Bride at Race and Religious
Michael Caswell Photography

Bride at Race and Religious

While not your traditional full-length bridal portrait composition, this kind of close-up bridal portrait photograph is a favorite of mine. Taken from a higher angle, usually utilizing natural light, the use of a large-aperture normal or telephoto lens puts all the attention on the bride's face by rendering everything else out of focus. The great thing about this kind of shot is that you can do it just about anywhere as long as there is reasonably decent light to work with, as the background ends up soft and is relatively insignificant. The only important factor is that it has to be a spot where I can shoot from an elevated position.

This particular image was taken in a stairway at Race & Religious, the popular New Orleans wedding venue just off Tchoupitoulas Street, which was a perfect choice for this bride's vintage look.

Location: 510 Race Street, New Orleans, LA 70130.