Wedding Photography How To

Sure, the passionate kiss and the classic theater marquee in this shot by wedding photographer Jason Groupp are romantic but what’s the deal with Anthony Bourdain? The popular chef and host of CNN’s Parts Unknown seems like a cool guy and all but why photograph this couple smooching in this particular spot?

As it turns out the groom, Eli, is a chef and a huge Bourdain fan so this marquee is special to him. The couple are also passionate about their city and Groupp wanted to capture them in their favorite locations.

“Cadence and Eli were all about the city of Minneapolis and loved to spend time downtown,” Groupp says. “It was important for me to bring in elements of the city that immediately tell you where it was shot.”

The hardest part of the photo, according to Groupp, was being able to drag the shutter enough to get the motion of the cars and the biker in the image.

“I never use a tripod so finding a spot where I could brace myself enough to hold steady was key,” he notes. “I used an on-camera flash for fill and another inexpensive speedlight at a 45-degree angle hand-held by my assistant to ‘freeze’ the subjects but let the ambient light provide the motion. The hardest part is just getting everything to line up at the right time. That’s where patience and good conversation with your clients come into play. You have to keep your clients feeling loose so when you’re ready, they’re in position for the right shot!”

He captured the image with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and an EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens at f/11, 1/125 second, ISO 640. You can see more of Jason Groupp's work here.