Engagement shoot with wheelchair

[amycary-hult]

Hello. Can any of you offer any posing suggetions for an engagement shoot in

which the bride-to-be is in a wheelchair? The shoot will be indoors, at a

pretty venue with a fireplace, cozy setting in the background. The couple

could only schedule for late afternoon, when is is already dark, so we are

pretty limited to only using the indoor facility. The bride will not be

getting out of the chair for any of the pictures.

 

There are the obvious poses, but I don't want everything to look the same. Any

help you can offer would be appreciated! Thanks!

[Gary Naka]

The one thing to watch for is BAD reflections off the chrome of the wheelchair. Talk with them on this potential problem and do some test shots. There may be ways to cover some of the chrome and prevent the worst of the reflections.

 

The other is to remember to lower the level of the camera, so you are not always looking down at her. This will be tricky but a reasonable compromise is somewhere between her head and the grooms head. With some shots towards his hight and some more to her height. Sorry but I am NOT a fan of the looking down at the subject perspective.

 

gud luk, Gary

[kari douma]

I haven't had this situation, but maybe some tighter crops?

[michaelging]

I Photographed a wedding of a couple who where in their 80's. She was in a wheelchair and he was not.I found a stool in the senior center that could be placed right next to the wheel chair where the groom could sit at her same level and close to her. If you wanted to down play the chair , you might suggest that she put a shawl or scarf over her shoulders and let it hang down to hide the arms of the wheelchair.A piece of black material like velvet would also work.Some chairs have a back that will lower, or a back that can be removed so the groom can put his arm around her easily.

[caseychappell]

just some immediate thoughts, have him sit down next to her and her lean over to kiss

him or play with his hair while he's looking at her. Him behind leaning in on the

handlebars and getting close to her face. smiling, kissing, kissing her cheek and her cute

expressions to that.

her lean over the side and him standing leaning in towards her bending at waist and

capturing just the faces and kiss. Another would be to use a wide angle and get down

really low at a distance and capture them just talking and snuggling!

I wonder if you could talk her into letting the groom pick her up...just for a few. How

precious that would be! you could get all sorts of poses and angles that way.

Definitely bring a tripod for some low light non flash shots. Use the fire as much as you

can to maybe get some special effects shots.

Good luck! Thanks for asking.

[lucafoto]

If the wheel chair is her permanent seat, I would expect it is a Quickie or other light weight ?stylish? chair, rather than a "Hospital Wheelchair', so the chrome may not be a real issue. Remove the armrests if they are present, but only if they are not part of her support.

 

Talk with her and see where she is comfortable about showing or concealing her legs, a nice velvet skirt would be a great cover for her legs and the chair.

 

Additionally a low angle, from on the floor, allows you to frame more of her rather than her chair. Since she is always sitting and looking up at people, it would be a nice shot from the low perspective, so people are looking up at her when viewing the shot.

 

Beware of being too patronizing about her situation, treat her simply as the beautiful bride to be, nothing more, nothing less.

[kiva]

In addition to all suggestions: Ask them if they have a preference for show the photographs are taken and go from there but I'd call them or talk to them ahead of time so they can think about it. Most likely they won't have a clue but you don't know if you don't ask. Good shooting.

[photographydreams]

I would ask them straight out if they want you to incorporate the chair or hide it. Same as with tatoos (as in prev thread) - some people want them hidden, others think they're a part of them!