Wedding photography tips: how to photograph wedding shoes

A photograph of the wedding shoes is an important shot to add to the wedding album, especially in montages with other incidental details. Many brides will wear long dresses which obscure the shoes so photographing them on their own gives the bride a visual record of something she probably spent a while choosing!

As with shooting other incidental images, when you shoot them is up to you, but picking a time when you won’t be needed to photograph people, such as during bridal preparations or the wedding dinner are good times. Make sure you set aside a decent length of time to photograph the shoes, but don’t forget you can also use this time to photograph other things like rings and flowers, or even photograph them together.

Once you’ve got a couple of ‘record’ shots in the bag, if you have time, be experimental with your images and let your imagination go wild. Look out for interesting backdrops to frame the shoes, or think about that might mean something to the bride, whether that be a favourite location or a reflection of her hobbies.

Although it will be more difficult to photograph shoes once they’re on the bride’s feet, it’s worth giving it a go if they are particularly bold. And don’t forget about the groom too. While his shoes might not be as ornate as the bride’s, if you get chance to shoot them, take it. It could make a great contrasting image to the delicacy of the bride’s shoes or work well in a diptych, triptych or montage.

 

 

Wedding photography tips from Dorset wedding photographer Mister Phill

PhotoRadar: What are the best camera settings for wedding shoe photography?
Mister Phill: There are no camera settings that as a consistent rule particularly suit shooting the shoes. I'll first of all set an aperture that brings those parts of the surrounding environment in to play that I want in focus to contextualise the shoes; sometimes I'll want the background blurred out, sometimes sharply in focus too, sometimes somewhere in between.

I'll select a shutter speed that allows me to hand hold without camera shake dependent on the focal length of lens I'm using (I've never yet used a tripod on a wedding day; I have to work fast and travel light to do things the way I do them); this factor will vary enormously dependent upon how steady the individual's hands are. For me this might depend on whether I'm laying on the floor using my elbows as a tripod, whereupon I can usually get away with a slower shutter speed, or if I'm contorted in some unusual angle to frame the intended composition whereupon a higher shutter speed may be needed if I'm straining my muscles somewhat. To complete the exposure equation I set the ISO to allow for correct exposure at the selected aperture and shutter speed.

What is the best lens for wedding shoe photography?
I've shot shoes with a variety of lenses including a 24mm prime, a 35mm, a 50mm, 85mm, 100mm and 135mm. I'd recommend using any and all lenses at your disposal. It all depends on the effect you want.

How do you decide where to photograph shoes, do you scout locations?
Architecture and landscape are aspects of the story of a wedding day. I combine photographing these with shooting the shoes. As such I observe those architectural and landscape elements and as I feel appropriate I'll place the shoes in the frame. I typically do scout locations in advance of the wedding but have never thought to myself, that would be a great spot to photograph the shoes; I don't know what I'm going to do until I have the shoes in hand and I review the environment. Ideas I'd not have thought of will come to mind once the shoes are brought into the mix. 

How do you keep finding inspiration for shoe photographs?
My ideas stem from a collision of the style of the shoes and the nature of the environments I'm introducing them to, combined, importantly, with an understanding of the nature of the bride. There's also a strong streak of precociousness that comes into play; I like to have fun, naturally.

One of the brides, Sarah, was getting ready at home in her London apartment which had access to a rooftop terrace with views across the city. I had to use the longest lens in my bag, a 135mm prime, to magnify the Gherkin sufficiently in frame (see the main shot at the top of the page), but this meant that even with the aperture stopped down fully I couldn't get both shoes and building in focus. So initially I executed a rack focus, pulling focus from the shoes to the building to create two images that could be juxtaposed as a diptych. I spotted something interesting though when the shoes were defocussed and decided to use the shoes (or, strictly speaking, one lone shoe) as an abstract element to echo the curves of the Gherkin. Then I simply shot the shoes sat on the roof terrace, a simple creation of context.

 

 

Sue was getting ready at a harbour-side hotel and I saw the swans at the waterside foraging. Swans mate for life, I thought to myself, there's a lovely analogy there. So I positioned the shoes on the ground in front of them and lay down and waited. Then I waited some more. Unfortunately they didn't look towards each other thus creating an evocation of a heart motif, which I'd really been hoping for. I couldn't dally further though as there was the small matter of a wedding to photograph.

 

 

Meleza has a passion for sailing so when I spotted stained glass windows at the house that was hired for their wedding day, it was a logical place to frame the shoes; I then photographed them sat in the bath because it amused me, and the bath had nice taps. So my inspiration stems from a combination of environmental context, what the shoes say to me, what I know about the Bride and an enjoyment of being playful. That combination of factors will likely always help in coming up with something interesting and personal to the recipient of the images.

What is the best lighting for wedding shoe photography?
I work with whatever natural or situational artificial light there is, preferably soft and sculpted but whatever is there, is there. I've never yet used staged artificial lighting for shoe photographs. I doubt I'd ever want to devote the time to setting anything up in this respect as there are plenty of other things to be photographed on the day.

Do brides specifically ask for shots of shoes and do they have any particular requests?
Many brides just hand me the shoes without saying anything; an unspoken understanding is in place that I'm going to do something with them as all my clients have looked at previous wedding featured on my blog. In cases where the bride is getting ready at her family home she might on occasion tell me that there was a particular spot she has fond childhood memories of and I'll make sure to photograph the shoes there; if she doesn't mention anything in particular I might initiate the question or I might sometimes ask a parent and present the result as a surprise. Aside from those occasional requests with regards to context, I've never had a particular request made of me; I'm often told by the bride that she looks forward to seeing what I come up with this time.

 

 

When is the best time to photograph wedding shoes?
I usually shoot the shoes during bridal preparations. On occasion, if this has not proved possible for any reason or if nothing immediately presents itself in the environment the Bride is getting ready at, I'll borrow the shoes from her when she sits for the wedding breakfast. She'll not be needing them when she eats and usually she's glad of the chance to rest her feet fully.

Do you try and get a classic shot in the bag before moving onto more experimental stuff?
I'll only think of composing a classic shot in the first instance if I deem it appropriate to the context. Most often I'll immediately look to do something individual and interesting. I then review the results on the back of the camera and it there isn't anything that immediately leaps out as being idiosyncratic and evocative I might then compose a safety shot for the record.

How do you avoid blown highlights when shooting white shoes?
White shoes will often blow out at the brightest points when the surrounding environment is exposed perfectly. I often bracket shots at varying exposure levels if this is liable to be a problem but usually I can work with the best exposure for the environment and as I shoot RAW files, can dodge any bright spots and pull back any required detail in post-processing.

Do you ever shoot photos of the groom’s shoes?
I've only photographed the groom's shoes as a standalone element once, when I stayed the night before the wedding in a spare room in the groom's caravan. The shoes were sat there and I thought to myself, why not, the day is about two people after all. Otherwise, in general though not exclusively of course, grooms tend not to have quite the same level of relationship with shoes as brides do. I'll likely find at times that a bride isn't that emotionally involved with her footwear but a groom might be and will no doubt switch tracks to reflect this.

When I'm in a position to photograph the groom's preparations, whether in addition to the Bride's preparations or when I'm acting as a second shooter and shadowing the Groom up until the ceremony, I've usually come away with an image or two of him donning his shoes and if I ever were to come across one polishing his shoes I'd certainly focus on that practical ritual. I've not yet seen a bride polish her shoes, strangely enough.

 

 

 

All photos in this article © Mister Phill. Mister Phill is a professional wedding photographer based in Dorset. For more information on his wedding photography, including prices, see the Mister Phill website.

 

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