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As photographers who primarily work weddings, we don’t like telling people no. If a bride wants her photo taken in a specific spot, the last thing we want to do is disappoint her on her wedding day.
Of course, a few weeks later when she receives her gallery of photos, we also don’t want her to freak out about the inevitable raccoon eyes that show up because the photos were taken in the harsh midday sun which may not correspond to the timing of your wedding day.
Today my good friend Beryl Young said something to me that I thought would help my couples understand the importance of lighting during photos.
“Lighting first, location second.”
If that doesn’t hit the nail on the head, I don’t know what does. For photographers, this makes perfect sense. We can take a photo in the most beautiful field of wildflowers during high noon and be utterly disappointed, or we could take a photo in the shade of a beat up city building, and be thrilled with the outcome. Certain locations may be beautiful, but may lend themselves best to early morning or late afternoon sun which may not correspond to the timing of your wedding day.
Thus, we felt like it would be appropriate to offer up a few tips in order to help you prepare for your wedding day with your photographs in mind (because we’re narcisstic like that, right?).
1// Indirect, natural light is best. We use artificial lighting (read: flash) when necessary, but like any photographer, we prefer the look of natural, filtered light. Direct sunlight causes anything from squinty eyes to dark, unflattering shadows on faces, so while we agree that a field of flowers would make for an amazing shot in the late afternoon low sun, during high noon it would be terribly unflattering. Tree-covered streets, open shade, low sun-angles, and overcast days offer the best lighting for portraits.
2// Schedule your wedding day accordingly. Reschedule events, if necessary. If you think about it, your photographs are one of a few lasting pieces of your wedding day. If you envision your wedding photographs to be soft, warm, and romantic, but your ceremony is at 6pm in November and you weren’t opting to do a first look, you’ll need to be prepared for that. Don’t be afraid to bump your ceremony up a few hours to ensure that you’ll be able to have those sunset newlywed portraits you’ve always hoped for.
3// If you can’t reschedule your timeline, consider additional lighting motifs. Twinkle lights and candles are simple additions to a ballroom or other indoor venue that up the romance factor, and they look incredible in photos. You can DIY this if you’re on a budget, or look into professionals who specialize in event lighting for the ultimate flattering light.
So what do you think? Do any of these tips change the way you look at lighting for your wedding day? Email us if you have any questions about the importance of lighting.
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I make whimsical art for color-lovers and California dreamers. I'm based in Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. where there are most decidedly no palm trees in sight.