Tangents

photography tutorials, reviews & workshops

tangents photography blog
learn : discuss : share
  • Tangents
  • Tutorials
    • Flash Photography
    • Wedding Photography
    • Studio Photography
    • Posing People
    • Understanding Your Camera
    • Exposure metering
    • BFT
    • Best Photo Books
  • Reviews
    • Sony
    • Nikon
    • Canon
    • Fuji
    • Profoto
    • lighting gear
  • Workshops
    • Info: Workshops
    • In-person
      tutoring sessions
    • Online
      tutoring sessions
    • Workshops in
      New Jersey (NJ)
    • Workshops in
      New York (NYC)
    • Photo walks in NYC
    • Studio Workshop
    • Video tutorials
    • Workshop results
  • Books
    • On-Camera Flash (revised ed.)
    • Direction & Quality of Light
    • Off-Camera Flash Photography
    • Lighting & Design
    • On-Camera Flash (1st ed.)
  • Projects
    • Two Perspectives
    • B&W Infrared
    • Vintage lenses
    • Time-lapse photography
  • Info
    • About
    • Contact
    • My Photo Gear
    • Books by NvN
    • Join us on Facebook
    • Acclaim
    • Success Stories

wedding photography: bride & groom portraits with video light

November 25, 2011 Neil vN 11 Comments

wedding photography: bride & groom portraits with video light

For that dramatic Hollywood look, a video light is probably the easiest light to use, especially when there is the need to work fast like on a wedding day. With Alli & Scott’s engagement photo session, I knew I’d be working with a couple that would easily go along with any ideas that we’d come up with. We worked indoors at the Temple Israel in Long Island, New York, and there were all kinds of interesting nooks to explore.

The majority of their romantic portrait photos were taken using only a single video light – the Lowel ID-Light (B&H).  I chose to work with the Lowel ID-light this time instead of the LitePanels MicroPro LED video light (B&H), because I wanted a video light that was stronger, and that I could diffuse and focus, depending on what I needed. It was just the more flexible choice. (Check this comparative review of the Lowel ID-light vs LED video light.)

Processing for all these images were done in two steps:
1. A variation of my usual digital retouching for portraits, where I have Shine Off on a layer, and Imagenomic Portraiture on a reduced opacity layer.
2. Then I ran a Photoshop filter to give it a vintage look. This was on a layer so I could reduce opacity.

details for image at the top:
1/50 @ f3.2 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3S  (B&H);  Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 AF-S (B&H)

In one passageway, there were opposing mirrors, giving an infinity effect. The video light was ideal here in containing the light spill, and making these images possible. (It would’ve been a headache doing this quickly with flash.)

details for the two images above:
1/30 @ f3.2 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3S  (B&H);  Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 AF-S (B&H)

details for this image:
1/160 @ f1.6 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon 700  (B&H);  Nikon 85mm f/1.4G (B&H)

details for this image:
1/100 @ f1.6 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon 700  (B&H);  Nikon 85mm f/1.4G (B&H)

With both the next two images, we had to turn down the brightness of the video light, so that the detail in the background would be held. With a brighter light on the couple, Alli and Scott, I’d have to use a faster shutter speed / smaller aperture / lower ISO, and the background would go dark, or even black.

details for both images:
1/60 @ f3.2 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3S  (B&H);  Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 AF-S (B&H)

Finally, a fun image where I wanted to see if the spots on the doors leading to the kitchen would give a surreal quality.

 

camera settings & photo gear (or equivalents) used during this photo session

1/60 @ f3.2 @ 1600 ISO
Nikon D3S  (B&H);  Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 AF-S (B&H)

A video light is an essential part of my lighting arsenal as a wedding photographer. With this set of images, I wanted to show the variety of images and settings that is possible. It is even possible to do the majority of images with just a single video light, if circumstance allows it. Then, there are those times when it is just the easiest lighting tool to use.

 

related articles

  • wedding photography tutorials
  • using video light for photography

Filed Under: Uncategorized, video light, wedding photography Tagged With: New Jersey wedding photographers, New Jersey wedding photography, New York wedding photographers, New York wedding photography, video light for photography, video light for wedding photography


 

Help support this website

If you find these articles of value, please help support this website by using these B&H and Amazon affiliate links to order your photo gear.

