Chapter 7: Shooting Outdoors
Any discussion about photographing outdoor weddings should include the different lighting conditions you may encounter during different times of the day. In this chapter I cover general concepts of outdoor photography as well as specific techniques to help you deal with different lighting conditions, from bright sun to complete darkness and everything in between.
Knowing how to take a good photograph is only half the problem when you work outdoors. You also have to know how to look around and pick places where the light has certain desirable characteristics that will enhance your group shots or your romantic portraits.
Choosing the Right Equipment
The good news is that you do not need to have special equipment to shoot an outdoor wedding. You won't need anything more than your standard set of gear: a camera, three lenses, a couple of memory cards, and a hot-shoe–mounted flash. You could add a couple of reflectors to bounce light in on your subjects, and of course, as always, a good tripod is worth its weight in gold when it comes time to shoot an hour's worth of family group photos.
Except for the time spent in the dressing room, many weddings take place completely outdoors. You may find yourself going from the dressing room straight out into one of the most challenging lighting situations a wedding photographer can experience — bright sun. Later in ...
