Charge of the Light Brigade

As an example to a point made in my earlier post about whether or not you need two wedding photographers regarding the subject of venue lighting, here is one scene that stands as the epitome of challenging lighting venues. In this case, a photographer's assistant is required in order to get the more dramatic side spot lighting as seen in these sample photos. These images were shot in the James S. McDonnell Planetarium at the St. Louis Science Center.

Similar lighting challenges would also be met if your venue has dark ceilings higher than 9 feet, is an outdoor nighttime reception, or if the lighting in your space is simply awesome being dark (for instance, entirely candle lit) and flash would just totally ruin the effect. You may want to consider the creative side spot lighting. If you're not sure about your venue, ask me and I can scout it for you and give you some pictorial samples as seen here.

Click images for larger detail.

The Planetarium is unique in that it has a super high domed projection screen as a ceiling. The point of this venue is darkness, so nighttime and planetary effects can be admired. The challenge to photographers is that we need light to record anything! 

Note the above images of my lovely model and sister, Beth. Flash lighting floods that projection screen and whites it out, completely obliterating the "sunset" effect of the orange rim lighting around the room. The side spot lighting highlights only the floor space where subjects are interacting and allows the beautiful ceiling projection to show.

There's a particular quality to light held at the side of a subject which gives more dimension and mood to subjects, as shown above in this portrait. With no ceiling close enough for flash to bounce properly, flash lighting tends to be flat and less dynamic. Boo on that.

Notice in the above composites of a "guest" sitting at her table that the sunset rim lights create a wonderful red glow when flash is not used.

The image above mocks a creative posing opportunity I had with the actual bride and groom when they gave me a moment to pull them away from their reception to do some portraits. I had Beth pose against some wall decor in the buffet area to showcase a more creative display of the differences in light quality between the ambient room lighting, flash lighting, and side spot lighting. Notice the soft roll off of left side shadows in the side lit photo.

Other things Of Note

To be fair to my clients, I can't proclaim the awesomeness of creative spot lighting without also mentioning one operational drawback. The spot light is VERY BRIGHT. It's a 6 inch LED circle that definitely draws attention to itself in a dark room. I don't recommend looking directly into it. It's also a continuous light, which means it's on all the time when in use (doesn't flash only when a photo is taken as with flash lighting). Also noted when I shot this actual reception, those giving toasts were not prepared to be so "spotlighted" and I think they were thrown off guard by the brightness. Heads up, bridal party!

If your venue is small or over-crowded (not a problem at the Planetarium), usage of the spot light by my assistant may be less effectual. My assistant will pretty much need to be glued within a 30 degree angle from myself to project the light properly on subjects, and if he or she can't get around, missed opportunities may arise. The spot also needs to be fairly CLOSE to subjects too, for best lighting. Be prepared to share your intimate moments with a ball of light!

Another cool thing (depending on your location) is that you can purchase the use of my creative lighting assistant for only for a portion of your wedding day. This saves you the cost of hiring a second photographer for the entire day, and just gives you the benefit when you need it most. (Partial day second photographer services are not available for out of town locales.)

I have fun doing these lighting tests. Bring em on! As the artist here, I obviously hope clients will get stoked for what looks awesome in these dramatically lit venues. I'd sure like to capture these spaces in their intended Most Awesomeness. Yup!