Comments on: How To Light Wedding Posed Pictures In A Church

By: Patrick Hall

Patrick Hall — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:04:00 +0000

Battery powered units can work (vagabond) but battery units are going to slow you down with the recycle rate. I like to take 3-6 photos of each group so if you have to fire at full power that’s a lot of time waiting inbetween each shot. Having even a cheap AC unit like an Alien Bee is worth its weight in gold simply because your recycle rate is negligible.

By: Patrick Hall

Patrick Hall — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:01:00 +0000

If you are going to edit your final photos in the instagram look then that gives you a lot of flexibility in how you light it. I do not see any reason to really keep the ambient light “natural” if you are going to mute the colors and give the image a cross processed look. In this case I’d almost make the argument for using all natural light or killing all natural light and strobing the entire place.

As for using a single SB910 for posed photos, it simply own’t work even at ISO 3200. Basically your flash is going to have to be at Full power to achieve any sort of usable result and even then your recycle rate is going to be super slow. The difference between a Profoto pack at full power and a speed light at full power is probably about 4 – 5 stops so you go from ISO 100 to ISO 1600 easily and many times the speed light’s bounced light source is much smaller than the size a monolight can produce.

By: Patrick Hall

Patrick Hall — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:56:00 +0000

Surprisingly we have a lot of European style churches here in Charleston because it’s one of America’s oldest cities. You are right, sometimes you have to adjust the hue slider in Lightroom afterwards or directly light the ceremony stage with umbrellas so you get white light that bounce flash won’t give you. It’s all about being flexible and having several tricks up your sleeve.

By: Patrick Hall

Patrick Hall — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:55:00 +0000

It just depends on the day and timeline. Sometimes brides don’t hire you to shoot getting ready. Sometimes getting ready shots are actually at the church. Other times you can leave the getting ready location and beat them to the church and setup within 10 mins. Also you can send your assistants ahead of you. I have very few brides who show up in a limo from the getting ready location to the church….they mostly leave the church in a fancy car. There isn’t a correct answer to any of these questions, it’s mainly about being flexible and quick with any decision you make on the wedding day.

By: Patrick Hall

Patrick Hall — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:53:00 +0000

The only light from this session was bounced off the wall to camera left.

By: Ike

Ike — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:24:00 +0000

`any chance for discounts(coupon code) or installment plans??

By: David Leyland

David Leyland — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:58:00 +0000

Correct me if I am wrong but in this shot I can see catch lights in the eyes which suggest a soft box or umbrella of some sort?

By: SubrataGuha

SubrataGuha — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:06:00 +0000

How do you get time to arrive at the church so early? If you are shooting getting ready, and then moving to church… in between you need to catch her getting out of the Limo?

Disclosure: I’m an aspiring wedding photographer w/ no real wedding experience though.

By: EnticingHavoc

EnticingHavoc — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:34:00 +0000

Have you ever tried this in a European “full sized” church ?
Even if your flashes were powerful enough the reflected light would suffer from a massive shift in hue.

By: Jozef Povazan

Jozef Povazan — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Hi Daniel,
it always depends on the size of the location. I am discussing and addressing my thoughts regarding the churches or chapels showed in this video. Ambient light was couple stops weaker in your video, so it means there would be no problem with cross light sources! The ambient light specially in these unique cathedrals like the one I showed you below is amazing and I still prefer to mix it with flashes or video lights for small groups than simply overkill it with white flash burst. Personal thing but when client requires opposite why not :). I do not work alone and flashes are still the easiest form of lighting for us and had no problem with recycling times at all with our battery packs :). I agree in one point with you and that is kids who might move when using tripod option for ambient light exposure. Well it can still be done when you hit them in 1 of 5 shots :) Below is a retouched image of ambient light / daylight from windows 5200K/ mixed with tungsten video light /3200 K/ at Vancouver St. Rose Mary Cathedral. The mood which it creates is priceless. We just love ambient too much. Thanks for you comment from http://www.povazanphotography.com