Between a rock and a hard place.......

[jml]

Well, hell week is finally here. I do this first wedding on Saturday

and I'm exhausted just with all the purchasing, practicing,

studying, practicing, reading PN posts, practicing, you get the

picture. (No pun intended). I have examined carefully where I'll be

shooting this (outdoor/private home)wedding and what the lighting

will be etc. The time of shooting will be late afternoon for all the

formals. I have two choices as to where to position the wedding

party. Full side (left) sun or rather dark shade. I don't know why

they didn't time this ceremony to about 6 or 7 in the evening, but

at 5:00 the light is awful. I've set up and practiced, under the

same conditions, but the full sun shots are so contrasty, even with

a reflector (which blinds my subjects)fill lighting (using everyones

suggestions here), but I'm still not happy with the results. The

shade positioning is better and easier to adjust, but the location

is not as nice as the area with the sun. Any specific shooting

suggestions? I'm tempted to suggest that we just wait an hour or so

and then do the pictures. It's at the parent home so that wouldn't

be a big deal, but it just irritates me that I can't adjust enough

to get it right...or am I expecting too much given the lighting

conditions? How would you choose to shoot this? Thanks.

[laurie_m]

If you can...wait til the light is at it's best.

[joshchapman]

If it's not a problem to wait, why make a problem for yourself? On the other hand, keep in mind that the later it gets, the faster the light changes - especially when someone's missing and they <b>just have to be</b> in this or that formal.

[picturesque]

Post one of your practice shots at each location. That might help people make specific suggestions. Also, what is it that you don't like about the practice photos?

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

Maybe you be lucky and get clouds.

[e.m.]

When I'm in this kind of situation I use fill flash with a diffuser. I expose to the background and use the flash to fill in all the shadows. Here's an example:

[e.m.]

example

[awahlster]

Welcome to wedding photography. I have yet to see a setting suitable for good photographs that does have some other problem. My daughters wedding had a beautiful setting for the formals the light as very good being brite but overcast a little fill and things looked great. And in the background the Bar at the 18th hole at the golf course the Stepmother had chosen for the wedding A nice barn red color. The other options had very poorly dressed golfers.. Always something.

[jml]

Paul...one can hope

 

Edward...okay spill it...I want the details of this great shot. Which diffuser are you using? Fill setting? Perhaps my fill wasn't enough. I know that's trial and...well we won't go there. Now if this had been a small group, full body, shot from a greater distance how then would you have gotten that quality a shot under that light?

 

Nadine...I will take a couple un-altered shots a little later in my back yard in the same 2 light conditions and post them for suggestions. It's particularly the group full body shots I'm concerned about...so contrasty with no way to get close enough to diffuse or fill much except with a reflector. Or am I missing something?

[Jerry_]

Fact-of-life at a wedding: keep the bride happy and smiling; the 'location' is not the thing to worry about....

[jml]

okay, here is the lighting test shot. I did nothing with this, no adjustments, no fill, reflector etc. so don't look at it with too critical an eye, it is what it is. At this distance or actually even back further what would be best to deal with the contrasty light etc. Thanks<div></div>

[e.m.]

Jan-

When I shoot with flash outside I use manual mode. If I'm not using flash I use AV mode.

 

In manual mode outside I take a few light readings at the brightness of the background. This is what I set the exposure to as to ensure non blown out backgrounds. I then take a test shot or two and decide on the the flash. I use the 550ex and plus or minus the flash length in order to arrive at the final exposure. Once I find these settings I shoot away. As long as the light isn't changing a whole lot it works out great. I shoot in raw as well so if I'm slightly off I really don't care.

 

Being further away I would do the same thing. I would just plus the flash until it lite the subjects up.

 

I use the lightsphere exclusively now. Outside I point it towards the subjects with the top on. Inside I use it as little as possible.

 

I practiced on my baby until I got it right or until she couldn't take anymore!

