lighting for winter wedding

<p>hello everyone, <br>

i was asked to shoot winter wedding next january and i need advice on lighting... i never shot wedding during the winter and i think it's not easy to shoot "white on white"... a 2 things that i want to ask:<br>

- how do you set up your lighting? i have 3 speedlights, that i normally use in manual mode, off the camera...<br>

- how to expose for a snow and white dress so i wouldn't get "one big white stain" on the snow. i know that general rule is to compensate between +1 to +2 EV when taking photos on the snow, but what if i overexpose the dress?<br>

i'd be grateful for any tips and info that may help me...</p>

<p>thanks, greg</p>

<p>Exposing correctly is exposing correctly, no matter what the subject or background values are, so I'd say hone your exposure technique--know how to read the histogram And shoot RAW, so you have a better chance of highlight recovery in a program like Lightroom or Camera RAW, should you blow highlights. Compensation for camera (or any) meter is +1-2 stops, as you said. I tend to use manual camera mode and an incident, handheld meter, even for weddings, but that's just me. You can use your in camera meter, particularly spot, if you have it, just as well.</p>

<p>As for flash, you will indeed blow highlights if you fail to take into account the ambient light in a scene lit by flash, since light is additive. Depends whether you are using flash as primary or 'letting' a little or a lot of ambient light into the scene. If the latter, you pull back on the flash. How much depends on how much ambient is present. A rule of thumb is, when using flash as fill, start at 2 stops under. You will still have to compensate your flash, if using an automated flash metering system, based on subject/environmental value (white on white) and such situations as backlighting.</p>

<p>Nadine,<br>

thank you for your answer... as usual great advice for everyone...</p>