Prospective clients often ask me how I handle difficult lighting situations. Each photographer has a different style and handles light requirements accordingly. I consider myself a wedding photojournalist using mainly available light. However, there are occasions when I decide to use additional lighting to create the image that I have in mind. In the first part of the blog post I will present two images and explain how I handle difficult lighting situations.
If there is sufficient quality of light, I prefer to use a prime lens with a f/1.2 or f/1.4 aperture which has a higher light gathering ability compared to a f/2.8 zoom lens. The following image is from a destination wedding in Spetses, Greece. I used a Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens at 1.2 aperture with only available light. The white sandy beach was reflecting the moon light to the bride and I did not have to use any additional lights.
Another example of using just available light is the following image. It was made during an engagement photo shoot in Rhinebeck, NY. I noticed the beautiful warm lights which were placed on a tree during the Christmas season. On the left side of the couple there was a white wall reflecting the sun light on the woman’s face. I needed to increase the size of the background lights and use them as a backdrop. For this reason I used my favorite portrait lens the Canon 200mm f/2 lens at f/2 aperture.
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