It’s been a busy year (in fact there’s still a few shoots to do before Christmas Day!). Thank you to all of you that continue to want to learn and know more and I hope that you enjoy your Christmas and New Year.

One light – from the front it’s flat, but from the side and back it creates shadow which means you can alter how something looks. You can create form and shape by adding shadow or adding highlights. I like to backlight where I can (on location, the sun does this) but try where possible to add reflected light before a second light, where it’s appropriate. Here’s a few examples from the gallery below, reading from left to right:

Row 1 – Image 1 – single light to the side, soft but no separation; Image 2 harder light with shadows which model the chin;  Image 3 – backlight to hair create separation.

Row 2 – Image 1- Backlight is more from above with reflected light (tri-flector) pushing from below and flattening shadows; Image 2- softbox and backlight; Image 3, same but more like sandwich lighting.

Row 3 – Image 1 – single light camera right and high key set means that ration of 2:1 achieved by reflected light alone; Image 2 and 3 – Canon speedlite to the the rear and off camera left.

Winter weddings can be great to shoot because of the quality of light. It’s soft and flattering but it can also be a bit weak. It can be lacking on contrast. So here’s a few quick things that were covered in part of the course that relates to he 12 pictures in the gallery below. The lighting levels were very low and the weather cold!

1. Shot of the groom against the wall. Natural light from camera left and modelling / shadow coming from the wall.

2. Shot of groom against the wall. Kicker light from camera left , balanced for ambient.

3. Groom against the pillars. Kill the ambient and turn day to night. High contrast from flash gun off camera.

4. Window light that acts as a giant softbox. Use the direction of the subject’s face to control shadows.

5. If you’ve set your exposure relative to the direction of the light, shoot away in manual, with confidence.

6. Making sunshine with off camera flash to add contrast and remove some of the flatness of the ambient.

7. Dark, dark churches. Using off camera flash to mimic where light is coming from but is too weak to make the photograph without some help. First light is the backlight which lights the red carpet and mimics the direction of light from the window. Second light from the the side as fill. The third shot mimics the backlighting from the tungsten lights overhead.

8. Imagine it’s raining outside – so make use of whatever you can. This is a curtain to the left of the altar. Shadows can be used to hide anything unsightly and strong directional lights adds drama and contrast. If you’re at a venue with little in the way of attractive backgrounds it’s your lighting that will save you.

9. 10.11.12  Ambient light can still be a bit tricky depending on how you shoot with it. A large diffused light sourced can be flat – but by placing the subject under cover (as in picture 12) see how the highlights appear on the hair and shoulders and modelling comes into the face.

If you’re interested in learning more about lighting and camera skills training, please do get in touch.

After a cold start, rain and some strong winds, I spent some time on Sunday morning on the beach at Whitstable for 1-2-1 training on shooting in variable light. My client had brought some of her family as willing subjects and one of things that came up from a different photography course provider was the idea of manual mode being redundant because of AV. I hadn’t heard this before as for me manual mode is simply brilliant. If the lighting conditions are constant, or you keep your position to the subject and light fairly constant then manual exposures won’t change. They’re locked in, unlikely to fluctuate the way Av can when it gets confused by elements of light and dark being picked up as you move around, zoom in and out etc. With rapidly changing conditions Av has many benefits but it still requires a degree of exposure compensation. Manual of course is my preferred mode for working with off-camera flash.

The pictures below highlight a couple of things and they were taken against very string directional light one minute and then cloudy skies the next. Here’s a couple of observations.

• Back-lighting -  great for portraits with reflected light to front
• You can shoot into the sun but the risk is lens flare and a washing out, low contrast etc. You can put contrast back in afterwards. Into the sun can also give a retro feel.
• Shadows can be fun as long as they are not from you!
• The subject doesn’t always have to face the camera
• Neutral and unchanging backgrounds mean that you can shoot in manual mode without too much trouble
• Meter, set your exposure, frame it, shoot it!

