How to Light an Outdoor Reception in Photography

Outdoor wedding receptions often take place in late afternoon through late evening, presenting the wedding photographer with an ever-changing level of light. To produce pleasing photos for your client in these conditions, you have at least several challenges that must be worked through before first pushing the shutter release.

Visit the site before the wedding, preferably the evening before, so you can scout its locations and backgrounds, and judge the light levels in advance. Be sure to know the location of significant features, such as where the bridal table will be, where the dance floor and band will be located, location and nature of existing lighting, nearby sites that can be used as interesting settings and the like. Use a light meter at all through the environment to plan appropriate lighting for different situations.

Backgrounds that are terrific in natural light, such as brick walls or hedges, can be poor backgrounds at night, leaving your subjects posed against flat black. The same will happen if you shoot with only the sky in the background, so you will have to light backgrounds with an off-camera light and shoot the foreground with an on-camera flash. The type of light necessary will vary depending on your particular background situation. In the case of key photos that require a certain background or feature, it is best to shoot in natural light when possible. Lighting can be used later for similar shots, but it's best to get key background shots "in the bank" while the natural light is good. In general, a bounce flash, with a diffuser, will be sufficient to avoid strong shadowing or fall-off in sunlight.

Candid shots are often the photos that your clients will treasure the most in the future. Unfortunately, some of the tricks that help shooting on a dance floor indoors, such as bouncing light off the ceiling, won't work outdoors. If budget allows, having an assistant with a portable flash to illuminate the subjects from the side, about 90 degrees away from your camera, will light the area so there will be a lit background. Your on-camera flash can then light the subjects from the front. If no assistant is available, set up a slave light, secured firmly to survive inevitable collisions, to the side and shoot as subjects enter your field. Shift your location slightly to avoid the photos looking too much the same.

While existing lighting in outdoors situations can be an obstacle at times, and often has to be overridden with your flashes and satellite lights, it can sometimes supplement your night photography. For instance, some outdoor facilities may have arbors with twinkling lights in the trees. To capture them while also lighting your subjects, light the subjects from behind and to the side, while also using your flash from a slight angle. This will light the background enough to keep it from fading to black, while also letting the lights in the trees stand out.

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