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Tools of the Trade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For his grandiose, signature images, Scott makes use of the huge sensors of the GFX System<\/a>. But for responsive reportage, he favours something smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor the most part, when I\u2019m doing documentary-style work, I will use an X Series<\/a> camera. I\u2019ve got the FUJIFILM X-T5<\/a> at the moment. There\u2019s no point doing reportage with my GFX. Portraiture or group shots, absolutely, but not for this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to lenses, Scott prefers primes \u2013 though this isn\u2019t a hard-and-fast rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI use the FUJINON XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR<\/a> a lot, but the XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR<\/a> is probably my weapon of choice. If it\u2019s a big venue, you\u2019ve got the XF90mmF2 R LM WR<\/a>, which I use more \u2013 that\u2019s great for sitting on the periphery and just picking people off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen people aren\u2019t aware you\u2019re there, that\u2019s when they become the most vulnerable \u2013 and you get the best pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When going in for a closer photo, Scott makes sure his subject\u2019s attention is elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSometimes, you have to get in close. If there\u2019s a magician, for example, I\u2019ll put on the XF8-16mmF2.8 and go right up because the subject isn\u2019t necessarily focused on me. Having spent a lot of time with magicians, you know when the reveal is going to hit, and you get prepared \u2013 that\u2019s when you get the best reactions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Setting his camera to Continuous Shooting mode gives Scott a full range of expressions to choose from later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m working on candids, I\u2019ll burst a little bit. When someone laughs at 8fps, you\u2019ll get that perfect expression. That\u2019s when Continuous Shooting comes in great: short-fire bursts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCertainly during speeches, burst is brilliant. I can make eight frames here, then turn around and make eight frames of reaction \u2013 and get both done really well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t a default setting for the entire wedding, Scott stresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDuring a couple\u2019s portraiture, or any group shots, it\u2019s calm and considered,\u201d he continues. \u201cIf your camera\u2019s going \u2018bam, bam, bam\u2019, that energy translates to the couple. So you want to keep it nice, calm and relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m relaxed in my photography because I\u2019m comfortable doing it. The minute you transfer that to the couple, they\u2019ll be relaxed, and everyone\u2019s enjoying the process more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good wedding photography isn\u2019t all about equipment. Scott\u2019s two decades of experience have equipped him with a natural approach to documenting these special events. One of his top tips is simply taking a moment to step back and observe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s about being socially aware,\u201d remarks Scott. \u201cOnce I\u2019ve done the portraits, I\u2019ll generally go and get a drink, and put the camera down. I\u2019ll walk through the guests, listen to conversations, listen to what\u2019s going on, and won\u2019t make any pictures for ten minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m just looking to see the pockets. Okay, that\u2019s the fun crowd. This is the elderly crowd. These are the kids just mucking about. And I\u2019m working out a bit of a plan, rather than spraying and praying, trying to photograph with a scattergun approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s knowing, right, I want to photograph the kids but that kid\u2019s playing up \u2013 I\u2019ll give it ten minutes and come back when they\u2019re happier. It\u2019s knowing to photograph the old people first because the light is good outside, and they\u2019ll go inside first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about having that social awareness. Being a people person helps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being observant is only one aspect of this work, however. Knowing when to step in with a smile and a joke can make all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll have a bit of banter on a wedding day,\u201d he grins. \u201cI break that guard down by having a laugh with people. It helps to engage with someone who\u2019s not overly enamoured with having their photograph made. In 20 years, I\u2019ve built a good repertoire, shall we say, that helps bring down barriers and opens people up \u2013 then you get great results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good wedding photographs become family heirlooms \u2013 treasures to be enjoyed by generations to come. For that reason, they need to be made with a certain timeless quality in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s about not bowing down to trends,\u201d notes Scott. \u201cAt the moment, the trend is intentional motion blur, which I\u2019m not a big fan of. I think that\u2019s going to be like the colour pop we had in 2010 \u2013 black & white photos with colour bouquets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo create timeless images, you have to stay true to why people booked you in the first place. I\u2019m in a position now where couples book me, and they trust me. They say, \u2018We booked you for a reason, just do your thing.\u2019 Of course, I get requests and won\u2019t just say no out of hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI pitched for a wedding yesterday, and the guy asked me, \u2018Do you retouch faces?\u2019 I said, \u2018Well, yeah, a little bit,\u2019\u201d Scott recounts. \u201cSo, if you have a spot come up, or a toddler has a big black eye because they fell over. But I try not to overwork skin because I want you to look like you and remember how you were \u2013 not a porcelain version of yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s a trend which, in ten years\u2019 time, people are going to think, \u2018My God, look at the state of my face,\u2019 because we\u2019ve over-enhanced the skin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll do minimal retouching \u2013 things like fire escape signs will come out. But, generally, I\u2019ll try and keep it as clean as possible; I want it to look real and natural. I won\u2019t over-egg the sky or put fake sunrays in \u2013 that\u2019s just not cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe more natural it is, the more timeless it will be. Yes, I will adjust the colour and turn some photos black & white. In certain cases, some look good in a sepia tone because I use a lot of natural light. But, generally, I\u2019ll keep them as clean as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scott\u2019s parting tip indicates the subtle touch he has mastered over the course of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t make it about you. Become invisible but remain present,\u201d he advises. \u201cIf you can balance those two things together, your reportage photography will elevate.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wedding photographer Scott Johnson shares his insights on creating images that encapsulate the magic of a couple\u2019s special day For the happy couple, it\u2019s one of the most important days of their lives. But for Scott Johnson, it\u2019s just another day at the office. As a wedding photographer, it\u2019s his job to deftly navigate all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":273,"featured_media":149337,"template":"","category":[],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-149336","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-29 21:51:56","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/149336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=149336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=149336"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/pt-pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=149336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Scott-Johnson-Reportage_02-1024x683.jpg?width=1024&height=683\")
How to Approach Wedding Reportage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Tips for Timeless Photographs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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