Wedding Cakes - Wedding Photography

I know that the festive period feels like quite a while ago, but hands up if you consumed too much? Yep, thought as much, me too. So I wonder if writing a blog post about wedding cakes is a little cruel if some of us are trying shed the pounds, hopefully not. Last year I wrote a post about wedding flowers, click here for the link, and I really wanted to write a similar one about cakes. Let me explain why I think wedding photographers have a responsibility in recording the wedding cake away from the cake cutting moment.

Just like wedding flowers, choosing your cake is an incredibly personal thing. Popularity in baking, courtesy of the Great British Bake Off, is making us all aware of what is available. You don't have to be a baker to appreciate a decent cake either. It isn't uncommon for someone in attendance at the wedding who actually have baked the cake for the couple, perhaps even the Bride herself. But you see, it is very easy to forget about the cake itself during the wedding day. How come?

Sometimes it is placed in the darkest corner of the wedding breakfast room, and only wheeled out just before the cake cutting tradition. So it is easy to miss the cake. Likewise, let's face it, the day is a very hectic time. So much so that it appears to fly by too fast, and sometimes moments are missed. This is especially true for the Bride and Groom.

This is why I believe it is an incredibly important item to record, and will do my best to capture. So how do I compose these photographs. Often I will see friends and relatives shoot from head height with outstretched arms, which is fine of course. However a lower viewpoint can improve the composition no end, and sometimes includes some of the breakfast room as well depending on the location of the cake. Failing that, using a clean background if there is one.

So it's nice to get this safe shot in the bag so to speak. Then it's time to get more up close and personal. Often cake details are of the same theme to other details in the room, also the colour can match the said theme.

With that in mind I'll dive in and set a shallow depth of field on my camera, in other words have a small part of the image pin sharp with the remainder having a gorgeous creamy soft focus.

Now I'll be starting to get a nice collection of images. However there is still one more I can grab before the next thing on the list. What shape are cakes generally?

Yep, tall and narrow, mostly. So changing the composition to portrait can place the cake nicely in the frame. This is just a general template that I'll follow in order to capture the cake. As ever lighting, position and distracting backgrounds can dictate the outcome. But hopefully there will be at least a few keepers to hand over to the couple.

Today's post didn't include any people, but don't worry the next one will describe a wedding in Warwickshire, so back to normal reporting. If you enjoyed this article, you might like another from last summer. Oddly enough one of the photos includes a wedding cake, just after it had been moved into position ready to be cut, click here for the link. Feel free to share away on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ by using the social media icons. Or leave a comment below. Righ, time to prepare a low calorie evening meal! Martin.