Finding the Light

With his Tamron 35mm F1.4 prime, Scott Stockton makes sure the rest of the world melts away on a couple’s big day.

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By Jenn Gidman
Images by Scott Stockton


Scott Stockton self-effacingly refers to himself as the “knucklehead photographer,” letting his wedding clients see the silly side of himself so they’re able to relax in front of his camera. But all jokes aside, he takes seriously the main task before him when he shows up for a couple’s nuptials: helping their love shine through in his images.

The Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD zoom lens is already a vital part of Scott’s wedding day workflow, and he recently added the 35mm F/1.4 Di USD prime into the mix using the Sony adapter to use this DSLR lens on his Sony mirrorless camera. “The 35-150 is an amazing lens—probably the best zoom lens on the market, in my book,” he says. “But with the F1.4 maximum aperture on that 35mm prime, I can create soft, velvety bokeh like never before, while everything else stays super-sharp. I’m often shooting in ‘busy’ rooms, with a lot of distracting elements. It’s important I can keep the focus on the happy couple.”

The 35mm prime can also create a bokeh defocus blur both in front of and behind the plane of focus, which fits in perfectly with Scott’s shooting style. “I’m big on layers,” he says. “If I can have my foreground and background blurred out to keep the focus on my subject, it makes the photo much more compelling, especially with detail shots.”


35mm, F1.4, 1/500 sec., ISO 1600
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SCOTT’S QUICK TIPS

Don’t force flash.
On your wedding day, it’s stressful enough without your photographer spending too much time erecting elaborate lighting setups. I try to use as much natural light as possible. The Indian bride I photographed here had such a lovely, colorful dress, and I wanted to show off the details of her henna tattoos. I placed her next to a big window so the soft light from outside would illuminate her. I like that the background went darker, so she pops in the photo.


35mm, F1.4, 1/1000 sec., ISO 500
Click image to view larger

Use supplemental lighting when it makes sense.
When you’re with the love of your life, you want your photos to give off the feeling that there’s no one or nothing else around you. I often use lighting to achieve that effect visually.

For the couple on the bench, I used a flash with a diffuser on it, placed it behind them, and aimed it straight up. The underbelly of the roof above them was white, so I knew it would bounce the light back onto them. I underexposed for the sky so they’d pop a little more. For the couple in front of the bridge, I lit them with a softbox at camera right, then removed it in post.


35mm, F1.4, 1/3200 sec., ISO 100
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35mm, F1.4, 1/500 sec., ISO 125
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These two photos are another example of why I love the Tamron 35mm F1.4. I can get up close and achieve that beautiful bokeh we talked about with the Indian bride, or I can use it to create environmental shots like these, where I can include more of the scene.

Look for unusual light patterns.
As soon as I arrive at a wedding venue, I’ll look for harsh light coming in from the windows. Sometimes those rays of light and their shadows make for really cool shapes. I took this photo of the bride’s rings in the lobby of the hotel where she was getting dressed. I spotted that pattern with the diagonal light beams coming from one of the lobby’s huge windows and realized I could place the rings right in the middle of that.


35mm, F1.4, 1/4000 sec., ISO 100
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Get giddy.
Guys at weddings typically tend to be more reticent about being photographed. I tend to use more humor with them so I can bring out a smile. In this photo here, the groom and his wedding party were wild. The best man had brought a Jägermeister machine, and they were having a grand old time in the groom’s room at the wedding venue. When they came downstairs, the groom had trouble getting his cufflinks on, so he recruited two of his groomsmen to help him. They were cracking up doing it, and I just started shooting.


35mm, F1.4, 1/1000 sec., ISO 320
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Showcase the couple’s bond.
I always try to add poses of the couple embracing, especially this pose where the man is wrapping his arms around his partner from behind. Guys often aren’t as keen about having their faces aimed right at the camera. Instead, I’ll have them lean their forehead into their partner. Here, I had my female client look over to where the sun was setting, so her face was bathed in soft, diffused light. The image evokes that warm, comforting feeling that every couple in love can relate to, of coming home and hugging and just letting the stress of the day fade away.


35mm, F1.4, 1/80 sec., ISO 50
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