You’ve been scrolling on Pinterest for wedding day inspiration, and maybe you’re wondering “how can I achieve perfect lighting photography in my wedding photos?” Well, we’re here to offer some tips! The best place to begin, is by explaining that lighting varies greatly depending on the season you’re getting married, the time of day, and most importantly the weather.
Let’s review some lighting scenarios, and what this might look like on your wedding day!
Indoor Photos with Off Camera Flash
This lighting scenario gives you (and us) the most control. Because the weather has the potential to shift quickly any time of year, if you want the most reliable lighting we recommend planning at least a portion of your wedding day photos in a sheltered area indoors, with our off-camera flash skills to bring some extra style to your images. Off camera flash is an easy way to get a glamourous look in any setting. We are able to provide a wide variety of looks with our own lighting kit, and it creates an excellent opportunity for your photographers to get creative.
Bright and Sunny Okanagan Summer
If you’re getting married in the height of the Summer, you can expect the Okanagan sun to deliver a bright and sunny day. We recommend taking your outdoor portraits in the first few, or last few hours of the day to minimize the harsh contrast that can happen on an extra sunny day. If the timing of your wedding day is such that you’re positioned in very bright light, we’ll help you to downplay hard shadows by encouraging you to look in positions that create the most even possible lighting, or lean in to the artistic contrast created by the light on a very bright day.
Rain on Your Wedding Day
Have you ever wondered why people say that rain is “good luck” on your wedding day? The superstition is tied to the idea of the knot, which is harder to untangle when it’s wet. We’ve also heard that if you don’t let something as natural as the weather interfere your joy and happiness on your wedding day, nothing will tear your marriage apart. As musician Alanis Morisette would say “isn’t it ironic, don’t you think”? A little gratitude and acceptance goes a long way in a happy marriage and a perfect wedding.
Rainbow and Light flare O’clock
The most magical time of the day, when the skies position of the sun agree, is what we love to call rainbow and light flare o’clock. This involves capturing unique wavelengths of light that draw in different colour spectrums, and sometimes full rainbows. We can notice the potential for this to happen – but truly, the magic is up to the sun. Another way to enhance rainbows and other creative light effects is with the use of photography crystals, or prisms. You’ll often see us pull out different fun shiny things to create unique looks.
Golden Hour Lighting
One of the most classically beautiful lighting scenarios is the photographer’s “golden hour”. The golden hour occurs twice a day, once right after sunrise and once right before sunset. We will often encourage you to take advantage of this warm light which is particularly accessible at the height of the Okanagan Summer. During the golden hour, the sunlight is softer and redder than at other times of day.
Blue and Purple Hour in the Okanagan
Following the “golden hour” is the well known “blue hour” which looks more purple in the smoky skies of a late Okanagan Summer. The change in colour is due to wildfires, nature’s way of clearing space. When you’re getting married in a late Summer Okanagan location, you can expect this unique look in the fast acting blue and purple hour for Kelowna weddings. The blue or purple hour doesn’t last very long, and depends on the weather and time of year.
After Dark Party Lighting
If we’re taking photos with you after dark, we will always recommend that you have as much ambient light around as possible. We will use professional lighting to add light to a dark environment, but any additional light you have will add more romance and style, not to mention help our cameras focus on you more easily. If you have any questions about this, your photographer will be more than happy to help create an environment that delivers the best photos for you on your wedding day.
At the end of the day, “perfect lighting” is the glow between you two, and making the most of what Mother Nature delivers to you on your wedding day. As a wise man (rap artist Outkast) once said, “you can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather”. So, cheers to the best of your wedding day, remember that you can’t control everything, and try to be grateful for the love between you and the gifts you’ve been given! We love helping you making the most of your natural light, amped up style, and the love between you on your wedding day.
Kelowna wedding photographers Memorable and Vibrant Okanagan Photography deliver vibrant memories for you to appreciate for a lifetime. Contact us today for more information on availability for your wedding, engagement session, proposal, family, or event photography services. We love getting to know you!