All your wedding photography questions answered.

I decided to answer the most common questions a bride and groom may ask David Myles Photography during an interview and perhaps a few they haven't thought of.

- May I see one or two entire weddings that you’ve photographed?

I would be happy to provide you with 2 or 3 full weddings to view from my proofing galleries.

- How many images do you shoot at a typical wedding?

I will shoot anywhere from 750 to 1500 photos depending on how many hours the wedding day lasts and how much is going on during the day. Many times I will take 2 or 3 photos of the same subject to be able to choose the best one out of the shots. Best one means, expression, lighting, background/composition.

- How many images do you typically deliver to your clients?

On average 350-600 images are post processed and delivered. Once again, depending on how long the wedding is and how much activity there is. If there are none of the traditional reception events (bouquet toss, cake cutting) then I will get portraits and head shots of guests as often as possible.

- When can I expect to see my photographs?

For me this is a definition between proof image and finished image. I use to give my clients the proof wedding images but always felt they were lacking. At this point I post process each photograph to a completed state. I color correct the photographs, apply tonal changes to accent the center of interest, change the wedding photos to Black and White, add a fashion look or use traditional wedding processing. 400-600 images can take me 3-4 weeks to totally finish.

- Do I get the high resolution files? Is there an additional cost, and may I make prints from those files?

Yes, no, and yes. Additionally I also re size the photos for viewing on a website since that is 72dpi.

- What is your backup plan should you become ill?

I would have to be seriously ill not to show up to photograph a wedding. But if that does occur I know a dozen wedding photographers in the area that have their own business.

- Do you have back up equipment?

I think this is one of those differences between an amateur and pro photographer. I have spent a considerable amount of money on professional level Nikon equipment. Additionally, I have duplicate pieces of equipment if anything breaks or malfunctions. Two cameras, five lenses and three flashes.

- Do I need to provide you with a meal?

Yes. After working for 5-6 hours a wedding photographer gets really hungry. I would think about feeding the staff of a wedding event so they can keep their energy level up for the rest of the night.

- Are you insured for liability and equipment?

Another one of those expenses that separates the professional from the amateur. Yes.

- Do you bring an assistant?

At this point I do not have an assistant.

- Can you photograph our ceremony without flash?

My wedding style is to have one camera with flash and one camera with a fast prime to capture the natural light. Natural light photography is one of my favorite was the capture a wedding. So yes, I would use 2 cameras with fast primes and no flash.

- What is included and what is extra? Is there anything you recommend we add? Why?

If there are over 150 to 175 guests I would recommend a second photographer. Not an assistant but another set of eyes that can capture more of those away from the couple moments. I always try to get at least one photo of each guest at a wedding. But after 150-175 people that is not as assured.

- Are other people allowed to take pictures while the photographer is?

Yes, as long as they understand that I am the professional photographer and may have to stand where they are standing at one point. The reason why other photographers can be a problem to the hired photog is that they block the photog from taking photos at different angles. But another issue is during group photos. The people being photographed don't know where to look and you can get people looking in all different directions.

I enjoy having guests as photographers. When I set up a pose I usually let the guests photograph first so I can avaoid the subjects from being distracted while I am photographing them. I will also help any guest photographer (lend them equipment, give technical advice).

- What preparation do you do to get the most out of your time with your clients?

I really believe that doing an engagement session with your photographer is paramount to good photos. I have written a whole blog post about it. I also will happily meet with the couple at any ceremony/reception site and talk with the wedding planner.

- What is your favorite part of a wedding day to photograph?

I really like the ceremony.

- What has influenced your photography style the most, and why?

My photography style s mostly photojournalistic during the casual shots and fashionesque during the portrait shots.

I believe that flowing with the energy of the wedding is paramount to capturing the story, the feeling and the celebration of the event. Improvisational casual photography.

During the formal photos I work to get a more editorial and studio style of photograph. Lighting, posing the clients and post processing all move towards a fashion magazine look.

- Why are you a wedding photographer?

I love weddings. I think it is not only a huge responsibility but also a great honor to photograph someones wedding. It is one of the reasons I love being a photographer. Weddings energize me, fill me full of joy and happiness. I think my photographs reflect that happiness during the event.

Spring Time in New York City

The weather has started to get warmer here in New York City and the best place to be is in Central Park. My job is to find the most beautiful places in Central Park so brides and grooms will have one of a kind wedding or engagement photographs. Not only do I find new places, know where the flowers are blooming but I discover better ways to photograph old standbys. Practice makes perfect and familiar subjects such as Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace and Ladies Pavilion. The work of a good photographer is to create new feelings of old and familiar places or subjects.

There is no better time than the emerging blossoming of Springtime in New York City.

Enjoy your spring.

Print and Computer Photography Viewing.

