Trash the Dress – Michelle | Wellington Wedding Photography

Last weekend, we had a Trash the Dress shoot with Michelle at a beautiful location in the Wellington region.

Trash the Dress has only been started about a decade ago, more commonly seen in the US and UK. Recently Trash the Dress is becoming a new style of wedding photography that symbolises an end to the wedding and the dress will not be used again. It is seen as a way to put a full stop to a memorable part of your life.  The name itself suggests the shoot involves trashing the dress (wedding gown) in a location that is usually out of place while artistic, dramatic and glamorous images are been taken. Of cause, the extremes to which you want it to be done (trash) is totally up to you… from jumping off a wharf or a quiet walk on the beach. If you want to be part of the new trend, having those amazing. unique and dramatic images taken, this is it ! 

As for our shoot,  the weather was a bit windy at first, but then turned fine later in the afternoon. In fact, we were working with some harsh sunlight for most of the time.

This is the beautiful place where the Trash the Dress shoot took place

Before we start, here is what we unpacked for the shoot. We used everything shown below except for the Nikon FM2. Most of the images were taken using the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR and VRII. Using zoom lens here would give us more control, since some places are hard to get to in water. We have also used the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.4 for some of the shots.

Speedlight used were SB-900, SB-800 and 2x SB-600.

We started off at the shallow water first then worked our way to the deeper side for the more exciting images. The water was crisp and clear, the sun was bright, it was a blast to be shooting at such a beautiful place.

And here are some of the final images. Enjoy !

 Contact us if you are wish to have your amazing Trash the Dress or wedding images captured on your special day.

 

 

Where can I find the equipment seen on this site?

If you find this site useful and planning to purchase any of the equipment seen on this site, please show your support by purchasing your photo equipment at B&H Photo Video, or through any of the affiliate links seen on this site.

The extra 2 stops of Nikon 24mm f/1.4 – f/2.8 vs f/1.4

Nikon introduced the 24mm f/2.8D back in 1993, 17 years later, Nikon finally mastered the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G. Apart from incorporating the latest technology, such as Silent Wave Motor (SWM), Nano Crystal Coating to reduce ghost and flare, as well as including two ED and two asphercial lens elements in its construction, the major difference is having a maximum aperture of f/1.4, giving an extra 2 stops.

The Nikon 24mm f/1.4 has a price tag of  $1999 USD  which is over five times more than the Nikon 28mm f/2.8D at $360 USD.

The question is does the extra 2 stops,  Silent Wave Motor (SWM), Nano Crystal Coating and other nice additional features worth the premium price tag?

We know Silent Wave Motor (SWM) and Nano Crystal Coating are welcoming features to the lens, but how useful is the extra 2 stops, is it necessary?

The extra 2 stops pretty much give you a shallower Depth of Field (DoF), the flexibility to use lower ISO or higher shutter speed for the same exposure.

For example, when shooting indoor, typically ISO needs to be at least 1600+, sometimes 3200 even when you are using aperture f/2.8 (refer here). With the extra 2 stops, imagine you have the ability to

• use ISO  400-800 (e.g. 3200—>1600—>800) which is much less susceptible to noise or
• stop motion and camera shake using  a shutter speed of hundredth of a second (e.g. 1/25s—>1/50s—>1/100s) even when you are indoor

These are beneficial mostly to low light shooters such as those whom shoot concerts and indoor sports.

For landscape shooters and those who shoot mostly under day light, the extra two stops might not be so crucial, unless you want the f/1.4 shallow DoF.

So how does the DoF differ between f/2.8 and f/1.4? Note that we are not comparing the bokeh which is the quality of the blur in the out-of-focus areas of an image. It is important not to get mixed up between DoF and bokeh, one associates with aperture setting, subject distance and focal length, the other by lens design and construction.

The images below show the DoF created by f/2.8 and f/1.4 using the Nikon 24mm f/1.4.

 

Nikon 24mm f/1.4 @ f/2.8

Nikon 24mm f/1.4 @ f/1.4

Which image do you prefer? The extra creamy bokeh of f/1.4? The extra 2 stops of aperture at f/1.4 does create a strong isolation of the subject to the background which is normally hard to achieve at wide angle like 24mm.

 

Where can I find the equipment seen on this site?

If you find this site useful and planning to purchase any of the equipment seen on this site, please show your support by purchasing your photo equipment at B&H Photo Video, or through any of the affiliate links seen on this site.

Peter & Rosie’s Wedding Reception

Peter & Rosie’s wedding reception was held at the Mac’s Brewery, Wellington. This was the first wedding of 2011 for us. We had a pleasant time shooting the wedding reception covering speeches, cake cutting all the way to the opening dance. It was great to see friends and families travelling to Wellington to attend Peter & Rosie’s big day. Coincidently, I have caught up with a friend that I haven't seen for a number of years at the wedding. A small world and a great start to the year.

This is officially the first blog post of 2011 !!!

As usual, a bit of gear talk for this wedding, I prepared relatively light only carrying one Nikon D3 body and four lenses accessed via the Think Tank belt. Also the SB-900 as my only light source.

• Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
• Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII
• Nikon 24mm f/1.4
• Nikon 85mm f/1.4

Of particular interest, I have taken some shots with the stunning Nikon 24mm f/1.4 which I will write about in the upcoming blog post.

Without holding you much further, here are some images from Peter & Rosie’s Wedding Reception. Congratulation !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where can I find the equipment seen on this site?

If you find this site useful and planning to purchase any of the equipment seen on this site, please show your support by purchasing your photo equipment at B&H Photo Video, or through any of the affiliate links seen on this site.