Good hair is always an asset in a shoot.
October is a great time for a fall bridal shoot. Though the abundance of blooms available in summer is not continuing, some frost tolerant blooms remain and the foliage of fall appears. The model prefers anonymity, but we had fun modifying a dress I picked up from Value Village (we cut off the sleeves) and photographing her in ways that did not highlight the dress but simply showed the theme. It is amazing how many lbs. of material (this dress was enormous and heavy) you can purchase for $16.99 at a thrift shop.
This particular dress had a long (Cathedral length) train. It was easy to see that this was a bridal shoot even if we did not come in tight on the dress. I used a few of the many good locations available on the grounds of my studio and nursery. The creek is always nice, though admittedly in fall the flow is the least. But those big willows are dramatic.
By the big willows, the creek is a great spot for a shot with a full train wedding dress.
Her red hair is right at home in this scene.
The fall color of Prairifire crab was perfect for color matching the model’s hair. A fall bridal shoot brings warm tones into the mix. The Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fire Charm’ beneath the tree captures the same color spectrum, surrounding her in the rich tones of autumn.
The fall bridal shoot also shows the last remaining blooms of the season. Petunias can survive a bit of frost, and these have been through a couple of those. We did a more demure up-do with her hair. Her lightly crossed hands complete the innocent appeal.
Arbors are classic in bridal photography. In this shot, the model is under the arbor leading to our shade garden. A few yellow leaves show the season is progressing despite the preponderance of green.
Last of all, I’ll include an old fashioned look to go with this old fashioned dress. Wet plate photography is a specialized art form, one that yields vintage, faded looks with a good deal of noise, scratches and other imperfections. Printed large, this style of photograph still holds much artistic appeal, though definitely different from the high resolution images that I typically produce. Even in these muted tones, her auburn hair is matching the fall environment and fulfilling the theme.
A wet plate look, with faded colors still shows the fall bridal shoot theme.
The model is seen under the arbor leading to the shade garden.
Here she is with the last blooms of summer. A demure up-do and pose combine.