump night-time, indoor weddings. Always. Almost any kind of lighting effect can be simulated in the photography studio, but when it comes to weddings, it’s not possible to replicate the effect of soft, natural light that comes with mornings and early evenings by using lights and flashes.
Indoor, night weddings can be worked with by using pro cameras, flash, or artificial lights and if the lights are used well, the effect can still be very good, but not as good as in an outdoor, natural light situation. {This doesn’t apply to the harsh afternoon sun though; it ends up causing harsh shadows on everybody’s face}.
Having lighter, muted versions of related colours is always complementary. For instance, if the bride is is wearing a rich red and gold lehenga, then good colours to work with would be a pale mithai yellow, peach, pastel orange, or coral. Some of the small detailing can be in bright red, but not when it comes to the bulk of the drapes or flowers.
Loud, bright colours are always better in small flashes and accents.
In terms of her outfit, a bride should stick to vibrant colours even for an outdoor, day wedding. But make up for an indoor, night wedding needs a little more attention–too much shimmer or glitter will reflect in flash and other artificial lighting scenarios, as will too much of heavy makeup. During the day though, natural sunlight will hide a lot of flaws on the skin, and reflectiveness will not be a big issue. The make up artists should be briefed on the kind of venue and lighting the wedding will have, and they should approach the make up and look accordingly.
Colour coordinating by wearing the same colour is a big no. The bride and groom must both stand out in their own style and not blend into one another. But complementary clothing is definitely a good idea. For instance, the embroidery or detailing on the groom’s outfit can be the same {or similar} in colour to the bride’s outfit. Or, as another example, if the bride’s outfit is pink with blue detailing, the groom can wear a dark blue outfit. But there should be some sort of line between feminine and masculine colours; both mustn’t be dressed in the same, bright and vibrant colour.
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The original interview was posted on WedMeGood. You can read it here.