 

Good Luck, Ed<div></div>

[picturesque]

I would not choose to photograph in the location you show if I had a choice. Sometimes you don't, but if you do, this lighting situation is very low on my list. Not only is it contrasty but the lighting pattern itself is not flattering to people, and they will still be squinting, as your test subject is, even behind the sunglasses. With group shots, the priority is people looking their best, not the scenery behind them, which you can't even see if the group is medium to large.

 

If you're forced, you set the exposure to the sunlight and fill with flash. Here is the thinking. If using ISO 100, which you probably want to be doing, sunlight exposure is f11 at 1/250th plus about 1/3 stop. This is exactly what you set if you want detail in hair and brightly lit parts of your subject (especially the gown). I generally use a handheld incident meter and meter the sunlight even though I know the answer already (sunny 16 rule). Dome is full into the sun. If you want the background lighter and can stand a little detail loss in your subjects' hair, etc., you can opt to set the exposure 1 stop wider (f8 at 1/250th), but if your subject has blonde hair and/or a white gown (!) you may not want to do this. It is nice though on brunettes and non-white clothes, especially with backlit sun. Now for the flash--you will have already tested your flash and know what it will do in various lighting situations. You want manual mode on the camera and ETTL on the flash. I don't remember what flash you have--I think a 550EX with 10D? Since the 10D's ETTL is focus point biased you have to be careful where you put the focusing point. I would guess that you will have to apply plus compensation because the flash will be fooled by the brightness of the subjects (the parts in the sunlight) and think you don't need much fill flash. Go out there again and test how much you might need but be aware that it will change based on where the focusing point is and the value of what is behind the focusing point. The good thing about digital is you can take a test picture and figure out if you need more.

 

When doing groups of people in the bright sun, you cannot be that far away from them because you need a lot of fill flash, and your flash will not have enough power to fill adequately if you use a telephoto lens and stand far back. You need to use a 35mm (not crop factor) and wider focal length to make this work. Don't get crazy on the wide angle end, though--you don't want distortion, plus the flash "loses" power the wider you go. You will probably need to be about 15 feet and closer to your group to have any chance of filling adequately. Wimpy flashes need not apply. Shoot in RAW so you have a chance of working with the exposure if it isn't perfect.

 

In your dark shade spot, if you have a medium to dark valued background, you simply set the exposure for the shade and cut the flash back about 2 stops and shoot, although you again, must be mindful about what is behind the focusing point. If the background is bright, you must figure out how you want the bright parts to be rendered--with detail or blown out. If with detail you have to set an exposure that will allow that detail to come through, and fill with flash. Generally speaking, sunlit foliage looks nice at about 2-3 stops over the sunny 16 exposure. As for the fill flash, you might still be decreasing the flash because you must remember that when using fill flash, you are adding a "layer" of light to what is already there. Hope it isn't too muddled to understand. Again, with digital you can test to your heart's content, both before and on the spot, so get out there and test. Do not rely on Program or AV or TV if you want the best results, although they can be useful if you already know what you are doing. If you don't have a handheld meter, get a gray card and learn how to use it with your camera.

 

Waiting an hour would be good if that helps your lighting situation but usually, it doesn't help you retain control over the photo session. Once the ceremony is over, people will want to party, and if you let them go party and expect them to then, sheep-like, assemble politely and take orders from you for group photos, you will be disappointed. Since it is a small wedding, it may work, but I would not count on it.

[wedding-photography-denver]

So the other day I shot one where the only place available was out doors. Since this was not to be the location of the main formals, we dedcided (on a whim) to shoot a few in bright (Colorado is always 1 stop brighter than sea level) sunlight. Wihtout having either a reflector or a large enough diffusion panel handy, we shot with a 550ex. It was @ +2 stops and here is one of the results.

 

You can determine if you want this lighting of not.