I was in London today running a 1-2-1 camera skills training session and decided out of the blue to stick to one camera with a 50mm lens working at f1.8 to 3.5, but mostly at 1.8. Do you remember when film SLRs used to come supplied with a 50mm lens? It’s probably one of the most over looked fixed lenses in my camera bag but I used it at a couple of weddings recently and had forgotten what a great lens it is. You have to get used to using your feet again to “zoom” in and out but that’s why there’s something cinematic about it – a fixed frame like an old super 8 camera. A shot a few frames for fun which I’ve included here. Hazy sunshine on a crisp November day.

November-December dates including The Complete Wedding Course.

For 1-2-1 sessions, Camera Cafes or a full day Camera Skills Course there are the following possible dates:

Saturday 5th November 9.30am-12.30pm FULLY BOOKED

Sunday 27th November 9.30am-4pm FULLY BOOKED

Saturday 10th December – 12.30-2pm PLACES AVAILABLE

STUDIO LIGHTING & OFF-CAMERA FLASH Monday 14th November, 9.30am-4pm FULLY BOOKED Assumes basic knowledge of modifiers Lighting on location High key vs low key Corrective lighting Working with models Controlling your environment Single and multi-light setups £195.00 per person

THE COMPLETE WEDDING COURSE Sunday 4th December, 9.30am-4pm PLACES AVAILABLE Shooting a bride at a real venue; work in low-light. Planning the day – timings, equipment key shots • Bridal preparation • The ceremony • £245.00 per person

CAMERA SKILLS “Why drive an automatic when manual is more fun?” JANUARY 15th – email for detailsA unique opportunity to not just learn about thecamera but put the theory straight into practicefor DSLR users from £95.00:• exposure – shutter speed, aperture• depth of field • the effect of lenses • composition• metering and focus points.

CAMERA CAFÉ Short sessions on location/ 2 hr Supersize sessions DECEMBER 10th – off-camera flash clinicIf you’re thinking of a taster before embarking on a full day course or want to just brush up on your skills then this is for you. Bite sized photography for busy people from just £10 for an hour or £25.00 for “supersize”. “It’s not a camera club – it’s camera cafe”. Join us on Facebook TheCameraCafe

The shot in the church – the darkest church I have ever been in – is a speedlite faking the direction of the window light and thus creating shadows. The shot of the groom on the steps at Mount Ephraim is packed full of interesting shadows – a speedlite creating a harsh light and the ambient lifting the shadows.

1. Natural light – look for where the light is painting the picture already and follow it:side light, rim light etc.
2. Reflected light – where are the plain surfaces that will work for you, placing your subjects close to them
3. Flash light / artificial light – don’t be afraid to use them to boost the natural light or be the dominant light

So, using examples from the last few weeks – (i) flat lighting and a cluttered background meant shooting a couple on the running board of the car, subtle side lighting against the deep tones of the paintwork; (ii) at Knowlton Court intense sunshine meant looking from diffused cross lighting and rim light, some fill in from flash; (iii) at Winters Barn, Canterbury and Salmestone Grange – overcoming rain by showing some of the outdoor location under cover; using natural wrap around lighting from a window and white table cloths as giant reflectors; closing curtains to make light directional and also a zoomed speedlight to create shafts of light or accent light for shoes, flowers and veils. If you’re looking to become more consistent in your photography or would simply like some refresher training, do please get in touch.

There are numerous ways of describing wedding photography – contemporary, traditional, reportage etc. Reportage is sometimes used as shorthand for “relaxed” and “informal” or “documentary” with no intervention from the photographer. Where there is absolutely no intervention you are really looking at wedding photojournalism. For now I’m going to stick with reportage for a moment. Some photographers prefer to rely on capturing the moment only and there’s nothing wrong with that. But sometimes there needs to be a little nudge here and there to make something come together where it might not have done so and this is what I call “styled documentary”. This is a subtle difference but doesn’t rely on hoping that everything will just happen in front of you. More often than not it will be looking for where the light is and moving something or someone closer to it. It might involved tidying something up – from flowers, table decorations to where hands are placed. It might mean choosing a different background to avoid something out of place. It’s helping to tell the story but not writing it for you. If you would like to get in touch and look at some portfolios of this style of wedding photography it would be great to hear from you.