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Photos of Wedding Receptions...
Time to Let Your Hair Down!

The Wedding Photos Online series is a collection of professional wedding pictures by Andrew Gardner, owner of The Boutique Photography Company Ltd.

Introduction

We're at the final stage of a wedding day now - the evening celebration. The biggest photographic challenge to contend with is low-light, and a photographer has two options. Either use flash or adjust the camera settings so it doesn't need as much light to take pictures.

Increasing the ISO on a digital camera does this, making the sensor more sensitive to light, so it needs less light to expose a scene. This has the effect of producing 'noise', which is when a photo 'looks digital'. Noise can be reduced to make a cleaner image or used creatively for a grainy effect.

With photos of wedding receptions I prefer to use noise for the grain effect, especially in black and white photos. In low-light conditions I think it works really well.

Click on each photo to open a larger version in a new window.

To take reportage wedding pictures, you have to be comfortable with following the bride and groom around, constantly looking through the camera, waiting for the right moment. You get used to it!
This couple had a Céilidh (Gaelic dancing) as their evening entertainment. I waited ages for them to have their turn at dancing down the line!
This couple had a disco in the church where they had their ceremony (they were members!) A balcony allowed me to take this atmospheric shot.
There's three things that make this picture for me - the star effect from the background light, the arches and the long shadows.
I used a slow shutter speed with flash to create this motion blur effect.
Ah, the first dance!
I saw these girls twirling around so I knelt down to their height and waited for them to be in the right position.
I love the fact there's lots going on in this picture. You kind of read it and imagine what each person is thinking/feeling.
Most of my evening shot are in black and white because coloured disco lights tend to be distracting and kill the mood. Black and white puts the romance back in!
Another paparazzi moment of watching and waiting for the shot. I have to focus on getting the picture and overcome the awkwardness of standing in the middle of a dance floor with a big camera!

I hope this series of photos has given you an idea of what to expect from your wedding photography. If you have any questions, you can contact me here!

All the photos of wedding receptions on this page are © Andrew Gardner. All rights reserved.