How to Find the Best Lighting for Wedding Photographers
Understanding light is an essential part of our jobs as photographers, but it's not always as easy as "just looking for open shade". Looking for light in unexpected places and "non-ideal" locations allows my shooting style to be much more flexible, and allows my work to stand out from the 'expected'. Here are a few of the ways that I have learned to understand and look for light when I'm shooting.
1. In the Middle of Two Extremes
This has to be one of my favorite ways to see and use light in my work. When deciding where to shoot, I often look for places where two extremes meet - think dark shades meets bright light. This allows for a more 'moody' editorial look without the orange edits ;) ...
Need suggestions on where to look for this type of lighting? Here are a few go-to's that I use:
Windows (think brighter window light next to darker indoor space).
Overhangs and Doorways (think bride walking out into bright space from the darker indoors).
Shadows think about using dark shadows to play around with in any given shot (dark shadows meeting brightly lit subject allows for a more interesting composition).
Shooting next to a very dark wall with light on my subject.
This image was shot on the edge of extremely bright light (coming from the window) and a much darker interior with black walls. The result is lots of depth in the imagery.
2. Reflective Light
Now before you go and grab a giant handheld reflector, looking for reflective light can be done without any added tools. Generally, when I begin looking for a more clean, softly-lit portrait, I aim for some even light with a bit of reflective light.
Bringing in (or looking for) some brighter upward-reflecting light on your subject can help fill some darker shadows, as well as be a bit 'more kind' to your clients' skin texture. Be sure not to use upward-reflecting light that's extremely harsh, though, or you can create awkwardly upward-facing shadows on your clients' face(s).
Here are a few ways I look for reflective light on a wedding day:
Sidewalks or flooring that is lighter (white, cream, light brown, etc).
Shooting near wall(s) that are lighter in color.
Reflective bounced flash indoors and/or at night.
This interior space was extremely dark (especially given the cloudy, dark day outside). Putting the client in this space not only allowed for more window light, but allowed for the reflections of each side of the window paneling to reflect more light back onto her.
3. Soft vs. Hard Light
Lastly, I often think of light as being either soft or harsh. Generally, I tend to look for softer light as it will be 'kinder' to my clients' skin appearance. However, I occasionally shoot with harsh light (think direct flash, mid-day sun) to get a more editorial-style look. The best of both worlds? Combing both soft and harsher lights together.
Here are a few moments throughout a wedding day when I shoot in soft vs. harsh lighting:
Flash at Night: I often shoot direct flash at night to get a very editorial, in-the-moment look. However, I sometimes shoot softer light at night (bounced flash or ambient light with higher ISO) to allow the entirety of the venue/reception to show through in each image.
Open Shade: If there is beautiful, open shade at a venue, I will often shoot larger groups and some of the portraits in this softer lighting. It’s important to continue to look for some directionality to the light and use that to your advantage (you don’t want flat, boring images)…
Tip: When shooting in soft light, try to find the direction the light is coming from, and shoot with this slightly to the side. This will give more dimension and depth to your images.
This image was shot in very intentionally directional light. The interior of the space had relatively soft light (very cloudy and dark outside and white carpets and walls that bounced light well), but placing the client right next to the brightest light in the room creates this beautiful contrast across the image.
