Shooting with Mirrors in the Room
For Photographers
Most wedding venue’s getting ready rooms are lined with mirrors. They are beautiful and create the illusion of a larger space. Win-win! Except for the photographers.
Yes, mirror shots are artistic and fun but its tough to get a clean shot when there are multiple mirrors. It’s especially tough if they are facing different directions. Just having a mirror in the frame of your shot complicates things even if you aren’t intentionally using it for your photo:
You cleared all the space you need for your shot, you pose the bride, raise up your camera, and….oh shoot. There’s a Dunkin’ Donuts cup visible in the mirror.
Moved that. Okay! Ready!
Frame up the shot annnnnnd. “Oh, sorry, Mom of the Bride (glowing with pride) you’re in the shot in the mirror. Do you mind moving over there?” (Mom slowly deflates as the moment is lost).
You get the idea. It’s frustrating to get a clean shot in a messy room in the first place but then to have to tidy the entire space due to the mirrors and ask people to move (or even leave sometimes)...an exhausting way to start the day.
Here are some tips for shooting with Mirrors:
1. If the mirrors are only on one side of the room and the lighting permits, put the mirrors behind you and/or out of the frame of your shot completely. If they aren’t in the frame, you don’t have to worry about them.
2. If you are working with the mirror or you must take a shot with a mirror in the frame, check it first before posing people to clear the space you will see in frame. Designate a “space clearer” for those portraits. That way you don’t have to run back and forth moving things. Plus, you don’t want to be responsible for the things that are being moved.
3. Shoot the photo at a 45 or so degree angle from you, to the subject, to the mirror in order to keep yourself out of your own shot.
4. If there are people in the room for these portraits, simply stand where you will need to stand for the shots and instruct everyone to look at the mirror. If they see the camera in the mirror, they are in the shot…so kindly move to a different spot….please. This is the easiest way to know if you are in the shot or not for those who can’t see the frame through your lens.
5. Give yourself grace. It’s hard to catch everything. Sometimes you won’t notice until your post process that something was visible in the mirror that you didn’t want there. Converting to black and white can help in this case.
Happy shooting!
XO - Megan