With the advent of digital photography the way we view art has been forever changed. Wedding photography was all about the print before digital photography. People ordered proof books and elaborate wedding albums. Sometimes more than one volume. But the reality of digital photography is this. Viewing a photograph on a computer screen (or any art) really takes away from the emotion, the artistry and the true nature of the craftsmanship. I really feel that people should understand photography before they make a decision about buying photography. So I am going to get slightly technical on this blog post.




There are two reasons why I don't like to show all of my art on a computer screen or why you should not decide about buying art (or wedding photography) online.

1. A digital image is made up of 300 pixel per inch. When you view an image on a computer screen, the monitor is only able to show 72 pixels per inch. All monitors can only show 72 pixels per inch. So for my digital photograph to look good on a computer screen I have to downsize or make my photo less detailed. I have to eliminate 228 pixels per inch of information.

Furthermore, my photograph is captured in a color space called Adobe RGB 1998. In other words my camera has a range of colors that it can interpret from a scene and then represent. Colors that cannot be represented from nature are changed to the closest color. A computer monitor (there are a few that can represent Adobe RGB 1998) can only represent an RGB color space. An RGB color space is a smaller color box or has less colors that it can interpret from nature. When I create a photo for the world wide web, my colors get changed. The conversion process has to interpret the colors and if a color in Adobe RGB 1998 is not available in RGB then it gets changed.
Creating a photo for web consumption is essentially a process of simplifying that file into a smaller and less detailed image.



2. Imaging has an international standard. When I start to process photography on my computer the 1st thing I do is calibrate my monitor. I have a device that measured the colors and luminance (how bright and contrasty) of my monitor. An uncalibrated monitor is like looking at the world with colored glasses on.

When you buy a monitor the default setting is not calibrated or equal to any ICC standard. Most often the monitor is set too bright. How bright? Well I can tell you numbers but how would that help if you didn't have a scale to compare it to. I will say that if the scale was from 1 to 5, I set my monitor to about three and a quarter, while the monitors from the factory are set to four and a half. I don't know if that helped.

Another important point is that when you turn on a monitor it takes that monitor at least 30 minutes to an hour to warm up, to stabilize the settings. Before I calibrate my monitor it has to be running for an hour or the levels will shift and the calibration will be useless. Look at a photo right when you turn your monitor on and then an hour later. See if you notice any difference. Are the colors different? How about the amount of detail that you see? As the monitor warms up these two things will change. The photo hasn't changed, just the eyeglasses that you are looking at the photo with.

Even the viewing environment has an effect on how an image looks on a computer screen. If you are in a room that gets direct sunlight the colors and brightness will change depending on whether the sun is shining or if it is cloudy outside. A real professional photographer will have a controlled lighting environment to post process images in. No direct sunshine, daylight balanced light bulbs and neutral colored walls. All of this has an effect on what colors a computer screen shows or what glasses you are looking at the image with.



I can't control whether you see the true colors of the photograph. Or if your monitor is set up to show all the detail of a photograph. All of these issues are solved by looking at a photographers print. Holding all 300 pixels per inch and Adobe RGB 1998 color space in your hands.

Natural Light Photography

I really love natural light photography. When you are using a prime lens without a flash the added challenge of seeing a composition by using the existing lighting can be very rewarding. When a wedding photographer uses flash it is usually on his/her camera. You either bounce it off off a wall, have an assitant hold a flash off to the side, have an umbrella with flash off to the side or you are using the flash pointed at the subject. All these scenarios have their advantages and disadvantages. Usually one of the disadvantages is the extra time it takes to setup an external lighting setup.

With natural light photography a photographer is able to capture "the moment" when it happens without breaking up the spontaneity. There are certain advantages of using flash. One of them being stopping motion as it happens. So I always carry two cameras on the wedding day. One with flash and one without flash.

By seeing the natural light you get photos like this. A little more contrasty but much more natural.

You have to see and predict your tones while you are looking through the camera lens. Not only do you have to be aware of what your subject is doing but also how that subject will interact in the whole scene.




The above image works because of walls lighter tones compared to the brides face. The background frames the bride and the natural light shines nicely on her face.


Flash would have comletely ruined the below moment. A flash that is not bounced or off to the side tends to flatten out an image. On an outdoor moment like this there is nowhere to bounce a flash. Instead, by using the existing light, moving to a correct position to use the light as if it were an off camera flash. The moment is preserved by allowing the natural light to shape the scene.




A great example of when flash is needed is to stop action and give the photo a little pop. One great advantage to flash is how it gives a photo the catchlight in the eyes. A photographer should not use direct flash pointing at a subject but should turn the flash head so the light bounces off of a wall or ceiling. This will diffuse the light and softly caress the photo with light around the subject.





I am a huge advocate of a Bride and Groom understanding at least the fundamentals regarding photography. This way they can make an informed decision about the style of photography they want during the wedding day. Some photographers use only natural light. Other photographers only use flash. Some, like me use both, showing a scene in both a flash and natural light situation at the same time.