Digital Wedding Photography: Capturing Beautiful Memories

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Part II ✦ Shooting Weddings on Location

Despite the shadows, journalistic and romantic images both work well with natural light on overcast

days. Group shots can also work well on overcast days; however, the cool bluish tint to this light can

often leave your images looking a bit dull and lifeless unless you add in a bit of flash to brighten things

up. Overcast days require so little flash that you no longer have to be concerned with using a wide-angle

lens to get in close to your groups.

Finding shade

Perhaps the single most important aspect to look for in choosing a location for portrait and group images

is the availability of a big solid block of shade. The even light you can find under a nice thick shade tree

or beside a tall building can create a softness that will almost always be a vast improvement over the

results you would get from shooting in direct sunlight.

If you’re looking at a tree as a potential shady spot, bear in mind that you need solid shade, not the

patchy, dappled light you get under a small tree. This sort of mixed light is difficult to use because no

matter how you move people around, it seems like the tree always gets a puff of wind just before you

press the shutter, and a shaft of light sneaks in to cause a big bright spot on somebody.

Here’s a tip for using trees as shade: Don’t position your subjects too far under the tree. They should be

standing slightly under ...