The Best of Wedding Photography.pdf - Free

ecommended unless your only concern in the image is
highlight detail.
Most seasoned photographers have come to instantly
recognize the subtle differences between lighting ratios.
For instance, a photographer might recognize that with a
given width of face, a 2:1 ratio does not provide enough
dimension and a 4:1 ratio is too dramatic, thus he or she
would strive for a 3:1 ratio. The differences between ratios
are easy to observe with practice, as are the differences
between fractional ratios like 3.5:1 or 4.5:1, which are reproduced
by reducing or increasing the fill light amount in
quarter-stop increments.
STUDIO LIGHTING ON LOCATION
One of the great advantages of working in a studio, as opposed
to working on location, is that you can adjust the
ambient light level of the studio to a low level, thus mak-
ing the studio lighting stand out. On location, you must
deal with the existing ambient light, which occurs at different
levels than you would prescribe for the studio.
For example, imagine a courtyard where the main light
is diffused daylight coming in through an archway or
doorway. Your ambient fill level would be very low, because
there are no auxiliary light sources nearby. Unless
your goal was to produce high-contrast lighting (not that
great for brides), you would need to raise the level of the
ambient or fill light. This might be accomplished locally
(i.e., on the subject via a silver reflector), or it might be
accomplished more universally by raising the overall interior
light level by using ceiling-bounce strobes.
This solution would allow you to shoot in a number of
locations in the area, not just the one closest to the arch.
The point of the example is that you must be able to react
to the lighting situation with the tools at your disposal.
Beautiful soft side lighting was used by Charles Maring to create this lovely bridal formal. The light required no fill and even wrapped around
the bride’s nose to illuminate the shadow side of her face. The wedding photographer must not only be skilled at creating lighting, he or she must
be equally skilled at finding good light.
STUDIO LIGHTING 67