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Archive 2014 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights

  
 
Italo Campilii
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


Hi everyone,

Needing advice for an upcoming wedding that will be all PITCH-DARK in the middle of a garden with no bounce walls or roofs. Simply out in the open, and no lights, just candles.

What brand / model can you recommend as a setup that would light up the place we'll, without providing bad shadows and uncomforted to the guests?

Thanks in advance!



Oct 04, 2014 at 12:07 AM
sherijohnson
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


I would set up off camera speedlites on light stands, you wouldn't need to use a high power setting, it will create some shadows, but you want to get your lights up high enough to eliminate weird looking shadows. I am sure someone else might comment on what they think is the best height for setting up lights in this scenario. I normally decide based on what I am working with and sometimes adjust after looking at the results.


Oct 04, 2014 at 08:58 AM
sgtbueno
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


It's going to be uncomfortable and very distracting, the couple should know that.


Oct 04, 2014 at 10:46 AM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


Without providing bad shadows. Lol.

Well, you can get them to put up some string lights. Otherwise all you can do is put some remote speedlights in spotlight type positions to give nice safe light on the couple. Just have to be careful with angles so as to avoid as many harsh unwanted shadows as possible and it will limit your shooting angles as well



Oct 04, 2014 at 10:53 AM
rondphoto
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


I'd use a speedlight and an Orbis ringflash or some Lastolite softbox and just go direct flash.




Oct 04, 2014 at 12:05 PM
SloPhoto
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


Speedlights, the more the merrier.

If you have the space/budget you could have an assistant follow you around with a softbox.



Oct 04, 2014 at 12:16 PM
RafalA
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


The D800 will focus in candlelight with a 1.4 lens... ISO 6400 - 12,800 converts decently to BW.

I would presume that they have a reason for going with that style of ceremony: adding lights / strobes changes the feel of the event and the look of the images. I guess it depends what style of shooter you are...



Oct 04, 2014 at 01:43 PM
glort
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights



Sounds like the guests are going to love sitting there in the glowing tranquility and then BAM! Having your lights suddenly escallate the brightness levels about 1000%.
That's sure to enhance the mood the B&G were trying to create.

I think I'd be letting the B&G know what you want to do and what the effect will be before you destroy what it seems they are trying to achieve for THEIR wedding.

Here's a very radical Idea for wedding photography you could put to them.....

How about putting the wedding first and shooting what you can with what you are given?

Put the camera on a tripod,( if need be) wind the iso up and shoot what you can.
No you may not get the perfect shots like so many shooters try for as if they are on a commecial product shoot and want everything just perfect, but you won't shatter the mood either.

And lets face it, what are they going to do? Not buy any pics of their wedding because the lighting isn't a photographers idea of perfection or are they going to get what reflects the very thing they wanted and went to trouble to create in the first place?

These days if you can see the subject you can shoot it so I don't buy all the too dark crap people go on with. I do a lot of night shots after the wedding and the most I ever use lighting wise is a AAA powered LED torch.... Often with something over the end to soften the light some more. If you know what you are doing this shouldn't be a huge deal at all just to go with the available light, whatever it is.

It's not like they are going to be running round a lot during the ceremony which is really the only time you would be inappropriate using flash. For the signing etc, I doubt they will care. Myself I'd be using the ambient light for the main pics of the B&G as clearly that is what is going to appeal to them and better reflect the mood and feel of their wedding and therefore be the pics that they will value the most.

But again, as unthinkable as it may be, it is THEIR wedding so I strongly suggest you discuss the pros and cons of each approach with them and see what THEY prefer the pictures they are paying for to look like as well as how the mood of their ceremony will be.



Oct 04, 2014 at 10:50 PM
popinvasion
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


Sounds like you need to rent an A7S and a Sony 24-70.


Oct 04, 2014 at 11:45 PM
BSPhotog
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


popinvasion wrote:
Sounds like you need to rent an A7S and a Sony 24-70.


No kidding! If the moon is out, than that should be enough.




Oct 05, 2014 at 09:48 PM
jcolman
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


BSPhotog wrote:
No kidding! If the moon is out, than that should be enough.


Just because you can shoot with nothing but moonlight doesn't mean you should. I say try to light the scene to make the subjects look their best.

When people plan weddings, they don't necessarily know what's going to photograph well. They just know that they "like the look" of a few candles or whatever. They're depending on you to make them look their best and they probably don't care how if you have to add a few off camera lights to achieve that goal.




Oct 05, 2014 at 10:12 PM
SloPhoto
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights


Ok, this thread has been bugging me.

Who in the world would prefer this (shot by an assistant who was not allowed to setup lights)

http://www.jamello.com/photos/i-SLCWMqC/0/O/i-SLCWMqC.jpg

to this

http://www.jamello.com/photos/i-ZL7DFdc/0/O/i-ZL7DFdc.jpg



Oct 05, 2014 at 11:29 PM
fabiano
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Pitch Dark Wedding Lights




SloPhoto wrote:
Ok, this thread has been bugging me.

Who in the world would prefer this (shot by an assistant who was not allowed to setup lights)(...)

To me, the biggest difference on those two images is the subject, not the light. You shot a way more interesting image than your second, but mainly because of the interaction of the smiling couple, rather than the OCF itself, IMO.




Oct 07, 2014 at 08:10 AM





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