How to get that bright, clear wedding look

<p>Hi everyone, I'm a beginner with a big interest in weddings. I have gotten some good equipment together for which I am very grateful, and am trying to perfect my technique. The problem is, the look I am going for I just can't figure out how to achieve. </p>

<p>The look I love is that bright, white, crisp, CLEAR wedding look. Like you could reach out and touch the scene. Pretty hard to describe so I'll try to post examples. <br>

http://isa2.stylemepretty.com/submissions/uploads/clary@claryphoto.com/59957/900/nrpfeiffer000612_r5_e124$!400x.jpg<br>

http://www.chicagoillinoisweddingphotography.com/uploads/2010/05/palmer-house-hilton-chicago-wedding-photography.jpg<br>

http://www.jasminestarblog.com/images/content/Royal-Hawaiian-Hotel-Wedding-Photo002.jpg<br>

http://www.jasminestarblog.com/images/content/Kunde-Estate-Wedding-Photo001.jpg</p>

<p>I'm not sure if it's simply the sharpness or what. All I know is that I can get some pretty sharp photos (using professional primes), but mine never quite look like that. Mine are always too contrasty, and even adjustments in lightroom don't quite get the look I want. Unless I'm just not doing something right. </p>

<p>So how do you make your photos look like they're lit in pretty daylight even when they're not? Is it all in the post processing? Is it all the lenses, the sharpness..?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>To me it looks like most of those DO rely on a ton of natural light. They look bright because there is a bunch of light in the scene already, and the photographers are letting as much light into the camera as they can with wide apertures. Those wide apertures also give a shallow depth of field — when you're talking about the "sharpness" of the photos, my guess is that you're responding positively to the juxtaposition of areas of focus (like the bouquet in the first picture) against a large, smoothly out-of-focus background.</p>

<p>It's a combination of things. The photos you link at are all rather different and use slightly different techniques. From what I can see I'm quite positive in all four photos artificial lighting was used (and skillfully so it appears natural). By that I mean either bounced flash or a lighting setup with several lights. The first photo also uses a wide lens aperture to create a shallow depth of field. The third one has significant color balance and saturation changes with a very strong magenta cast.<br>

<br />So, it's not a single thing but rather a combination of techniques. That crisp wedding look you hint at most often comes from the use of strong but softly diffused artificial light that is usually achieved from a professional lighting setup, coupled with digital post-processing.</p>

<p>Very helpful, thanks</p>

I believe Daniel is right on the mark. The white look is surely the color temperature (white balance)

produced by artificial lighting possibly made even cooler in post-processing.

<blockquote>

<p>"The look I love is that bright, white, crisp, CLEAR wedding look. Like you could reach out and touch the scene. Pretty hard to describe so I'll try to post examples."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I also agree with Daniel D's general comments about the lighting and I believe that is the MAIN ingredient in the "look" that you are describing/seeking.</p>

<p>What all six images have in common, is that the Artificial Light (FLASH) is DIFFUSED (maybe bounced from an large surface such as an umbrella - but I expect DIFFUSED or "Shoot Through") and is balancing the AMBIENT Light, such that there is almost no "lighting ratio".</p>

<p>In other words the overall lighting appears to be very "smooth" or "even": note how even all the shadows are - and how they are all very "soft" and "gentle". In the last link, note how evenly the Table and the Flowers and the Wall is lit, (but there is a little tell of flash reflection on the wall in the centre I think) yet the two wall incandescent lamps are not blown out.</p>

<p>The only "hard light" is the rim light on the face of the Bride (Bridal Portrait by Miller + Miller).</p>

<p>Beyond the Lighting being a major ingredient for this "look" - I'd expect next major ingredient is the Post Production: they all appear somewhat <strong>de-saturated</strong>, to my eye - and that makes them somewhat artificially "high key".</p>

<p>This "Pastel" style is popular with many (maybe "in vogue now" or "a popular trend" would be other ways of explaining it) - this would figure as a common theme throughout the six images that you have chosen.</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Yes, pastel is the right word for it! I guess I'll just have to keep playing with my gear, and try to get my hands on some good lighting too.</p>

<p>I have attached the histogram for the first-linked image. Notice that it has been carefully exposed to avoid blowing the highlights, and lit so that there are virtually no shadows. There are a number of available wedding actions which will create the effect for you, but you have to have a properly lit and exposed image to work with.</p><div></div>

<p>Link 1 - Very soft, diffuse light, possibly light from a window reflecting off of a light-colored or white wall onto the subject. No direct light on the subject. Narrow depth of field with focus on the face. Correct white balance.</p>

<p>Link 2 - Exposure is the key here. The white dress and the backlighting (window shot) would cause the camera's auto exposure to underexpose dramatically. Meter with an incident meter of from a gray card to establish the correct exposure. A histogram will NOT help with that window backlighting shot. Proper white balance, as always.</p>

<p>A reflector or a bounced flash (bounced on the wall behind the camera) might have been added to fill in shadows softly, but I'm not certain.</p>

<p>Link 3 - Soft light, not that difficult to expose, but the white balance has to be accurate.</p>

<p>In all cases, contrast and white balance were most likely adjusted after the fact.</p>

<p>Accurate focus and a fast (enough) shutter speed are required for sharpness in all cases. ISO can be used to boost the shutter speed indoors.</p>

<p>Get a friend or two to stop by. Put them in these positions and try to duplicate the shots. Don't be surprised if you fail on the first try. Or the second. There's a lot of technique involved. You aren't going to master it in a day.</p>