Vanessa Joy's Ultimate On-Location Lighting Tips for Stunning Wedding Photography

[@steveh8658]

Thank you for showing us how to do the difficult lighting, and including all the 'little things' involved.

[@GaryHughesOfficial]

Great, simple explanation and the images look great! Good technique in putting on the diffuser too, total pro move.

[@TeddyCavachon]

I assisted Monte Zucker back in 1972 - 74 when he was the top PPofA wedding photography teacher and author of the Candid Comments column The Professional Photographer. What we did differently, using the primitive speed lights of the day and color neg. film / prints was always use fill flash which was mounted over the lens as the foundation of the lighting pattern. It was the only way to get detail in both the wedding dress and the black suit of the groom. With the Fill lifting the shadows not as much key light power is needed to expose the highlights and the light will have the same perceptual “softness” because that’s mostly a reaction to how dark the shadows are relative to the highlights. I’m current shooting with a pair of R6mkII - mostly wildlife - and I’m amazed at how much the DR of sensors have improved but dual flash Key over Fill Flash + Sky Fill will have different look aesthetically and technically the ratio of the lighting can be made to exactly match sensor by doing this: 1) Set aperture, 2) raise power of centered fill until detail is seen in black clothing, 3) raise power of key until white clothing is 1/3 under clipping. I carry black and white terry wash cloths I drape over the gray card I use for WB getting the exposure perfect before putting the subject in front of the camera. Back then he did his posed portrait using light from any available north facing window, posing the subject 45° to the widow to highlight the front ‘mask’ of the face and keeping the reflection forward of the face not to the side which over fills it. He really stressed raising the face up to get the light past the brow and into the eye sockets. What is happening in all of these outdoor photos taken on the ground at eye level is that her brow is shading the her eye and as result when the flash is added the highlights it creates on the unshaded parts of face around the eyes - forehead / cheeks - make the eyes look dark and dull by comparison. The solution is simple: have the subject look up 20-30° above the horizon until the brow no longer shade the orbits then also raise camera position so the plane of sensor and face are parallel as at eye level on the ground.

[@Someone38482]

Thank you for this

[@cosmo0080]

hi again, that was just fun to watch thank you blessing

[@isoawe1888]

Thanks. Like the large modifier, though probably would have gone with silver with diffusion. Also, a hard modifier looks good in direct sunlight because it’s what mind expects it to be.

[@c102690]

Thanks for the many different options. I definitely love the big modifier!

[@mikemike2627]

Vanessa,you are beautiful.

[@MartinV.]

Great Video!!!

[@simp99bird]

What a gorgeous model and so relaxed she must be a dream to work with. This is a wonderful demonstration of how you get such beautiful images despite the harsh light. There is no doubt the large modifier with diffuser is the best tool for the job here but thanks for showing how much can be achieved with a speed light. Obviously your expertise here is significant but I can dream of taking such beautiful photos. I have the same speed light and you’ve shown me it’s possible so any failure is down to me😂

[@samcvisuals]

Love it

[@lostinframeproductions3864]

what nightstands were using ?

[@kamalyounisline]

How you make the picture look beautiful with the light source in front of you, especially without using an ND filter ?. Because I tried to apply the same thing, the image appears black.

[@Rohambili]

5:09 :D Must be too hot or something... 2000 iso :D

[@I.M.MaHoney]

Why are you torturing your speed light mount?!?!?! The clic soft box has a solid mount built in! OOOOUCH!!!