I like wedding photography that throws you straight into it!
The kind of photos you can genuinely feel. That’s what I'm after here. Not just snapshots of a money dance and reception. But cinematic photos that capture energy, culture, and celebration.
Ok, but how?
1. What Makes This Image Stand Out?
This photo is alive. It pulls you in with energy, movement, and connection.
📌 Low Angle Perspective → The couple looks larger than life, exuding charisma.
📌 Foreground Blur (Flying Money!) → Adds depth, motion, and excitement.
📌 Candid Emotion → The bride’s joyful expression and groom’s cool confidence feel completely real.
📌 Depth & Focus (f/1.4 Choice) → The soft falloff creates a dreamy yet intimate feel.
📌 Warm, Natural Color Grading → A golden, editorial-like aesthetic that feels polished but authentic.
🔐 Takeaway for Photographers:
If you want potent, immersive photos you can almost taste, consider how angle, depth, and focus shape feelings.
2. The Feelings This Image Evokes
This isn’t just an image—it’s a feeling.
💸 Abundance & Celebration → The money flying, the glowing smiles, the energy at its peak.
🥳 Playfulness & Spontaneity → This wasn’t staged—it was directed into existence.
💎 Confidence & Elegance → The groom’s smirk, the bride’s radiant joy—they own this moment.
🎉 Involvement & Immersion → The hands, the blur, the motion—it makes you part of the action.
🔐 Takeaway for Photographers:
Your job isn’t just to capture what’s happening—it’s to make people feel something when they see the photo.
3. Composition Breakdown
🔍 Low-Angle Shot (Power & Presence)
✔️ Getting low to the ground makes the couple look larger-than-life.
✔️ The effect? A cinematic, magazine-cover feel.
✔️ If shot from eye level, it would be less dynamic—but this? This makes them own the moment.
👀 Tip: If you want your couples to look iconic, get low and shoot up.
🔍 Depth & Motion (f/1.4 Choice, Foreground Blur, and Subject Isolation)
Shooting at f/1.4 is an artistic choice—and a powerful one.
👍 Foreground blur (flying money) → Creates a sense of depth & movement.
👍 Shallow DOF (bride’s face in focus, hands in motion blur) → Keeps the energy raw and real.
👍 Background soft falloff → Ensures the couple is the star while keeping context.
🤷♂️ Tradeoff:
😬 f/1.4 is unforgiving—miss your focus and you’ve got a soft shot.
😮💨 But when nailed, it delivers a luxurious, immersive look you can’t get with f/4+.
🔐 Takeaway for Photographers:
If you want intimate depth, learn to master wide apertures. It’s risky, but the reward is cinematic magic.
🔍 Color & Light (Editing Choices that Elevate the Mood)
This isn’t a heavily stylized, over-processed image. It’s warm, golden, and true-to-life.
🪟 Natural July light from venue windows → Soft, directional, flattering.
🌅 Warm shadows, crisp highlights → Keeps it timeless yet editorial.
✍️ Subtle contrast & slight desaturation → Ensures it feels polished but real.
Edited in Lightroom Classic with JY Pop Signature Dark and Moody Preset Pack.
🔐 Takeaway for Photographers:
Your color grading should enhance the mood, not overpower it.
4. The Directing Secret: How I Got This Expression
I don’t pose couples. I direct them. And there’s a massive difference.
This moment? It happened because I read the room and matched the energy.
🧎🏻 I got down on one knee and shouted:
🔊 “MAKE IT RAIIIIN AND THROW MONEY AT MY CAMERA!”
They cracked up and played along because:
☑️ We already built trust from engagement & formal photos.
☑️ I matched their vibe—this wasn’t a black-tie, quiet event.
☑️ My energy was big, fun, and playful, because theirs was too.
🔐 Key Lesson for Photographers:
🗝️ If you want real, natural emotions, you need to direct in a way that fits the couple.
🗝️ Some call it “reading the room” or “knowing your audience.”
🗝️ Your dream client is rarely about looks—it’s about personality and energy.
🔐 Takeaway:
If your couples feel stiff and awkward, it’s not them—and you can help! Direct, don't pose.
5. Why Compositional Variety = A More Rewarding Experience for the Viewer
A wedding album should flow like a story.
If every image is centered, shot at 35mm, and cleanly framed, it starts to feel repetitive.
By mixing up angles, perspectives, and compositions, we:
✅ Create variety that keeps viewers engaged
✅ Give different emotional perspectives—close for intimacy, wide for atmosphere
✅ Make it feel like you’re flipping through cinematic stills
💡 Key Takeaway:
The best wedding galleries feel like you’re watching a highlight reel of someone’s day, not just looking at a bunch of images in a row.
6. “Imperfections” That Actually Make the Images Better
A lot of new photographers get too obsessed with perfect framing—but in real, fast-paced moments, some “imperfections” make a shot feel real and alive.
For example:
🦶🏼 A foot getting cropped in a wild, energetic dance moment? Totally fine.
👋 A hand slightly blurred as people throw money? Adds to the energy.
🫡 A guest’s face half-visible in the foreground? Creates depth.
💡 Key Takeaway:
What matters isn’t perfection—it’s intentionality. In formal portraits? Yes, be clean and precise. In fast-moving reception shots? Embrace the motion.
Final Thought: Photographers are directing a visual story.
Great wedding photography creates a visually engaging, emotionally compelling sequence of photos that keeps the viewer hooked from start to finish.
✅ Low angles make couples look powerful.
✅ Shallow depth (f/1.4) creates intimacy, but you must master focus.
✅ Foreground blur adds energy & movement.
✅ Warm, natural color grading keeps things timeless.
✅ Matching your client’s energy = real, emotional expressions.
The Inspiration of Storytelling in My Photography
Great photography blends the technical with storytelling. I draw a lot of inspiration from legendary photographers and their photo books, constantly studying how they capture emotion, composition, and narrative in a single frame.
One of my biggest influences is Pete Souza’s Obama—a masterclass in storytelling through imagery. His ability to capture authentic, unscripted moments has deeply shaped how I approach my creative portraits.
I also apply the philosophy from Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist—taking inspiration from the greats, experimenting, and making it my own. By continually studying and implementing what I learn, I’ve developed a unique style that evolves over time.
Gear Used 📸
Camera: Canon 5D mk 4
Lenses: 35mm 1.4L II, 85mm 1.4L IS
Hope this was helpful for you!
-JY
