Digital Wedding Photography For Dummies

Take Advantage of Sufficient Lighting

I’ve seen this scenario several times: A beautiful couple is posed outdoors in the shade of a lovely tree on a bright and sunny day. But instead of using the sunlight, the photographer chooses to light the couple with a direct flash instead. Note that a direct flash is a hard source of light, which you want to avoid as much as you can (see Chapter 3 for more on hard and soft light). Always be looking for a source of diffused lighting (like sunlight bouncing off a wall or pavement, or the open sky, which acts as a giant diffuser), which is much more flattering on your subjects.

Keep in mind that good lighting is often all about positioning. If you’re shooting outdoors and need your subjects to be in the shade, instead of using a flash to lighten the shadows, place your subjects at the edge of shade and turn them so that they are facing a bright area, such as the open sky or a reflective wall. This positioning helps to illuminate them evenly, resulting in a much better photo.