Canon EOS 60D ,Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
1/1600s f/8.0 at 200.0mm iso400

On our walks along the ocean in La Jolla we usually walk past a spot that almost always has an outdoor wedding going on. I often can’t resist snapping a few candids myself. It goes without saying that I always do this from a respectful distance, and never, ever interfere.

This shot really has a lot going for it. First of all, the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses is really striking, and works well against the green grass. More importantly, however, there is a lot of interesting action happening: the bride and groom posing for a portrait from one of the bridesmaids, the couple to the left watching them, and another bridesmaid turning around and saying, or reacting to, something.

The main technical challenge of this photo is the strong contrast due to the direct sunlight, the black tuxedos and the white dress. Had I been the hired photographer, I would have used a fill in flash. However, since I always shoot raw, I can compensate a lot in post processing to help rein in highlights, and to make sure the shadows are not too dark (e.g. the face of the bridesmaid to the left).

I like this shot quite a bit. It tells a story, everyone’s pose is graceful, and with the strong colors and a bit of motion being suggested, it’s visually very interesting.