"I’m Ready For My Close Up, Mr. DeMille"

"I’m Ready For My Close Up, Mr. DeMille"
© David A. Ziser

The style of the bride’s hair and that direct look back into the camera is what inspired my title for this image.  I paraphrased from Gloria Swanson’s line in the movie Sunset Boulevard, which was directed by Cecil B. DeMille. (Whoops! Billy Wilder)  Cecil was the director In the movie.

This is another photograph from the wedding we recently photographed in Northern Michigan.  I only wish I was the one who captured the photograph.  This is actually one of LaDawn’s images – and she says she hates to shoot.  What, getting images like this!!!  I think it’s just beautiful.

I was working other aspects of the coverage and LaDawn, while helping the bride and the girls get organized with the wedding preparations was shooting the occasional candid of all the activities.  She has a way of engaging the clients that results in wonder (and beautiful) expressions and images. This is one of those times.

She also knows that the portrait will look best with the light crossing the subject as it does in this image.  ( I guess I had a good teacher!)  Lighting was all natural with the light coming in from a sliding glass door camera right.  The light colored walls offered a simple yet pleasing background for this beautiful portrait.

The way LaDawn caught that great expression is what makes this image work for me.  The fairly shallow depth of field also softened the background even more bringing the viewer’s attention directly to the bride’s beautiful (and surprisingly sharp) eyes.

I tweaked the image slightly in Photoshop and Lightroom 4 to get the B&W tonalities where I wanted them.  I just love this image as a black and white too – it just forces you to look directly back at the bride’s eyes. I love it!

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm lens at 200mm, F5.6 @ 1/80 second, ISO 2,500.  Enjoy!  -David