Help lighting my newlyweds in direct sun

mollyphotog · May 6, 2010

This shot was not included in the final edit but gives you an idea of what I am dealing with when I try to shoot the post-ceremony portraits in this popular location near the venue I am often working. During the past 3 weddings, the sun has been exactly like it is in this pic. So harsh. The areas of shade around this lake are not very pretty - but is taking them away from this location now my only choice? Or is it just a matter of placing my subjects?
Thanks for any help

ian408 · May 6, 2010

Flash. Learn it. Embrace it.

Swartzy · May 6, 2010

Should you have the option, choose a better location. The fountain and skyline do nothing to enhance the photo and when challenged with such harsh sunlight from the side, you'll be hard pressed to get what you want. You'd need to have a strobe with enough power to overcome as well as taking time for correct metering...even then, slight shadows will appear unless you go for the high key look.

ian408 · May 6, 2010

This is where an assistant would be of great help with a couple of off camera flashes. I'd try to dial out a little of the ambient and build it back up with flash.

If you're not sure what I mean, then some review/practice at around that time of day is in order.

The basic idea is to shoot in manual. Maybe drop the ambient down by a full stop or so (don't lose the fountain) and fill it back in with flash. Since you've done this shot for a couple of folks already, you can bank on repeats

Good luck!

tenoverthenose · May 7, 2010

Why is the sun at a 90 degree angle to your clients?

Put the sun behind them and there faces are in the shade. Expose for faces and have fun.

Put it behind you and you remove a lot of shadow. Take wide shots and embrace the dark sky.

Or blast them with light. One flash won't be enough to do it here... so I would use one of the other two options.

heatherfeather · May 7, 2010

Maybe it is the compression from being attached... but for me the lighting is not the worst thing about the photo... it is soo out of focus it would have been tossed anyway.

Moogle Pepper · May 7, 2010

I would... look for somewhere else. Not just because that area is always heavily hit with the sun, but also, it feels like shooting with a fountain in the back is something my parents would do.

Are there any nooks and crannies there that you can shoot?

But since you asked for lighting, two externals and some reflectors.

LeeHowell · May 7, 2010

In the future, high speed sync flash...A neutral density filter may be required as well...For now, I would bring some of that exposure down a bit, bump up your fill light and dodge dodge dodge away those shadows in PS. You might want to straighten it a bit too. You'll probably have to fix their skin tones too, with the exposure being out of whack...

Hey - It happens - And we all learn the hard way, or at least I do - Been there and done that and now you know ;-)

zoomer · May 7, 2010

If it was me I would put the sun at their back set up my flash to light their fronts at +3 TTL and shoot it and adjust compensation and flash distance as necessary. Pretty simple really.

If you don't have a flash, set them up with the sun at their back, expose for their faces and blow out the background, not a big fan of this method, you will need to adjust the black point and contrast so it will not look washed out, will look better in black and white than color typically.

Alternatively shoot later in the day, late evening sun works great on a shot like this if you have a little fill flash coming in from the dark side.

Surely there is some shade around there somewhere, the photo is about the people not the background.

mollyphotog · May 8, 2010

Thanks everyone for your help.

The assistant with the strobes is the one I always wish I had!

And Heather - no fear, it wasn't out of focus- I made it super low res for this forum to upload it quickly

Ed911 · May 9, 2010

heatherfeather wrote: »

Maybe it is the compression from being attached... but for me the lighting is not the worst thing about the photo... it is soo out of focus it would have been tossed anyway.

My first thoughts exactly...

david_h · May 9, 2010

The thing with direct sunlight is that it can be your friend or your enemy. Setting up these people at this angle to the sun pretty much assures that the sun is your enemy and guarantees a poor result.

The easiest solution (as already pointed out in posts in this thread) is to move things around and get the subjects between you and the sun. You can set your camera to get a decent exposure on the background and sky and your flash to expose the subjects. While having your speedlights off camera is nice, you can get pretty good results on-camera as well, especially for small groups like this. You could also use a reflector as an alternative to lights, I've seen some great images produced this way.

Trying to figure this out at someone's wedding is leaving it a bit late - and not fair to your clients. If this is a location you use regularly, you need to practice shooting here until you can get good exposures in your sleep. Then you can get going on posing and angles.

zoomer · May 10, 2010

I shot some group photos in this same kind of light this weekend. Just couldn't get out of it.
I used fill flash and adjusted the overall exposure in camera to the barely blown out level on the white dresses.
Then in processing first I lowered the contrast then pumped up the highlights and recovery which really blew them out...then lowered the exposure to where the dresses were right on the edge of being blown.
Then I added in some black point and they came out looking pretty good.
I did some black and white options with additional highlights added and contrast reduced and more added black point...they ended up looking like they were taken on a cloudy day.

I had a couple that just wanted to take 10 minutes to shoot the formals and get out of there to the reception.
They weren't interested in walking to any other spot in the park...they were ready to shoot in this spot and that was all there was to it.

Anyway it is possible to make this kind of light work.....if you have to

Help lighting my newlyweds in direct sun

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