Create Epic Wedding Portraits with Flash
A little backlight goes a long way!
I love working with my couples to create stunning portraits on their wedding day. While we do photos during their first look and after the ceremony, I also like to sneak away during the reception for even more bride and groom portraits!
In the summer, my couples will steal away right at sunset for some dreamy, glowy portraits. But in the winter, when the ceremony and reception are after sunset, that means we get creative with flash for some epic night shots instead.
Today I’m breaking down two photos taken at my recent NYE wedding so you can create stunning night portraits as well. Hint - you’re going to want a backlight or two!
Setting Up
As soon as the party dancing started, around 10pm at this NYE wedding, I let my second photographer capture the energy on the dance floor while I started gathering my gear and deciding where to place my couple. Once I had a location and vision in mind, my second shooter joined for a quick test shot as the rain was just starting to pick up. Both lights were at roughly 1/32nd power level, and my settings were 1/200, f/2, and 2500 ISO.
Location One
Knowing they would be stationary, I decided to place two lights directly behind the couple for some epic backlighting. I wanted to illuminate as much of the rain as possible! The first light is 13 feet tall and 30 feet away, the second light was right behind them and about 3 feet high.
Location Two
For the second pose, we wanted a photo that would showcase more of the venue and have movement, so the couple scooted about 10 feet to the side. I placed the two backlights opposite of each other and had the bride twirl a few times. Both lights were roughly 10 feet tall but the light on the right was much closer, so the shadow is more obvious.
Location Three
I took one final photo in this setup and we headed back into the warmth of their reception. This crazy fast portrait session took less than 3 minutes! We ran outside, started photographing, moved, twirled, and ran back inside. It took only the smallest segment of time but I really love the results! I’m so glad the newlyweds were willing to brave the cold with me.
Bonus!
In fact, the happy couple loved the photos so much that after she changed into her dancing dress an hour later, we snuck outside for a few more night portraits. At this point, the rain had turned to snow so it looked even cooler! For the second set of portraits, I only used one backlight and an on-camera flash.
Are you ready to try night portraits at your next wedding reception? Show your couple a few inspirational photos as you’re finalizing their photography timeline and see if they’re up for stealing away from the dance floor for a few minutes to create an epic photo. It takes a bit of practice, but I know as you practice more you’ll create some unforgettable portraits.
PSST…more photos from this stunning wedding are coming to the blog soon! Stay tuned!
Want to learn even more about flash? Enroll in my four hour flash course and learn how to create light and bright reception images with confidence. Never stress about flash again!