Flash by Name - Flash by Nature

Page 2

At the Salon Get your assistant to hold the flashgun to shoot images where space is tight. Issues of health and safety come into play if you wish to set up studio lighting. Bear in mind that there will be other clients in the salon as well.

At Home Bridal preparation shots are a race against time. As explained above, keep an eye out for your ‘directional light source’. This image was shot using the window light. No gizmos or gadgets required!

Groom Shots After the bride’s preparation shots, it’s the turn of the groom and his gang at the church/venue. I usually have the flashgun hand-held either by my assistant or, when I’m working alone, by the best man or one of the ushers. No set-up time required and working this way, you are very mobile and not restricted by any equipment to shift around.

At the Church After the ceremony, I try to take the couple back into the church for some shots. This is dependent on whether there is another wedding following on or how much time we have before we depart for the reception venue. Using the wireless flash set-up means I can shoot anywhere in the church without having to worry about power points and extension cables running all over the place. I tend to underexpose the ambient light a bit inside the church so that the rich colours of the tinted windows really look very punchy and vibrant.

In the sun Shoot against a very strong back lighting and create images which the couple would love. As you can see from the image, the flashgun is hand-held (on the top right-hand corner) to create this simple shot.

At the Reception I always use my flashguns off-camera when I take the couple out in the gardens. This image demonstrates how crucial my lighting is when shooting such an image. If I had exposed the couple using ambient light only, I would have lost the colour in the sky and perhaps details in the building behind them. So I exposed the ambient light for the sky and the couple with my flashgun which was placed just outside the right edge of this image.

Cake Shot This shot was taken using the Lastolite Ezybox. It's quick and very easy to set up and I take these shots before the wedding breakfast, which shows off the cake and the room.

First Dance This is my favourite or the ‘fun’ time. I love shooting the first dance and experiment a lot at this time, using various shutter speeds, rear-sync flash and so on. The flashgun was mounted on a light stand and placed on the stage in front of the band.

A two-light set-up gives wonderful images. The second shot was taken with a two-light set-up. One with a purple-coloured gel, placed at the back of the room for the background light, and my other flash at the couple as my main light. No need to worry about the shutter speeds in a darkroom anymore!

Into the night After the first dance, I take the couple outdoors (weather permitting) for about 10 minutes to take some late-evening shots. Expose for the highlights to keep the sky as dramatic as possible, and use the flashgun to light your subject.

You can see from the images in this article that I use offcamera flash throughout the day. Just imagine how much time I’ve saved by not using a traditional studio set-up. Even if you wanted to use a traditional studio set-up throughout the day, you would not have been able to. It is very important to me and to my couple that they spend as much time with their friends and families. It’s very easy to just put the flash on-camera and fire away all day. Doing this would give the images which anyone can shoot, give you the edge over others by keeping in mind two simple words ‘Directional Lighting’.

Page 1 - Page 2

Photo Quote: When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. - Ansel Adams