Reservoir Dogs

It's the bride's day. From the flowers to the cake to the limo, the entire day should speak of and to her. A wedding that does this , and the photography of that wedding, is pretty much considered a success.  Still, in all truth the bride is but one half of the wedding. This raises the question, What to do with the groom?

I've tried a variety of shots but none has the visual presence of the "Reservoir Dogs" shot.  For those who are not fans, Reservoir Dogs is Quentin Tarantino's first film as a writer and director.  It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, 1992 and instantly made Tarantino's career. Two years later he followed his success with Pulp Fiction, to this day my favorite Tarantino film, but that's an article for a different blog. 

Reservoir Dogs tells the tale of six criminals, all strangers to each other, hired to carry out a diamond heist.  Throughout the film the men wear black suits, white shirts and black ties, clothing that incidentally is remarkably similar to wedding tuxedos.

Aside from the great dialog, cinematography and violence that are hallmarks of all Tarantino films, Reservoir Dogs is also famous for the iconic opening scene featuring the six men, wearing sunglasses, walking together in a very loose formation. None of them actually walks next to another man, but they walk together almost like a pack of wolves. In the film, this scene reinforces the idea that while the men are part of a team they are not friends.

While we'd hope the groom and his groomsmen are in fact friends, this scene is still perfect for them because it conveys a sense of camaraderie and purpose.  This is especially true if rendered in black and white.

Ideally this works best with at least four men, including the groom, but can work with as few as three. Gather the groom and his court either just before or just after the ceremony, make sure they brought their sunglasses (I always keep a few spares in my kit, just in case) and then just have them stroll as a pack.  Ideally you want to shoot it with a wide-angle lens to emphasize the depth of the pack and to create a sense of proximity to the events.  If done properly the Reservoir Dogs shot can offer something for the Groom and his groomsmen on what otherwise is the bride's day.

The first photo is of Eric and his groomsmen walking along a train station in Boca Raton just after his wedding.  The second photo is of Justin and his groomsmen walking along a lake at sunset.