How to Light/Edit This Shot
I haven't been using this lighting style as much as I did in the past. I only use it now when I feel like it fits the couple/bride and the situation. I don't have a reasoning system...I just kind of go with a feeling. Anyways...I think this dramatic lighting style can be really cool in certain situations so I thought I would show you how to do it. I also wanted to give you an idea of how I edited this shot.
Gear Used:
Nikon D3s
Nikon 17-35mm f2.8
Alien Bee 1600 with Large Softbox
Here is the lighting Diagram:
The Alien Bee was at full power. My camera settings were: ISO 200, f/11, and shutter speed set to 1/160 of a second. I place the bottom of the softbox at chin height of the subject and then angle it down slightly.
Here is the image right out of camera:
It is overexposed, but I knew that the subject and the background were the ratios I wanted. AKA I had the shot I wanted, I would just have to adjust the exposure in post.
I use Aperture to edit. I brought down the exposure, increased the blacks, and saturated the blue. Throw in 2 curve adjustments and this is what you get:
Next I did a little dodging and burning and ended with this photo:
Lemonade from Lemons
Sometimes people tell me I am so lucky to be shooting in such beautiful places and that if they could shoot in awesome locations their photos would be so much better. The truth of the matter is that most of the weddings I shoot are not in the most beautiful places. I do luck out sometimes with an amazing photogenic couple getting married in a magical meadow, but when that does happen 5% of the time I still arrive to discover that most of the magical meadow has been recently mowed down (last weekends wedding). Wedding photographers have to make Lemonade out of Lemons. Sometimes this means finding the one place with awesome light and getting as much variety out of that one place. Sometimes it means moving the trash can that was sitting next to the vending machine and having a bride stand in the window. This shot was taken at a Holiday Inn Express right outside the elevators...next to the vending machines.
Value
The older I get the more I realize that there are very few things that are truly important. There is, of course, God...and there are these two...whom I love with all of me that I know and that which I still have to discover.
Heidi + David = Murfreesboro Wedding
This may have been the best St. Patty's day party in Tennessee. I had so much fun spending the day with Heidi and David at their beautiful wedding. I am so happy for you guys and wouldn't have spent my St. Patty's day any other way.
