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Archive 2014 · How do you light the basics?

  
 
MRomine
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · How do you light the basics?


myko5 wrote:
I tried the cross lighting with two speed lights my last wedding, with one on camera for fill. I think I had them too far from the dance floor, and up too high. Basically I think the fall off just killed them. I just couldn't get things right. The images weren't horrible, but it is probably the biggest thing that I want to improve upon. Ideally I want the lighting all right in camera, and not have to touch up much in post.


Have you tried working with just one light? Using it as a back and/or rim light? Many photographers prefer this over the cross light method/look. If you just jumped right into using the two light method without starting off with a simpler one light set up before mattering one light you might want to go back to just one light for a while.

The further your lights are from the dance floor the higher they need to be to shorten the shadows. I use 14' stands and when the celling is low or I have to move the lights 12'-15' or more from the dance floor then generally speaking I really don't like the look of the lighting. It creates shadows that are too long that rake the faces of those dancing creating nasty shadows, when all I'm generally looking for is separation from the background.

Have you tried bouncing your off camera lighting into the ceiling? Some shooters don't like that look because it lights up everything fairly equally and it changes the ambiance of the room. Whereas others prefer this consistent even lighting.



Edited on Feb 01, 2014 at 05:02 PM · View previous versions



Feb 01, 2014 at 04:40 PM
Mark_L
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · How do you light the basics?


myko5 wrote:
I tried the cross lighting with two speed lights my last wedding, with one on camera for fill. I think I had them too far from the dance floor, and up too high. Basically I think the fall off just killed them. I just couldn't get things right. The images weren't horrible, but it is probably the biggest thing that I want to improve upon. Ideally I want the lighting all right in camera, and not have to touch up much in post.


What ratios did you have? A light meter is a great tool to nail multiple light setups with ambient



Feb 01, 2014 at 04:59 PM
myko5
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · How do you light the basics?


MRomine- I did actually stop trying to use both lights and switched them on and off depending on where I was. I am pretty comfortable with just bouncing into the ceiling or walls if available, but I honestly want to learn to balance flash and ambient. Some weddings are all bright and airy, but if thats not the mood thats not what I want to capture.


Mark_L - Haha, light meter, whats that? Thats something I just never learned to use. I probably should, but honestly I am not that technical.



Feb 01, 2014 at 05:17 PM
MRomine
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · How do you light the basics?


myko5 wrote:
MRomine- I did actually stop trying to use both lights and switched them on and off depending on where I was. I am pretty comfortable with just bouncing into the ceiling or walls if available, but I honestly want to learn to balance flash and ambient.


I mean, have you tried bouncing your OCF? Not on-camera flash.



Feb 01, 2014 at 05:21 PM
myko5
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · How do you light the basics?


Nope, I didn't bounce the OCF either. It would still light up the room more then I would care for. Although it would have been better then how I ended up doing it last time.


Feb 01, 2014 at 05:30 PM
jcolman
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · How do you light the basics?


during the getting ready portion of the wedding I bounce my on-camera light or use one off-camera light.



Bride and groom shots, usually one off-camera light



But sometimes two or more



Ceremony, all natural light-unless it's not in a church. Then I'll light as I see fit.



Reception. I use between two and four lights. Sometimes direct



sometimes bounced



Exit shots. I use one-two off camera lights + fill flash.



Bottom line is that there is never a "one size fits all" solution. For me anyway.



Feb 02, 2014 at 11:11 AM
morby
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · How do you light the basics?


Thanks for the contribution! It looks like you use flash from start to finish. Does it get cumbersome carrying that much stuff all day and having to always set it up, or are you used to it? The main reason I limit my flash is so that I can carry light most of the day.

I really like your daylight use of flash in the portrait of the bride and groom. I've been wanted to try more daylight/outdoor flash photography, but haven't done much of it. Mainly because I've never really practiced it and don't want to implement something I'm uncomfortable with on a wedding day.


jcolman wrote:
during the getting ready portion of the wedding I bounce my on-camera light or use one off-camera light.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x148/jcolman_photo/Asheville%20wedding-robert%20and%20maxine/img-0287.jpg

Bride and groom shots, usually one off-camera light

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x148/jcolman_photo/eric%20and%20danielle/eric-169.jpg

But sometimes two or more

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x148/jcolman_photo/wedding%20selects/rain-103.jpg

Ceremony, all natural light-unless it's not in a church. Then I'll light as I see fit.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x148/jcolman_photo/Danny%20and%20Amy-Cancun/wedding-313_zpsd05f6140.jpg

Reception. I use between two and four lights. Sometimes direct

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x148/jcolman_photo/cori%20and%20ben%20wedding/wedding-706.jpg

sometimes bounced

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x148/jcolman_photo/Asheville%20wedding-robert%20and%20maxine/IMG_5597.jpg

Exit shots. I use one-two off camera lights + fill flash.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x148/jcolman_photo/reception%20lighting/wedding-862_zps4820f24b.jpg

Bottom line is that there is never a "one size fits all" solution. For me anyway.



