Creating Layers in Your Wedding Portraits
FARMERS IMAGE OF THE WEEK
Michelle Walsh
Creating Layers in Your Wedding Portraits
This compelling photograph from Michelle Walsh is our second Image of the Week, from our recent Thrive conference. This image tells a story of contrast and pause in the midst of city hustle. It shows the beauty of creating layers in your wedding portraits, captured during our unique second-day breakout sessions, where attendees step out and create magic, photographing real couples with our speakers’ guidance.
The photo stands out due to its dynamism and the sense of stillness amidst the blur of movement. The couple, locked in an intimate moment, seem to be in their own time and space, unaffected by the world moving past them. This is the beauty of our Thrive conference – it’s not just about listening to talks but also about getting hands-on experience and creating images that speak volumes.
Producing the breakout sessions might be a challenge, but the results speak for themselves. They provide our attendees with real-world experience, guiding them to look for images that would normally be lost in the chaos of everyday life. It’s photos by the keen eyes of our participants, that remind us why we do what we do.
The monochromatic tones of the image lend it a timeless quality, while the motion blur of the passersby adds a contemporary edge, encapsulating quiet love and also the essence of editorial wedding photography.
This image is a testament to the growth and learning that Thrive fosters, a symbol of the expertise that we at Photography Farm believe in nurturing. It shows that with the right guidance and creative freedom, our attendees are able to produce work that not only stands out but also tells a story that’s worth pausing for.
THE DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony A7 iii, 35mm Prime f1.8 lens
SETTINGS: ISO 160 | f9 | 1/20th
PRESET: Own Preset
“I adore creating this kind of vibe by shooting through things or creating layers to ensure the focus is on the couple “
I attended the great industry event, Thrive 24 in London with guest speakers and inspirational photographers. The workshop hosts were vastly different in style and approach and if I could I would have attended them all.
This particular shot was captured during a session with the amazing Esme Whiteside. I love her style as it’s so intimate and romantic. I adore creating this kind of vibe by shooting through things or creating layers to ensure the focus is on the couple. I believe the voyeuristic viewpoint gives a sense of reality to a real but ultimately guided moment where we purposely used the busy nature of the environment to our advantage, along with the intentional slow-shutter speed to blur out the passersby.
I appreciate that they are camera unaware and framed by the busyness of the streets and people passing the hotels entrance. It’s as if it’s just them in that moment and no one else exists. The image encapsulates what seems like a fleeting moment of what their love looks like and this is enhanced by their expression, body language, hand and feet connection points.
Workshop @photographyfarm
Lead Photographer @esmewhitesidephotography
Hair @bighair.energy
MUA@jazcrush.artistry
Stylist/Bridalwear @jeanjacksoncouture
Florals @rebelrebele8
THE TECH TALK
Creating Layers in Your Wedding Portraits
Although I love this image in colour, I took the photo with the thought of a black and white treatment with added grain, noise and adjusted levels of contrast to produce the look of old film and create that timeless and nostalgic feel.
My intention was to remove the already beautifully interesting colour, lighting and reflections (artistic choice) in the glass and funnel more focus on the couple with the use of B/W editing, in addition to the foreground blur of passersby using a handheld slow-shutter speed technique of 1/20 sec.

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