PartnerCon in New Orleans: Shooting Workshop with Sean and Mel McLellan

We are back from an amazing week at Pictage's Partner Conference in New Orleans. We've uploaded all our images: there are 1,002 of them, so you'll be seeing more from the week on the blog soon. I'm really excited to share these few with you from the shooting workshop led by the crazy-talented award-winning team of Sean and Mel McLellan of McLellan Studio in Nashville, TN. A group of 25 photographers plus Sean and Mel took to Royal Street to photograph Peter and Whitney Carlson from Dove Wedding Photography and Mindy and Phil Thornton from Phindy Studios, also out of Nashville. Here's Mel, one of the most adorable pregnant chicas I've ever had the pleasure to learn from:

 

 

 

and Sean, her partner and husband, advising Mandi-Nikole about the set-up of a shot.

 

 

 

The workshop was added at the last minute because of high demand; somehow, we lucked out and got a spot. When Mel introduced Peter, Whitney, Mindy and Phil as our models for the shoot, she added,

"And they are very, very uncomfortable right now!" I would have been too, if I were in Whitney's place here:

 

 

 

 It's good for us photogs to be on the other side of the camera every once in a while to remind us that it can be an uncomfortable place. I think Whitney handled all those cameras pointed at her with grace.

 

 

 

The focus of the workshop was making the most out of limited locations. Whether it's a lack of light or a lack of beauty in the surroundings, it's important for wedding photographers to be able to deliver beautiful images for our clients under a huge variety of circumstances. We literally stepped out of the hotel on Canal Street, turned the corner on Royal and got down to work. Of course, in a city like New Orleans in the French Quarter, beauty, character, color and texture are all around you.

 

Peter and Whitney

 

 

 

Phil and Mindy

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes the light isn't right...too low or, as in this case, too bright. So you have to make the best of it by placing your couple in the sun and working with the light you have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we walked up the street, we passed a band of musicians playing on the corner. Naturally, a dance was in order.

 

 

 

 

When you're shooting a subject with 25 other photographers, sometimes you don't get much choice when it comes to your angles. That can be a good thing: I really like this shot not only because of Whitney's great expression and the sense of movement, but also because of all that great detail in the metalwork above the couple's heads. Here I'm shooting at street-level because there were at least five other photographers directly above me and I couldn't move...but it works!

 

 

 

 

 

The big finish!

 

 

 

The wind caught the train of Whitney's dress as we moved up the street.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know who styled the shoot, but I love the vintage touches!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite:

 

 

More from New Orleans to come!