Let There Be Light
Let me have a little mini rant about lighting.
As a photographer I’m use to working in a huge range of different conditions. Full sun, torrential rain, gale force winds and teeny tiny hotel rooms with no natural light. We’re adaptable, we’ve got to be. I’ll always make sure I make the best out of any given situation.
That being said, there are a few things you can do to ensure you’re getting the best out of your photos and videos on the day. Light and the time of day are pretty much the two most important factors to getting good photos. They’re also two things that simply can’t be changed in editing afterwards.
Business Time (Also Known As the Ceremony)
For indoor weddings: As a general rule of thumb, when inside the more light the better but we’ve got to ensure the light is working with us, not against us.
No shade at all (pun intended) if you’re getting married inside a fairly dark church. We will make it work, after all; that’s why you hire a professional photographer!
However there is a little bit of a trade off. The darker the environment- the more sensitive to light with need to make the camera. The side effect of doing this is that images can turn out a little bit grainy. I make sure I’m shooting on professional grade gear that can handle dark situations with ease (and without resorting to popping a flash off every 10 seconds during your ceremony).
Another thing to consider when having an indoor ceremony is where the light is coming from. A purely backlit situation (eg, in-front of a huge window) can be very difficult to work with. Essentially, our cameras can’t see quite as well as the human eye yet. Their ‘range of brightness’ is condensed, which means you can very easily end up with an image where the background is all blown out (100% white) and the couple can be seen. Because we as photographers had to choose what was important to the scene.
Fresh Photos with the Bomb Lighting (Portraits)
In a perfect world, all portrait sessions would be right on golden hour (30 mins before and after sunset). Quite often during Winter, this is actually possible! But I’m a realist, the day can’t be structured around photos, and no matter what time of day we’re shooting at I will find the right light to make it work. But please, if you can squeeze it in; give me 10 mins at sunset time. Google your date + sunset to see when it’ll be; although the topography of your venue can change things, essentially we’re aiming for when the sun is closest to being cut off by the surrounding environment (hills means this may be a heap earlier than a flat horizon). It’s a lovely chance to slip away, reconnect with your new husband/wife and get the best photos of the entire day.
Woah; you made it!
Thank you for reading this far! Please remember, this is just a little bit of advice, not a manifesto of demands. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to your day; the only thing you should do is what you want to do. It’s your day, be as wonderfully weird as you wish. Don’t wanna cut the cake? Don’t do it. Want to do an intense secret handshake instead of a first kiss? Epic. There really are no rules. Just have fun with it.
Thanks for reading!
Georgia Wiggs xox
Getting Ready
When you’re getting ready, not only do you want to be surrounded by your favourite people and family. You also want to be surrounded by light. I’m talking nice bit windows and a tonne of natural light flooding in. One other factor to also consider, you want to be getting ready somewhere that has more than enough space for you all.
Nothing gets quite as stressful as quickly as bridesmaids all tripping over each other trying to figure out which dress is who’s. Consider hiring a nice air b’n’b close to where the ceremony is, you can stay there with your crew the night before and have a few glasses of champagne to help with any nervous energy before the big day.
Oh, also - I know how to attach those pesky buttonhole flowers. So don’t stress. I’ve got you.
(side note; consider asking your guests to pop their phones away. Let them get swept up in the moment rather than their insta story)
Outdoor weddings: Contrary to popular belief, a cloudy day is actually a fantastic day for photos. Clouds offer a lovely diffused light that’s almost flattering from any direction. Sadly, we cannot control the weather, therefore it’s good to have an idea of what to look for when choosing an outdoor ceremony spot.
Firstly; think of what time you’re tying the knot. The closer the sun is to the horizon = the better the light. During Winter, anytime after 3pm is ace. During peak Summer, you’re going to want to be looking a little bit later. Then to make it even sweeter, try to make sure the light is hitting the back of your head rather than right into your eyes.
If this isn’t an option and you simply must get married peak Summer at 12 midday, look for shade. Your guests will also thank you and there will be no squinting or uncomfortable sweating.
Ultimately, I want you to get married in your dream spot. If that doesn’t match up with perfect lighting; I promise we will absolutely make it work.
Party like it’s 1999 (or the end of 2020)
The days a blur, it feels like the ceremony was both 30 seconds ago and a distant memory at the same time. It’s reception time. Time to drink, eat and dance the night away with everyone you adore.
By this point I possibly sound like a broken record. But the more light the better. I want to be able to capture the feeling of your reception, the soft glowing fairy lights, an intimate look - all the good stuff. I can absolutely use flash and will happily do so if the moment calls for it (also for super fun dancefloor shots), but for most of the reception I prefer to capture the vibe as you guys will remember it. So when planning, ask your venue about festoon lights, fairy lights anything that will add a bit more sparkle and visual interest. But don’t worry - I’m no monster that will insist on a bright dance floor. No one needs to see grandpas new moves in that much detail.
One small request; if your DJ is bringing their own lighting gear ask them to can the laser dots. Not only do they look like strange chickenpox in photos, they can actually do serious damage to a cameras sensor.
