Bride in the mirror shot.

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As an inexperienced tog, I was just wondering why the bride in the mirror shot is so common. It seems to be up there with shoes and the dress.

I'm not slating it - I've taken this shot myself, but I am wondering why togs capture this shot so frequently?
 
I think it is not necessarily what the togger wants but what the bride wants, just another shot to use in the arsenal of photographs.
 
A lot of brides will have seen it done in their bridal magazines and on the websites of photographers so they will like it. it's not the kind of photo people would normally take when they are snapping away so it may be a bread and butter shot for a wedding tog for a bride it is new and different.

Personally I try and avoid it as it's not a shot I particularly like.
 
I'd also imagine the sitting infront of a mirror is a large part of the day before it all kicks off off(make-up, hair etc)
 
swordjo said:
I'd also imagine the sitting infront of a mirror is a large part of the day before it all kicks off off(make-up, hair etc)
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Yep, they do tend to spend rather a long time in front of it! It's hard not to use it for pictures. I've got some odd ones from the little handheld mirrors too, but you need to see quite a bit of face, bit weird when there's just a big eye ball.

At my last wedding I clambered onto a flat roof to shoot through the window as the bride got ready as an alternative to endless mirror shots.
 
This is the shot already been requested by my future sis in law. Her wedding is just under 2 years away. Oh well as long as i'm prepared, lol
 
It also shows both the bride (in mirror) and the hair style (back of head) in one shot, not that easy otherwise.
 
Also it can be used to capture certain expressions and tell a story nerves, excitement, ponderous. It can capture the hustle and bustle of the day if some of the bridesmaids are about helping too, it doesn't necessarily have to be cliche, not that there is anything wrong with same old same old, it's obviously repeated because people like. If there had been forums when photography was getting started perhaps there would have been a thread on shooting the rings or the cake. As with such there is plenty of room for creativity in a well used shot methinks. One final point, the bride will also possibly like the shot on viewing because it will look like she pictures herself, being more used to seeing her reflection.
 
I had that shot on my wedding day. It was totally set up (as I imagine most are), but what made it nice was my dad was stood in the doorway behind and you can see him as well watching me put my makeup on.
 
Along with the other reasons given here about getting both front and back of the bride in the same shot I also find that a mirror is a good way to increase distance between subject and camera so when combined with the narrower field of view that you get from using a longer lens combined with a narrow DoF effects it can be used to help eliminate the clutter which I find common during the chaos that is getting ready.
 
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