 

I will tell you that if you go for it, meter for the sunlit face/skin, then underexpose a stop and add all the fill you have. As Nadine said (and she has good ideas) it will at best be a tricky task. The shade is preffered by almost all wedding/[portrait shooters.

 

Here you go...<div></div>

[wedding-photography-denver]

Oops, the "no fill" should read "+2 fill". Gotta get this keyboard fixed :-).

[jml]

Excellent excellent advice, thanks all so much. And the pics really help as well. You guys are an inspiration. I will work the rest of the week implementing all that I can. A bit above my skill level, but explained so well, I can work it. Reminds one of cramming for exams, ;)

 

Nadine, this is my back yard, not where the wedding will be shot. However the light is exactly where and what it will be on Saturday. Wouldn't you know it...supposed to be 83 degrees, hottest day of the year so far. Next day....cloudy and in the 70's. Lord my load is heavy.....

 

The brides parents home has this south facing side of the house with nice foliage, and thus they want the shots there. But this will be in the lousy light. The shady east side is cluttered, windowed and not conducive to good pics, except for the shade. etc. Sigh.

 

I'm going over for the rehearsal Friday night, I'll do some prep then, and gently make suggestions.

 

Oh! is there a special issue with metering for 'white dress/black tux' issues? There seems to be many references to that being a problem. Anything I should know? Thanks all!

[picturesque]

Metering with the white gown/black tux situation is not necessarily a problem. You generally have to compensate when one or the other occupies a large percentage of your frame. When both are together in the same frame, usually they cancel each other out to create medium gray, which is great, from the camera meter's perspective. Large white object equals plus compensation. Large black object equals minus compensation. However, you should, again, test how this works with your camera. When using an incident handheld meter or when using a gray card with your camera meter and manual mode on the camera, compensations do not apply. When using ETTL, compensations do apply.

[patrick_lockwood]

This is why I use an E1, it has excellent dynamic range.

 

I'm using an incident meter, for the most part, and flash aperture one stop below lens aperture, just like I would with a film camera, and I am shooting in manual mode. E1 can sync to 1/320 with a non-dedicated flash, so I use a Sunpack 433.<div></div>

[fotografz]

I don't think a Bride wants to look like that for the rest of their lives: two slits for eyes or

sunken in their heads with heavy bags under them... or a face that looks like a half moon :

-) One key thing to remember is that Brides put their make-up on indoors, and when

exposed to direct sun it usually looks completely different (usually bad) and their face is

often a different color than their neck. Sun is super revealing. Cross lit sun can make even

a baby's face look old.

 

As Steve has advised in other threads, take command of the situation. Either wait until the

light is more favorable, or move where you'll be shooting in relation to the sun. No one

will remember the lighting conditions, just that they didn't look good in the photos.

 

If there is absolutely no alternative, (it happens), then use the problem to your advantage

with the objective of flattering the subject. Look at balancing the light using fill flash with

a bias toward fill on the right side. With on-bracket flash in landscape mode, flip the flash

to the right side and low so it fills the eye sockets and avoids the bags, not above centered

as usually is the case. In portrait mode, turn the camera, but don't flip the flash ... let it

hang out to the right. But this won't eliminate squinting.

 

So, the best thing to do with directional sun is rotate the subject 3/4 away from the

source. Use the light to your best advantage to 3/4 back rim light them, and place their

face in shade to avoid squinting. If the background doesn't cooperate, blow it out with a

open aperture.

 

Here's a shot (not my best, but good for this demo), the Bride was vampire white. No way

was I shooting her in any direct sun, which she wanted to do at first. I turned her 3/4 away

from the light and let it light up her veil. I diffused the flash to keep it soft and

wraparound. In a situation like this I'd even consider a Zeiss Softar 1 to diffuse the hot

light hits, Or a black net filter to soften the darks. Take my word for it, these filters cannot

be simulated in PhotoShop. They selectively flatter the subject and cut the contrast.

Experiment before hand to see what might work in your specific situation.<div></div>