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Wonders that a Flash can Make in Low Light while Photographing a Wedding

Posted by on April 19, 2015

shooting in low lightFor a passionate photographer, shooting wide open with a high quality prime lens and especially with a full frame camera, is sheer joy. You can almost see in the dark with it. Dramatic images can be created with the help of small changes in light and to draw the attention and conceal unattractive distractions, you can make use of the shallow depth. When you are shooting a wedding, this may be a great tool; but its drawback is, not all pictures you can catch like this. So, is there any solution?

You need to use that flash how much ever you don’t wish to. If you think of it as a creative tool for lighting instead of a bright source of light to be used in lighting emergency you can make very good use of it. Actually flash can be a great tool, provided you learn how to use it correctly.

cruise at sunset lighting

If you just connect it to the hot shoe and look at it for its auto capabilities, you are not making its creative use. If you really decide to use it, you will be surprised to see the countless options – a whole new world opened before you! Even while using your stylish fl.2 wide open, only a little addition of using the flash carefully can convert your image even though it is used to give a bit of catchlight.

The next thing you can do is to remove the flash from the camera and fire it with some type of remote trigger. Plenty of options with varying prices are available; however whichever you choose, the trick should understand your equipment’s limitations. There are basic wireless triggers which actually only fire the flash and there are also high end flashes which have built-in remote trigger.

flower girl and ring bearer in low light

The best thing for shooting a wedding is to have your camera equipped with a flash, and at the same time, keep a wireless trigger at hand along with two remote flashes installed on stands. Thereby you get several options – you can shoot natural light or can use TTL or can blend them all. The main benefit of this is the great control you get, not only for lighting a dark place but for complementing the existing lighting. You can use your lights for doing formals. Even though it’s a nicely lit day, a bit of extra filling can offer another dimension to the images. Of course, there are moments when you should avoid flash; e.g. during the actual ceremony. During the moment of wedding ceremony, a fire of a flash can badly spoil the moment.

low light wedding photography

Use of a flash has its own problems. All the extra tools can upset your creativity, as you have to worry about something else that can go wrong. Another caution to take is to see if the color of your flash matches the existing light, which is quite unlikely. Of course, you can make use of gels to balance the colors, but you are not able to do it always during the swiftly moving wedding moments.

wedding musicians

What is important is to keep experimenting. Once you understand the basic mechanics and become proficient with it, you never have to stop. Furthermore, reflectors, snoots and umbrellas together help you to direct the light and set your creativity free.

Wedding Photographer North London is passionate, professional, reliable and experienced, and makes the entire process stress-free, right from your initial enquiry to the delivery of your photos. He seizes those tender moments of love, beauty and joy, and makes them yours forever in a delightfully bound wedding album as well as digital pictures – a treasure which is yours thenceforth! Take a look at his amazing work here and a lot on his website.

shooting in low light