12th Jun 2007
beach chapel highlight
Before I get into another post, I wanted to invite everyone into the classroom for a lighting shakedown. Do you want to learn strobe lighting? Visit Strobist | Lighting 101 which I thought was GOLD until Strobist | Lighting 102 came out… 102 is just an overview at this point BUT still super valuable… David Hobby was reading my mind when he wrote this. Study up folks if you want to change up your game!
This week’s post comes from Sol Tamargo…
The bride & groom were married in a chapel.. Sounds like our everyday wedding huh? Well, this chapel is located on the BEACH in the Riviera Maya. This was a catholic wedding and a church ceremony was very important to the client. Yes, the outside beach portraits were inevitable, BUT, Sol wanted to preserve a few portrait images in the church for the family and the couple. Back lighting the veil gave the bride an angelic feel and puts a highlight on the groom that really sets him off from the background.
Sol introduced the off camera flash inside the church, operated her personal assistant. Outside, she waited for a perfect cloudy / overcast moment which helped her balance the light, and snapped this photo. Her off camera flash was set to 1/4 power, just a few feet away from the bride. Perfect accent on the veil!
In this example, Sol used the twilight hour and some creative editing to generate a photo with a false sunburst. The off camera flash was set to 1/4 power. Sol’s personal assistant helped her place the flash. She mounted the flash on a mono pod extended to its maximum reach because of the height of the bridge where the subjects were located. She used the veil to diffuse the light behind their faces. Her moody editing and toning helped finish this photo off.
*Tips* If you are shooting a groom with darker jacket, have him take it off. The white shirt’s reflective properties will make a big difference with this technique.
Thanks for the ideas Sol!
Cheers!
Matt
Wow - that false sunburst shot is so cool. Love it.
What was the creative editing? Just the warm glow and decolour or something more?
Thank you Jonathan!, the “creative editing” was the kevin kubota b&w secret formula plus a warming filter.. and that’s it!…
:)
You guys are really outstanding and inspirational. I just wanted to say that I love your work!
Matt:
I started following the Lighting 102 course on strobist.com 1.5 weeks ago. I like how DH presents his material. Learning some good stuff too.
Sol:
Great shots. Is the bride kneeling down or standing in the first image? I couldn’t quite tell. I like how you used the 2 light fixtures and the door frame to “frame” the shot.
For the second image, the pseudo-sunburst and the diffusion by the veil is what makes this shot. Thanks for sharing.
Ade,
Bride is standing… thanks for the nice comments
Evan, thanks for the comments. Stick around next week…we have a few awesome photographers to feature!
Sol, I really love your moody compositions. Although I consider our shooting style similar, you always have a new and challenging composition ready to offer a new way to see the scene…. Its an honor to watch you work!
Ade, great to see you again! Also, glad to have turned you on to Strobist… you will grow exponentially by following David’s techniques!
Cheers!
matt