Feb 02, 2014 at 01:59 PM
jcolman
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · How do you light the basics?


Thanks morby. I often have an assistant who carries the off camera lights, but I've shot more weddings by myself than I have with some help. I'm use to carrying a boat load of gear, having spent 30 years in the video production industry before retiring, so having a few extra lights with me is no big deal.


Feb 02, 2014 at 04:26 PM
Jamesbjenkins
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · How do you light the basics?


myko5 wrote:
I have an AB800 that I am thinking about using for this purpose with an umbrella, but being that I don't have a power pack, I would have to hope I would be able to use a outlet at the ceremony. I just think the refresh on the moonlight would be more efficient then speed lights.


Vagabond 2 from Paul C Buff. Pretty much the best $200 you can spend on an accessory. Completely removes the dependence on outlets, and can easily hang or be secured to your light stand. It will power an AB800 or an Einstein for several hundred discharges, unless you're at full power.



Feb 03, 2014 at 08:38 AM
zalmyb
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · How do you light the basics?


Great thread!! I don't really have anything to add, but I'm enjoying all the samples, diagrams, and discussion.

I just use whatever light there is and straight, on camera flash for dancing



Feb 03, 2014 at 06:39 PM
tlong
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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · How do you light the basics?


Thanks for sharing. I will come back to this to learn from!


Feb 13, 2014 at 02:14 PM
eephoto
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · How do you light the basics?


This is a really great thread. Thank you Morby for starting it and for being so willing to share, and thank you to all the others who have followed suit and shared how you run your day. Such a wealth of information and I can't wait to try some of the things mentioned here! Brilliant!


Feb 14, 2014 at 08:42 AM
k14process
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · How do you light the basics?


Wow! Such a great lighting clinic. Thanks for sharing that.


Feb 15, 2014 at 01:24 PM
derbarrett
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · How do you light the basics?


I love this post!!!


Mar 04, 2014 at 10:39 PM
thoang77
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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · How do you light the basics?


I'm bumping this up to 2015, since I found this super helpful last year.


Mar 27, 2015 at 01:25 PM
morby
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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · How do you light the basics?


thoang77 wrote:
I'm bumping this up to 2015, since I found this super helpful last year.


That's a heck of a bump! I forgot about this one. Thanks for bringing this one back up.

Over the past year I've adopted a few new "go to" techniques when shooting weddings. A recent one has been using a gridded flash during low lit receptions when I want to keep the ambience. These were all shot with a gridded flash off to the right, pointed at the bride.

1...
http://morbyphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/226.jpg

2...
http://morbyphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/236.jpg

3...
http://morbyphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/1731.jpg



Mar 27, 2015 at 11:47 PM
Skiman555
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · How do you light the basics?


Hi Morby,
Great posts, and thank you for sharing, I see Cliff taught you well!
I am one of his students myself (2013) and his work continues to inspire
me as a wedding photographer. I see you are also in the Philly area, could
I contact you offline sometime? I just came across this post and will contribute
a few images here when I have a chance. I also like your lighting technique of
using a grid on low light ceremonies.

Once again thank you for a great post here



Mar 29, 2015 at 10:26 PM
sherijohnson
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · How do you light the basics?


thanks for sharing, I do pretty much the same but I don't always get the best light for getting ready areas, so I am working on options of bringing in extra light for that portion of the day.


Mar 30, 2015 at 06:56 PM
MRomine
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · How do you light the basics?


morby wrote:
A recent one has been using a gridded flash during low lit receptions when I want to keep the ambience. These were all shot with a gridded flash off to the right, pointed at the bride.


I like what you have done with these, but I was wondering, did you personally feel any hesitation about how many shots you were taking during the ceremony (since your light was pointed right at the bride and groom) vs how many you normally take during a ceremony without lighting? Did you at any time feel that this was obtrusive? Or did you at any time get the feeling that it was annoying to anyone? How many shots do you think you took during the ceremony with this light set-up? 20, 50, 100?



Mar 30, 2015 at 10:07 PM
morby
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · How do you light the basics?


It actually seemed to be less distracting and intrusive than bounce flash. In all of these the stand was out of the way, and the flash could only be seen by the bride (and maybe the maid of honor and officiant) if they looked right at it. The grid really focused the light and you couldn't tell it was going off.

I didn't shoot the whole ceremony like this. Maybe about 25 shots total on each wedding. The rest of the time it was no flash or bounce flash.

The only thing i worry about is the inconsistency of light when they receive the full set. It's obvious that I didn't use the same lighting throughout. But I hope that won't matter.




MRomine wrote:
I like what you have done with these, but I was wondering, did you personally feel any hesitation about how many shots you were taking during the ceremony (since your light was pointed right at the bride and groom) vs how many you normally take during a ceremony without lighting? Did you at any time feel that this was obtrusive? Or did you at any time get the feeling that it was annoying to anyone? How many shots do you think you took during the ceremony with this light set-up? 20, 50, 100?




Mar 30, 2015 at 11:11 PM
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