Lighting a "Cowboy" Wedding

Next weekend, I get to shoot my first cowboy wedding. It's on a working ranch,

complete with the hats, boots, chaps, and even a Dolly Parton impersonator. The

location is beautiful in the right light, but the ceremony starts at 1 pm and

is in the middle of an open pasture. The bright afternoon sun is causing a

little concern for me, but I'm more worried about the best way to light the

wedding party who will all be wearing hats without keeping their eyes shadowed.

The formals and reception will be in a large open shaded area, so that is

covered. Does anyone have any suggestions about shooting the ceremony in mid-

day sunlight so that I don't get killer shadows from the cowboy hats?

 

 

---Jason

There's really nothing for it but fill flash that's originating from below the level of the hat brims. But too much, and it can look very <i>not-right</i> somehow in a setting like that.

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The good news is that in broad daylight, you can shoot with a low enough ISO that you should be able to pull some more brightness/contrast up out of SOME shadowing areas in post production without the noise getting too ugly. Err on the side of overexposing a bit, with that in mind. I'm betting there will be plenty of white hats, though - and some of that is going to get blown out a bit as the price you'll pay for brighter faces. Below are two smiling faces that were buried rather badly in cowboy hat shadows on a bright day at a ranch social gathering. I should have used a lower ISO so that I'd had better luck with latitude in the shaded areas.

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Have fun - sounds like a refreshing gig.<div></div>

Besides handling in post processing, when you can control things, ask the subjects wearing hats to push them up a little (not a lot or it looks funny). For close ups when it really matters, you could try reflectors. For action shots (like the ceremony) in mid-day sun, fill flash is about all you can do.

One of my commercial clients is Muddy Creek Rain Gear for Horseback Riders. I also shot

the wedding of the owners ... which was on horseback at their ranch, in open sun, noon to

1PM.

 

If the wedding is on horseback you won't have much problem since you'll mostly be

shooting upwards, and fill will do the job... just like Matt Laur's photos of mounted riders

above show.

 

If the subjects will be on foot, simply kneel down. To be safe bring an off-camera cord so

you can precisely lower the flash for fill. In a pinch, I've even shot people wearing hats with

shoe mounted fill-flash by simply turning the camera upside down ... try it, it works : -)

 

Sometimes what seems complicated is actually quite simple.

Jason, <a href=http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=777157>HERE</a> are some

commercial shots for Muddy Creek using no flash at all that might trigger a few ideas for

your shoot. All done without flash. Just look for the light.

 

BTW, for their wedding I used 100% film which I chose for the feel and latitude for shadow

detail ...<div></div>

Oops! The wedding shot above was also using undiffused fill from a Contax 360 TTL flash

comped -1 stop just to keep the downward shadows from blocking up.

 

Jason, get there early if you can. "Getting Ready" shots can be a lot of fun ...<div></div>

Thanks for all the advice and the posted examples. I never considered holding the camera upside down! I will definitely practice that this afternoon. When I signed this client, they did leave open the option of whether I wanted to use film or digital. I am definitely leaning towards film for this particular event, at least the ceremony. It's going to be a lot of fun, so I want to make sure I have myself covered technically so I can relax and shoot with confidence while enjoying something new.

Yeah, I turn the camera upside down at almost every wedding now ... people wonder what the

heck I'm doing : -)

 

Reception dance shots are really cool doing that because it creates a "footlights" type lighting

like at the theater. You can also fire the flash directly at the floor then for even more dramatic

lighting effects.

 

It helps if the camera has a bottom shutter release button like my 1DMKII, or like those on an

add-on drive or aux. battery holder.

Re holding the camera upside down...never thought of that but then, I'm 5'1" tall, and I don't need to hold the camera upside down to get the light under the hat brims. What about the upward angle on women who might not be model-thin? That perspective doesn't look so great on them.

Well Nadine, then you simply don't do it.

Darn, Marc. I was hoping you had some solution...

Is there anyone who can old a scrim for the close-up formals?

Or, use a snoot on your flash for controlled situations of close-ups of individuals or couples. Very fiddly, though, and slow.

I assume you meant if the subject is on a horse up above you in which case you'd need a

small step ladder ... however, if they are standing and you turn the camera upside down,

the lens is still at the same height in relation to the subject ... just the flash has changed

position.

 

What turning the camera does is put the flash below instead of above the lens. Obviously,

this doesn't work if your flash is on a tall bracket because it'll create to much upward

angle.

 

Here's an example of that "theatrical" footlights look mentioned above:<div></div>

Actually, I meant your comment about getting lower--crouching down or something. Used as fill, the flash being lower shouldn't be a huge problem re the patterns it creates unless you are really at an extreme angle. Usually, I'm always trying to get higher and even bring a short ladder with me sometimes if I have a tall bride just to avoid shooting up people's noses.

Upside down camera? I gotta try that sometime. I wonder if the camera will flip the image automatically?

 

I like to learn something new every day. Thanks!

Bounce off the FLOOR... can't wait to try that!

Crouching down is about the same as shooting a waist level finder on a Hasselblad Nadine.

You just need to get down a bit to get under the hat. Actually you don't, the flash does.

Haha...yes, Marc, I understand you. I (personally) don't need to crouch to get under the hat...

I love cowboy weddings! I photographed one this weekend.

http://sledd.blogspot.com/2007/10/country-wedding_31.html

How about a flash bracket, with the flash flipped over to the side while the camera is held in landscape mode?

Thanks for all the great tips! I practiced on some of my friends yesterday in the bright sun and now I feel a lot more confident. I have the opposite problem of Nadine, I'm 6'4" so I have to crouch down for almost every shot anyways!