I also offer photography workshops and tutoring sessions, whether in person, or via online video tutoring sessions.

Please follow me on Instagram for more.

You can also join our thriving photo community in the Tangents group on Facebook, where we show our photos and discuss all things photography.

Thank you,

Neil vN

Books by Neil van Niekerk


 




11 Comments, Add Your Own

  1. 1William Ng says

    November 25, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    Great shots. It would be even more useful if there are photos showing where the lights are in relation to the couples, like you have done in the past :-)

    Thanks again

    Reply
  2. 2Karel says

    November 25, 2011 at 11:55 pm

    I seriously love this one. Awesome. No wonder Fake Chuck raves about you!

    Reply
  3. 3Tom K. says

    November 26, 2011 at 2:16 am

    These are intensely beautiful photographs.

    Kirk Tuck is all over the LED craze. He has a new book coming out on it in April: LED Lighting: Professional Techniques for Digital Photographers.

    He blogs a lot about LED lights on his blog as well: https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2011/05/as-i-do-more-and-more-video-leds-seem.html

    Reply
  4. 4Neil vN says

    November 26, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    Tom … and I have a guest spot in Kirk’s book. :)

    Neil vN

    Reply
  5. 5Doug Scroggins says

    November 26, 2011 at 2:19 pm

    Amazing work Neil, as always. How is that light powered? I checked it out on the site and I want to get one, but I want to make sure I’m not getting in over my head with battery costs and all. Thanks in advance sir.

    Reply
  6. 6Neil vN says

    November 26, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    Doug … follow the link to this page on using video light for photography. The B&H links are there. (You would also need the charger for that battery.)

    Reply
  7. 7Georg Hill says

    November 27, 2011 at 7:38 am

    In some shots you have rather long shutter speeds (1/50 and even 1/30). Using flash this is not a problem, but you have here continuous video light! Can you comment on the shutter speeds while using video lights? Do you have some special strategy there?

    Reply
  8. 8Neil vN says

    November 27, 2011 at 9:20 pm

    Georg .. in a situation like that, I shoot a lot, and then cull the images during post-production. Because the video light is continuous light, it isn’t as if I would blow out a flashgun, or annoy my subjects with a blitz of flash pops going off.

    Here I did try machine-gunning it, but I felt like I had a lower rate of success than usual, possibly because of mirror slap. But there were enough crisply sharp images that it wasn’t an issue.

    related articles:
    – machine-gunning the camera as a technique in low light
    – wedding photography – when style, technique & choice of gear converge

    Neil vN

    Reply
  9. 9Gina says

    November 28, 2011 at 12:28 am

    Gorgeous as always, Neil. Your use of video light in these images is simply yummy.

    Reply
  10. 10Adrian says

    December 4, 2011 at 6:57 pm

    Let me say, great collection of images Neil. Wow!!!

    Reply
  11. 11Donna Mahar says

    April 28, 2015 at 10:27 am

    I have several of your books and read the tangents. Attending your seminar at Unique Photo was best this I did. You explained everything in a manner that I could understand. Now when I see your photos I know evern more about how they were done and your thoughts behind the shots. Now I can move forward.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

categories

Articles & Tutorials

  • • About myself & this site
    • Books by Neil vN
    • Best photography books
    • Black foamie thing
    • Photographers’ success stories
  • • Flash Photography Techniques
    • Natural looking flash
    • Flash + Ambient light
    • Dragging the shutter
    • Bouncing your flash
    • On-camera flash outdoors
    • Exposure metering
    • Flash exposure compensation
    • Bounce flash examples
    • Which is the best flashgun?
    • Flash brackets
    • Off-camera flash photography
    • Flash photography basics
    • Using video lights
    • Flash photography tips
  • • Photography workshops NJ / NYC
    • Models @ photography workshops
tutorials:
flash photography
Photography
Workshops

All rights reserved. Copyright © Neil van Niekerk 2025 · Customization by The Traveling Designer

Copyright © 2025 · NvN on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in