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Lighting styles in wedding photography

September 1, 2017 Neil vN 7 Comments

Lighting styles in wedding photography

Two interesting questions came up in the Tangents FB group - both posted by Matthew Ciscart, one of the regulars: The first question was whether a client had ever asked for a specific lighting? Such, hard light, soft light, natural, or ocf?  The other question was whether any of the photographers had a specific go-to style of using lighting. That one thing they do. My reply to this, relating it to lighting styles in wedding photography, was I haven't had a client ask for any specific lighting. However, I do believe my website shows a  Read more inside...

Bounce flash and choice of background & backlighting

August 8, 2017 Neil vN 16 Comments

Bounce flash and choice of background + backlighting

This is where style and technique intersect - the choice of how to use flash (or any other kind of additional lighting) at wedding receptions. Many photographers prefer the crisp look of multiple off-camera flash setups at wedding receptions. While I do think some of the photos look incredible, I am not convinced that the success rate is all that high. Hot spots in the background, and weird cross-shadows will mar many of the photos. My preference has always been for the predictability and flexibility of using on-camera bounce  Read more inside...

Using grids with flash for a spot of light

March 10, 2017 Neil vN 4 Comments

Using grids with flash for a spot of light

My preference is for softer, flattering light. When I use off-camera flash, I really try to use a softbox if at all feasible. It's easier to use in that you have leeway in how your subject is posed.  For with a smaller, harder light source, you have to be much more specific about posing. A bigger light source is therefore easier to work with when you shoot fast - such as at a wedding. But there are times when you just want to light up a portion of the scene, or want to specifically light your subjects. The photo above is an example. I am  Read more inside...

Which direction to bounce on-camera flash?

January 20, 2017 Neil vN 12 Comments

Which direction to bounce on-camera flash?

When photographing any kind of portrait with on-camera bounce flash, my main consideration is that I want flattering light. For example, this photo of the bride dancing with her dad, I want flattering light to illuminate her face. It should be obvious that I decided to bounce the flash towards camera-right, so that the light comes in from that direction. I don't want to light up the side of her head. I want to light up her face. This means that as the couple rotate, I will continually adjust the direction that I bounce my flash into. This  Read more inside...

Dynamic off-camera flash – New York elopement wedding

January 1, 2017 Neil vN 12 Comments

Dynamic off-camera flash - New York elopement wedding

This photo is my favorite taken during Ruth & Philip's New York elopement wedding in Central Park. The genuine affection between them as the couple hugged their children closer during the ceremony in the park. The essential element in photographing weddings is to capture the revealing moments and all the important points of the event. As a photographer, you can't skip a beat. That's a given. What you add to that in terms of composition and choice of lenses, and how you use light, (as well as post-processing), will define  Read more inside...

Romantic wedding portraits with incandescent light

December 11, 2016 Neil vN 8 Comments

Romantic wedding portraits with the modeling light from a flash

Defining your style in wedding photography is, for me, as much about the way you use light and lighting, as it is about composition and posing, and timing. All the facets have to come together, continually through the day to create a successful and representative view of the wedding day. When it comes to the romantic portraits of the couple, posing and lighting are inter-twined. You can't think of them as separate things. With the way I use light, I don't want to be fixed with one specific way of doing it - the style  Read more inside...

People skills for portrait & wedding photographers

July 25, 2016 Neil vN 12 Comments

People skills for portrait & wedding photographers

The articles on the Tangents blog have focused heavily on the technical aspects of photography - lighting, posing, camera settings and such. But there is another essential ingredient for you as a photographer when you work with people - good social skills. This is invaluable - you can be a phenomenal photographer, but if you don't quite know how to make people immediately comfortable and trust you, then the photo shoot will not be as successful. With New York’s vibrant culture and the imposing architecture, it’s often a  Read more inside...

Wedding photography tips

June 30, 2016 Neil vN 47 Comments

Wedding photography tips

When I first started as a wedding photographer, the biggest hurdle for me was feeling like I had a grasp over the entire day's time-line. For 8+ hours, you have to balance so many things - being creative, working with people, dealing with ever-changing environments and lighting situations, while still hitting every beat. You have to stay on top of things, and deliver the best images you can, as your clients expect of you. It felt over-whelming at the beginning, but eventually I found my stride - my own rhythm where I could more effortlessly do my work as a  Read more inside...

Wedding photography posing tips – For variety, make slight changes

May 27, 2016 Neil vN 15 Comments

Wedding photography posing tips - For variety, make slight changes

Wedding photography often feels like a sustained burst of stressful periods - the processional (where you have a really limited range to nail everything in low light), the family photos (where you have to gain control over a potentially chaotic situation), and the romantic portrait session with the bride and groom. Even with a couple as cool as Jackie and Todd, there is still the pressure to get photos as awesome as the images you show in your portfolio. The time is usually limited, and you have to nail the lighting,  Read more inside...

Photographing the wedding formal groups

May 3, 2016 Neil vN 9 Comments

Photographing the wedding formal groups

Photographing the family groups and the formal photos at weddings doesn't really strike fear in my heart any more. I have the experience to work efficiently, and also work around any challenges that come up. I can take things in my stride, and I'm not often ruffled. I keep things motoring along. With that, I just had to share this amusing photo from a recent wedding - the bride and groom with the 3 nephews. Count them! And that's about the best shot we got with all three of the kiddos in the frame. So even with all the experience and  Read more inside...

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