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Cut the Cake


idobelieve

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I am so bored with (my) cake cutting shots. I would love to see some examples of exciting and creative

cake cutting shots. Unless the couple decides to get rowdy and start smearing frosting around I am totally

uninspired during this part of the reception. Let's see some creative takes on the cake cutting...

Thanks!<div>00LpwS-37411584.thumb.jpg.bc5d752b6bd9ba2ef8a6271d9b58b2db.jpg</div>

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I'm hanging out to see these too! Maybe the answer is that there just isn't a way to funk this up...it just is what it is. Please prove me wrong!

 

Here's my contribution...In the top one you can see my assistant getting the 'must have' while I tried for something a bit different (not very different I admit). And the bottom one I went wide (17mm) for a bit of a different look (again, not very different) but it's their expressions that crack me up.<div>00Lq04-37414284.thumb.jpg.f15f5f4dbad384d6bbc33b1c19b35651.jpg</div>

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You can't move the cake if its big (but easy to move the table when its smallish), but you can always ask the other vendors in charge if they can move the table before hand. Asking for just 2 feet away from one of the walls instead of a corner makes a world of difference.

 

Of course, this means scouting the cake table's placement and coordinating with the other vendors, but not a big deal, eh?

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IF the B&G opt for the cake cutting tradition, it's sure to make the album ... so it's worth

the effort to make as much out of it as possible IMO. Here's some thoughts:

 

As suggested above, try packing the wedding party and even the parents around the

couple. This isn't a formal shot so they don't have to be lined up and everyone visable ...

just make a background of friends. Pack them in tight so you don't have to shoot to wide.

 

 

Shoot the actual cut as it happens without the group looking at you. Then start moving in

for the killer shots that are sure to happen afterwards.

 

If there are kids there, get them up front ... their expressions can make the shot

sometimes.<div>00LqAj-37418484.thumb.jpg.fa6b019374911a812a1cdfbf7a375e38.jpg</div>

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I hate cake-cuttings. No matter how creative you are, you still have pictures of people

cutting a cake. I just hope to get some funny expressions and a relatively interesting

angle. :)

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<img src="http://almasyphoto.net/images/2007blogimages/0526ashleyjosh/wedding/

a2120.jpg">

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<img src="http://almasyphoto.net/images/2007blogimages/0519ariellelogan/

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Marc, I agree the groom's expression is central....placed at the upper right hand "third" of the image, the adorable girls in the bottom left hand corner looking upward creates a diagonal past the bride/action which leads us back to the groom's face. The guests around the background frame the action and the little guy in the bottom right hand corner is "icing on the cake". This image is powerful in it's composition and lighting (love to see some detail in the groom's tux and the balance between flash and ambient light). This would be my nomination for "Best shoot 2007".
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This might be a bit off topic but I think it does have something to do with getting a newer or "better" cake photograph.

 

I'd bet money that people like the photos of the cake cutting that involve guests in the shots. No flash of news in that I suppose but it's interesting that almost all cake photographs only show the bride and groom.

 

I've started asking the bridal couple to consider getting the cake Out of the Corner and Off the Wall! The cake in the corner or against the wall serves only one element of the wedding and that's the venue. Make them earn their money and ask/Insist that the cake be placed in a location that Encourages guests to mingle and gather around it. You want discussions around it and kids tempted by it.

 

If the cake is in a prominent location when guests enter the reception hall they are delighted to see it "on display" and they walk by and look at it and gather around it. The cake can then be used to layer you photos using the cake and capturing people in the background as well as the venue and the bridal party.

 

If the cake is not that elegant or important then the corner or against the wall is a good place but if the couple has spent a lot of money for a meaningful cake then I always advise them to get it out among the guests ... of course this requires coordination with the venue and I've seen it work smoothly in every case.

 

FREE THE CAKE!

 

btw, the last photo in the collage below involved a fireman's axe as a surprise to her fireman groom ... it was hidden under the table and no one (but the photographer: me) knew about it. The venue and the bride decided to Not display the cake prominently so it was hidden as tight as it could be in the corner of a huge reception hall. I think they realized their Folly when few guests even bothered to come over to the corner because of limited space. I could see them "realize" the mistake but it was to late to change... on with the show!

 

My new mantra:

FREE THE CAKE!<div>00Lr81-37443184.jpg.7cf7e7468fae98f1794c42b12a1df628.jpg</div>

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Yes, its great to get the wedding party involved with the cake cutting, but be sure you get clued into the proceedings when the couple decides to turn around and smash the cake into the Maid of Honor's face. The Best Man escaped somehow. I missed the initial smash because I was tight on the couple's faces. They were being overly dramatic about leaning their faces together to feed each other, which should have been my first clue that something else was about to happen. Here's the shot after the initial smash. You can guess what happened next. I don't like the huge shadow across the bride's body, but I opted to use card bounce due to the huge space, extremely high rafter type ceiling and the yucky halogen lighting.

 

Anyway, I'm not so sure the actual cake cutting shots need to be extremely creative. Supplementary shots, maybe. But not the actual cake cutting, beyond good expressions and getting any action. The couple would probably not be happy if you didn't get photos where the action is shown and their faces and expressions aren't clear. This is one of those times you don't mess with tradition too much--maybe just angle, like Anne's shots.<div>00LrJY-37446184.jpg.7c6e5349ec84832b562897e3c4af1476.jpg</div>

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