For Photographers: Changing Locations

For Photographers

August 19, 2014

On wedding days there are lots of things that are out of our control…bad lighting situations are one of them! Lots of times brides will be getting ready in a space the venue provided…the problem with this is that most venue coordinators are not photographers, so they don’t necessarily know what really makes the best photos. For us, natural light and clean backgrounds lend themselves best to our style, so we look for those when we can. It’s important to look for the same kinds of light at every wedding…it helps you edit more consistently and will help you nail your signature style. Our clients know what the rest of our work looks like and have come to expect a certain type of image from us, so we try to keep our look as consistent as we can!

The #1 principle of light is light over location. I can’t preach that enough! With that in mind, we are always going to try to move our clients to a better spot for key photos like getting into the dress. In this example, our bride, Jen, was getting ready in the ladies locker room at her venue. From a non-photogs perspective, the room was actually pretty nice! It was neutral in colors and had some nice paintings of flowers. But from our perspective, it wasn’t the best, because we weren’t going to be able to give her the same look in her images she’d seen from us in the past due to the fact that there were no windows and only fluorescent lighting.

What do we do in that situation? Since we prefer natural light and our style is to be as unobtrusive as we can (meaning we only bust out artificial light when we reeeeaaalllly have to), we look for an alternative space, and then ask the bride and/or groom. Education is key here! When I approach my client about moving the location for these photos I don’t just tell them they need to move. I explain WHY I want think they should (in this case, because the light is way better out in our other location and light is what makes a beautiful image) and then ASK them. 9.9 times out of 10 they will agree if you educate, explain, and then ask nicely.

After scouting out the venue for another spot after we shot her bridal details, we decided on the hallway next to the getting ready room for those shots of her mom helping her get into her dress. We asked the bridesmaids to stand behind Jen and her Mom to block out anyone who might happen to pass us, and then positioned them so the light would be most flattering.

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Because we asked Jen to shoot her final bridal prep in this hallway and she trusted our input, these photos turned out beautifully! The photos in the dark getting ready room were nice too, but natural light owns fluorescent lighting every single time. I think scouting for good locations and educating our clients on moving to new spots is part of the service we provide to our clients as professionals.  I recognize that they invest a lot of money to work with us and that photos are important to them…So it’s important to me to ensure they’re getting the best images possible by sharing with them things they can do to affect the outcome of the shots we take! Moving the getting ready spot is something easy that’s always so worth it in the long run…these photos are proof!

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  1. Brea says:

    Great post!! So helpful!

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