Lighting is an essential ingredient in the creation of an amazing photograph. It’s easy to find beautiful light all around us – what we only have to do is to choose the best light source for making a wedding photo look magical. Let’s take a look at a few basic lighting tips to achieve those flattering photos you as a bride will cherish forever.

Morning preparations

The golden rule is to be in front of a natural light source. When choosing a room for your makeup and hair, go for a room with lightly painted walls, large windows and enough light coming in through the windows. The light should spread evenly, even with the lights off. This will benefit not just the photographer, but the makeup artist too. By being directly in front of a window, you can make use of the natural soft light falling on your face and avoid any colour casts from the harsh electric lights inside the room. With the soft window light falling on your face, you’ll just look beautiful and flesh.

Outdoor ceremony

If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, the harsh direct sun can really put a damper on your photographs. You wouldn’t want a shadow under your eye circles or nose or you squinting into the lens, would you? Choosing a time when there is less of direct sun or considering some form of shade is a good plan. Adding an elegant shade structure, colourful parasols or drapes is always a safe bet and looks good.

Golden hour – sunset and sunrise

The golden hour is an hour before/after sunset or sunrise. As a bride, you should take advantage of the beautiful light available at this hour. The sunlight falls more evenly on the skin tones without any harsh shadow. The sun is at its lowest in the sky and emits this warm glow producing the most flattering light and creating the most romantic portraits. This is the best time to consider a backlit approach as well. You could stand in front of the setting sun and ask the photographer to create a gentle rim of light around you.

Night shots

When it comes to night shots, the most challenging part is that you may be stuck with low light or too much light.

One of the easiest ways to create dramatic light for a silhouette when photographing at night is to add a light source behind you. It could be a flashlight, off-camera lighting equipment, a dance floor light, or even the front light of a car. You could also ask your wedding planner to add a string lights, lanterns or candles – this is a beautiful way to create an ideal background for your photos. The extra lighting will help create warmth in your photos and add a more dynamic dimension.

If you hire us for your wedding you needn’t worry about a thing. As professional wedding photographers, we have all the lighting equipment to create beautiful photos of your wedding.