These are starting points, not rules — the reference images are Pinterest saves with no camera data, so meter and check on location. Dial in from here.
| Shot type | Where to start |
|---|
Wide / environmental
venue, archways, corridors | ~24–35mm · f/4–f/5.6 to keep scene & couple readable · 1/250–1/500 · low ISO. Center them so architecture frames symmetrically. |
| Full body | ~35–50mm · f/2.8–f/4 · 1/250+ · watch the whole pose — feet, hands, dress line. |
| Medium (waist up) | ~50–85mm · f/2–f/2.8 · keep both faces on the same focus plane. |
| Close-up / faces | ~85–135mm · f/2–f/2.8 · focus the near eye · chins slightly down & forward. |
| Detail / rings | 100mm macro or close-focus · f/4–f/5.6 (depth is razor-thin up close) · single-point focus on the stone · angle the ring to a highlight. |
| Motion — twirl, dip, lift, walk | 1/500–1/1000 · continuous AF + burst · pre-focus and fire through the peak. Count “1-2-3” so you catch the real laugh. |
| Backlit / golden hour | Spot-meter the skin, let highlights bloom · flag flare with a hand/hood · put the sun just behind their heads for rim light. |
| Low light / night / string lights | Open aperture, raise ISO, add a small video light or flash for face fill · balance so signage/lights still glow · check white balance. |
| On every frame | |
|---|
| Direct in one cue | One instruction at a time, out loud. Give the feeling, not the mechanics. |
| Check the four | Hands relaxed · chins down/forward · shoulders down · weight on the back foot. |
| Shoot through it | Burst the movement — the keeper is usually a beat after the pose settles. |