You love to photograph details: bow ties and bouquets, tiny shoes and teddy bears… Now learn HOW to photograph details: with bold lens choices, creative scene-setting, and thoughtful storytelling. Photographer Marianne Wiest’s imaginative images will inspire you to view detail photography like never before!
How To Photograph Details: It’s Not As Easy As You Think!
Everyone knows it takes skill to photograph people. Their moods, personalities, and preferences can cause all sorts of challenges!
Photographing details can be every bit as difficult – especially when done well! The precious knick-knacks and sweeping environments we’re tasked with documenting all have personalities of their own. And while shoes and flowers don’t talk back, they can certainly be uncooperative!
Here’s how to photograph details that enhance your portfolio and bring your storytelling to the next level!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Select A Relevant Backdrop
This adorable wedding invitation suite could have been photographed on any surface; but photographer Marianne Wiest chose to arrange the paper props among vibrant ivy, which perfectly compliments the nature-themed invites!
Pretty is nice. Relevant is better!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Size Matters
This bride’s flowers would have looked lovely laying in a chair or presented alone on the pathway; but that setting would have obscured the magnificence of the bouquet. Because Marianne photographed the arrangement in the bride’s hands, we know exactly how wonderfully voluminous it was!
Show off the scale of your details for maximum impact.
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
“Detail” Doesn’t Always = “Close-Up”
This simple, wide shot beautifully illustrates the down-home intimacy of this couple’s wedding ceremony. A close-up image of the violinist would have been exquisite, but it wouldn’t have told the story that this composition tells. By photographing the musician leading weddings guests through the landscape, Marianne made this “detail” shot so much more!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Find Your “Why”
Before photographing a detail, ask yourself, “Why?” Here, Marianne highlights the bride’s veil on the bride, blowing gracefully in the wind. This veil symbolized romance, and Marianne captured romance when she photographed the veil in motion, framing a tender moment between a couple in love. While the veil would have looked beautiful photographed alone, that shot would have been missing the “why.”
“The detail shots are important for capturing the feeling of the day. The couple puts so much time and effort and MONEY into their wedding; the detail photos are all they’ll have to remember it by!” – Marianne Wiest
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Layer Your Details
Learn how to photograph details in pairs, clusters, or layers! Individual objects are interesting on their own, but a greater story can be told when you layer your details into a broader scene-setting image. Here we see the garden, the guests, the chairs, the arbor, the lake, and the trees – all in one beautiful frame.
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Humanize Your Details
A photograph of a marriage license laying on a table is just a picture of a piece of paper. But Marianne’s series of the couple kissing and goofing around with their proof-of-marriage turns a simple legal document into a moment worth savoring!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Set the Scene
When photographing a people-free space, set the scene with wider shots. You can still emphasize specific elements by choosing a shallower depth of field, as Marianne did here. The barn is crisp and clear, while the jewel-toned tablescapes enjoy a soft bokeh in the foreground.
“I feel like beginners often don’t get close enough to the details. Capture a few wide shots of the reception area, then get in close!” – Marianne Wiest
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Vary Your Focal Lengths
The same scene takes a fresh form when photographed from a new perspective! Change lenses, or simply move closer to capture the finer points of a detail display! This is the same approach you’d take to photographing an individual, moving from headshot to half-length to full-length portrait. Remember: if you know how to photograph people, you know how to photograph details.
“I use a nikon 50mm 1.4 for almost all of my detail photos.” – Marianne Wiest
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Get Close, Then Step Back
Above-left, you see a wonderfully detailed image of the hand-painted river stones laid out as place cards at these nature-lovers’ wedding. But this shot alone doesn’t give us a sense of the place setting. Only Marianne’s pulled-back photo introduces us to the warm wooden tabletop, the jewel-toned goblets, and the vibrant florals.
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Create Context
Remember: you’re not merely making pretty pictures. You’re documenting meaningful details of your clients’ story. Create context by photographing the day’s elements as they’re used and enjoyed. Marianne’s cocktail hour image highlights both guests and the fascinating landscape!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Go Beyond the Obvious
Some detail shots are a clear must-take – like the wedding cake! But look for the moment in your details, and you may just find more than your run-of-the-mill product shot. Marianne’s photo of the signature cocktails being mixed is an excellent example of a detail image that also contributes to the story!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Light Still Matters
You’re used to finding perfect light for portraits. What about for your details? This detail of a guests toasting is exquisite because Marianne was ready for the decisive moment where the light was right. Albert Einstein didn’t call us “light monkeys” for no reason!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Dress Up the Awkward Details
If you’re struggling with how to photograph cumbersome details, try these tricks: layer a too-broad tablescape with a beautiful building in the background, or add a kissing couple to the awkward-to-photograph chairs!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Experiment With Orientation
Most photographers have a preference for either vertical (portrait) or horizontal (landscape) photographs. Which do you tend to make most often? Do you know how to photograph details in either orientation, or are you stuck in a rut? Try a new composition during your next shoot, and see how this enhances (or diminishes) your details!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Focus On What Matters Most
Sometimes the most meaningful details aren’t the flashiest. Seek out the lone succulent among the moss and roses; and don’t overlook the out-of-the-way armoire of framed photographs, representing decades of beloved family members. Put yourself in your clients’ shoes, and identify which details will hold the most value to them in the years to come.
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Find the Fun In Your Details
Details don’t have to be delicate, elegant, and demure. They can also be fun, frivolous, and silly! Connect with your clients and the environment around you, and you’ll find playful ways to document the day’s details!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Embrace the Nighttime
If you’re photographing an event or lifestyle portrait session that stretches into the evening hours, you’ll see your details evolve as the light changes! Revisit your favorite scenes as the sun sets for an alternate perspective on the day’s details!
Photo by MARIANNE WIEST
Focus On Faces: The Best Details of All
If people are your passion, make them your priority! Don’t get distracted by inanimate details and miss the fantastic expressions, movements, and moments being experienced by the people in front of you. If Marianne’s clients had to choose, do you think they’d choose another photo of flowers, or this incredible first dance photo?
Yeah, we think the answer is pretty obvious, too!
Get more photo advice when you keep reading!
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