A Photographer’s guide to light during your Wedding day or portrait session
How to plan for the light and weather
Light is such an important aspect of photography and understanding how to use it no matter what the weather conditions may be is crucial to my job as a professional portrait photographer. If you were to ask me what my favourite type of light was a few years ago then I would have most definitely have said “backlit photos during the sunset golden hour.” Experience however, has taught me to love all types of light, rain or shine, and to make the most out of every opportunity. Since we cannot control the weather (I wish I could offer ‘controlling the weather’ as an add on to my packages) I thought it might be a good idea to give a brief guide to light for your Wedding or Portrait session. Hopefully it’ll help you understand what to expect, ease your anxiety about a cloudy day and assist in your planning when it comes to scheduling your Wedding day or Portrait session.
Sunset Portraits
The golden hour is a beautiful time for photography giving your photos a very warm and glowing feel. I love to place the sun behind you to give that golden glow or even get a bit of artistic flare from the lens to give the photo a more cinematic feeling. To make the most of this light, it is best to start about 1 hour before the actual sunset time although this may vary depending on where we are located - the sun might be blocked in certain city scenes due to skyscrapers for example. My personal preference is always this time of day in an area of beautiful nature - it never gets old!
Cloudy & Overcast
You might be surprised to hear that photographers are often hoping for a cloudy day! This is because cloud acts as a giant soft box / light diffuser which gives us beautiful soft light which is really flattering. This is in contrast to a bright sunny day where the light can often be harsh and create unflattering shadows. So, if it’s a cloudy day, look on the bright side - it’s great for photos! It’s absolutely fantastic in nature and really helps to make the green colours of a forest just pop! It also means we can start are shoot a little earlier and not worry about having to catch the sunset.
Sunshine & Clear Skies
I totally understand that for some of us, taking photos in the midday sun is the only option available due to time constraints. It also doesn’t help when sunset isn’t until around 2130 during the peak of the British Summer (a little more forgiving in Tokyo thankfully). Whilst it is still possible to take photos during the midday sun, I recommend that you push the portrait session to the late afternoon if possible. This will give some direction to the light which we can work with. The main issue on days like these are harsh shadows on your face which are not so flattering - not to mention squinting and sweating on those very hot Summer days.
However, this type of light does lend itself to some striking, high energy and vibrant photos. This type of light can also help contribute to a bit more of a high end fashion or editorial look when used correctly. If you prefer a softer look to your photos then I will look for some shade (see the final image with the couple surrounded by lush greenery for an example of this).
One circumstance where a clear blue sky and midday sun can be beneficial is when shooting at a tropical beach. If you want the turquoise colours of the ocean to really shine through then we need to shoot whilst it’s still bright outside.
Night and Indoors
Although I always prefer to work with natural light outdoors, I am always ready should we need to take some portraits in the evening (especially for those Winter Weddings). I will most likely use flash to create the light I want or alternatively use whats available around me - a hallway light, lamp or even a Christmas tree! Don’t be worried about me using flash - I will use it in a way to create the most natural look possible, effectively imitating natural light as best I can.
The streets of Tokyo at night are very nice to work with as there are so many neon lights, lanterns and izakayas that we can use to help light the scene.
Rain
It happens. It doesn’t need to ruin your day. Bring some umbrellas and let’s have fun! If it really is torrential rain then we can always switch to an indoor environment or wait for the worst of it to pass. I’ll let the pictures below reinforce the statement - “it doesn’t need to ruin your day.”
That said and pending availability, I can always offer to reschedule if it really is a total washout. If you’re just visiting and don’t have any flexibility in your own schedule then we could consider somewhere a bit more indoors or just embrace the weather and get those umbrellas out. Again, Tokyo looks particularly great at night with rain or after rain due to the neon light reflections in the puddles and wet pavements.
Considerations when planning for photos during your Wedding Day, Elopement or Portrait Session
If you are planning your Wedding Day or elopement, we would ideally plan the portrait session to be closer to sunset or late afternoon. My personal preference is to avoid the midday sun, especially on a bright sunny day in an open space. If it’s a cloudy day we can be more flexible since we can shoot at any time, but again, late afternoon is better (especially as we cannot predict things so far in advance when doing our planning).
If we know that it is likely to be a rainy day during your Wedding, please contact your venue and see if they have umbrellas on hand and if not, bring some! Simple colours or transparent work best.
For portrait sessions we can afford to be a bit more flexible and if the weather is truly awful, we can reschedule to a different day. I still recommend avoiding the midday sun for photoshoots and instead opt for late afternoon and sunset for best results. Again, if it is a cloudy day which it often is in the UK, we can be much more flexible regarding start time. When making a booking I was ask clients to leave their time open from the mid afternoon to just after sunset. That way we can either start on time or delay it by an hour or two if the forecast looks promising for a nice golden hour.
I know that’s quite a lot to take in so rest assured - you are hiring me to work with any light we may face and I promise to get the best possible photos I can no matter what the weather is. I hope this little guide has helped you to understand how important light is to your final photos and how different types of light can give a completely different feel to a photo. It’s really important to factor the light into your planning. Just let me know if you have any further questions and I’ll be happy to help
I can’t wait to tell your story!
