Formal Group Photos with Large Backlit Windows

I am shooting an afternoon wedding later this week. The church faces

west and has large clear windows on both sides of the altar, viewing

the mountains outside Denver. There is a chance there will be snow on

them, so I am faced with a potential of blowout from the ambient

backlighting. To over come this, I was thinking of setting my camera

to manual, and shooting to properly, or slightly underexpose, the

outside background, and use a fill flash to bring the foreground and

the wedding party up. My question is this, do I need to set my flash

up on manual as well, or will the Auto setting on the flash work as

desired. My fear is that the sensor on the flash unit will see all

that backlight and choke down on the flash energy.

 

I am shooting with an OM-4 with a T-32 Flash.

 

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. I am going to the church

tomorrow to experiment.

 

Thanks!

 

jorge

the short answer is the flash will lower the out put to balance if left in auto. However, you could just up the flash output by a stop or so and that should work.

 

If you can shoot a test roll do so and try a couple stops each way.

Hi, I had a similar situation this summer, a backlit windowed alter, but I couldn't use flash for the ceremony. It was tricky, but I got beautiful available light shots w/ all that natural light pouring in.

 

For the formals with flash, I did just as you are preparing to do. I exposed for the background, and then added fill flash from a single unit. I metered the backlight, used two cameras, manual settings on both, a 645 with manual flash and a Canon 35mm w/ 550EX doing it's TTL thing. Both turned out nicely, I actually think I preferred the 550EX lighting. Watch out for flashback off the windows, I buried the flash in the bodies by dropping the flash down a little when I thought it might bounce off a window. Once everyone filled the alter, it cut down on the amount of backlight pouring in, the couple shots were a little tougher with more backlight adding to the scene, but I just got in close and filled the frame to avoid any flashback.<div></div>

You can use TTL to provide what is essentially fill flash for a backlit subject. Typically, you need to add about +1 f/stop compensation. If you're using film, I wouldn't try this for the first time at the actual wedding!

 

For formal shots, I would typically use a monolight(s) on a stand, with everything in manual. I would then meter the flash, and in this case, the outside, and set everything accordingly, for absolute control and consistency. You might want to overexpose the outside 0.5 to 1.0 stops, so that it does not distract from the subject, or nail the exposure to complement the group -- your choice.

always expose for what you cannot control, and then control what you need to control in order to bring the photo in balance. If you have a sunny day outside and you have large expanses of window, you need to expose for the outside exposure and then bring your flash into balance with that exposure.

 

Kevin

Why fight the light? Is there any chance you could put that window to your back, instead of pointing your camera at it?

Be careful that you don't get bounce-back reflections of your flash in that window! With a single lens reflex you won't be able to see it until your photos are processed! Rangefinder and twin lens reflexes don't have that problem. Look at your subject by sighting NEXT to the pentaprism finder and fire the flash manually to make sure, before you take the actual picture!

Would it be possible to have a helper with a reflector to bounce back fill lighting for their faces? Or could you put a reflector on a light stand? You could even use a gold reflector to add warmth and tone to their skin. This takes a little effort and some time but, at least to me, well worth it.

 

You've got a great chance to capture window light and use it to your advantage.

 

Try it! Just another idea.

 

Hope this helps you.

There is a beautiful Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley, Ca that has a wall-to-wall window on the redwood forest. Magnificent for our eyes, but hell for cameras: either you will get great exposures on the people, but the background will be overexposed, or vise versa.

 

Also, as mentioned, the background is glass protected, and will create reflections.

 

I have no perfect answers for your question. It will be a compromise.

 

In my opinion, the people are more important than the mountains or the trees.

 

Key you exposure for the people first using flash.

 

This alll depends on your equipment as well: if you use a manual camera system you will need to balance interior flash with the background. If you are using TTL balanced fill, the camera may balance for you.

 

There is also a weather element involved: if the weather is bright sun, your problem is much more extreme than if the weather outside the church is dark and overcast.

 

In all cases, the most important element for the best exposure is the couple and their family. Discuss this photographic issue with them before the wedding.

Todd wrote: "In all cases, the most important element for the best exposure is the couple and their family. Discuss this photographic issue with them before the wedding."

 

DITTO.

One way to watch for flash reflections in a window with an SLR is to look through the view finder and fire the flash manually with the test button. If you see the flash in the window, then move it until you can't.

Jorge, get a cord that will get the flash off the camera but still give you the features that you need from your camera/flash combination.<p> A flash meter would let you use the flash on manual and you could pre-set it's power output by measuring with a flash meter. <p>But your biggest problem is that you may run out of shutter speed or flash power. If your flash sync has a top speed of 1/125th and it's a sunny day outside, your iso 400 speed film will want around f22 at that shutter speed even shooting through windows. Can your T-32 deliver F22 at the distance from the alter you'll need to position it at to keep it out of the shot? If the answer is yes, be sure to take lots of batteries. If not...figure out a Plan B. (This is why wedding photographers use high powered strobes and cameras with fast sync speeds; to keep up with daylight and to light big groups under all conditions)... t<p>ps: How did the test go?

All went well with the test. I was actually able to frame the formal pictures such that the direct light from the windows were shielded, but was able to use all of the incoming light to my advantage. I'll get the prints tomrrow from the actual wedding. Fingers are crossed!