I just wrapped up another summer wedding season (yes that would the reason for the horrible neglect of both blogs and facebook…but I’ve always said photography first in my business, so I would rather be out shooting than on my computer any day).   Every single wedding this season for me was scheduled for midafternoon.  Here in the pacific northwest, that means the harshest light of the day….but with sunset not until almost 10pm some nights, you just can’t avoid it. So for me, that means shooting in full sun.  Each weekend I would make some notes about how or what I shot to share with ya’ll.  Here it goes!

1. Prepare.  I am obsessive about making sure I am prepared in every way possible. Including walking the location and choosing my shooting spots at the same time of day that the event will happen. I always attend rehearsals, and whenever a bride and groom allow, I offer as much input into the setup of the ceremony to allow the best lighting possible.  If I can’t have it backlit, I try to suggest setting things up in a way where the sun will shine directly on them, not from the side.  That way although they will be strongly lit, there will be less shadows.  I take my camera with me for each rehearsal and do test shots of the location. I make lists of anything I need or want to remember, and I adjust schedules for shooting times if needed.

2.  Obviously, find open shade if you can. That is a given, and I always do for family portraits.  However, this usually leads to some not so interesting location/background options.  I always look for a tree, or building that will block the sun just enough to at least filter it.  I also make sure that I still face the subjects with their back to the sun, to avoid any dappled light on their faces/front.  That way, even if some sun rays do get through, they will only backlight my subjects. This willow tree is a perfect example….You can see the dappled sun on the ground, but the tree gave enough shade to even fit a group of people.

3.  Use the sun like you would an off camera light.    I try to treat the sun just like any other light source that I use.  The only difference is I obviously don’t control the power output. However, I can adjust my camera settings accordingly to match the brightness.  I can also use my off camera flash as a fill light if I choose to light one side of my subject with the sun, and the other with my flash.  So I can still create good shadows and dimension!   Shadows can be your friend.   I personally am not a huge fan of flat light.    Shadows help create drama and emotion.  So learn to love them and work with them in a way that enhances your images! 

For example,  during a reception I saw the window pane casting a shadow on the floor because the sun was streaming directly through it.  I placed the rings inside the pattern created on the floor in a way that cast a shadow off of them to create more visual interest.

4. Underexpose just a bit.  I always underexpose full sun images, especially those that have a wedding dress in them by about one stop.  I tend to use my shadow pop action a lot on full sun shots, to even things out as much as possible.  But I would rather have to boost the shadows than try to fix a blown out wedding gown, which is nearly impossible.

5. Backlight, Backlight Backlight.  When all else fails and there is no open shade.  Backlight.  Did I say it enough? Backlight.  I NEVER place the sun directly behind my subject however. This is vitally important to not getting sunflare in your images.  I always place my subject so that the sun is just slightly coming over their shoulder, not behind their head.

6. LAST BUT NOT LEAST.  My number one rule to remember.  The moment is ALWAYS more important that the lighting being perfect. I would NEVER give up a chance at capturing what I consider a perfect true/honest moment just because I didn’t think the lighting was ideal.  Some things just can’t be recreated.  The image below is just an example of that….Nikki and Tyson had JUST walked down the isle as husband and wife. I wanted a shot of Nikkis glowing face, but didn’t want her to anticipate the photo. So I called her name at the last second after she passed me.  sure the lighting isn’t ideal, but I wanted that shot her authentic expression. 

 

Occasionally, like ONCE per year you will end up with a day of perfect light, like Abby and Alec did. However, you can NEVER count on it and you always need to be prepared for the worst.