Easy Lighting Setup for the Grand Exit
Today I am going to talk to you about one of the trickiest technical parts of the wedding day — the grand exit! Whether the newlyweds are leaving under glistening sparklers, a shower of flower petals, through a tunnel of streamers, or something in between, exit photos can be an extremely stressful part of any wedding photographer’s day.
But I’m here to tell you there’s no need to be stressed! This post will walk you through everything I do to set up lights for the grand exit. I promise that this setup is super easy and will make your exit photos look incredible every time! Let’s get into it.
Make the Flash Look Natural
If you want the photos taken while using flash to look natural, my number one recommendation is to keep your flash power low and your camera power high. I would honestly recommend setting your flash power to its lowest setting and cranking your camera settings all the way up. This will allow for as much ambient light as possible to pass through the camera.
This will create a minimal amount of difference between your subject, which is lit by the flash, and the background, which isn’t lit by the flash. The subject will still stand out, but in an extra amount of light that still looks natural.
Let’s get technical
For the easiest setup, I recommend using two lights, a backlight (a flash unit behind your subject), and a modifier on your on-camera flash.
Place the backlight behind and to the side of the aisle where your couple will be exiting.
Use the modifier to help soften and diffuse the light. I personally use and love the MagMod brand. I use their MagBounce and MagSphere at all of my weddings! I cannot overstate how much I love the effects of these modifiers. They always soften the light and make shadows seem significantly less harsh, which is my favorite version of an exit photo.
Now let’s get into what camera and flash settings will make for the most beautiful exit photos.
My camera settings are usually around 1/200 for the shutter speed, f/2.0 for the aperture, and 2000-4000 for the ISO. The image will likely still be dark but not pitch black, which is key for natural-looking flash images. The goal here isn’t to make the exit photos look like they were taken in the middle of the day, just to light the happy couple as they leave in an appealing way.
Once I know how my image looks without any artificial light, I set my backlight flash unit to manual mode, and the flash power is at a very low setting, usually 1/128th. My on-camera flash is on TTL (auto mode) or set on a low power setting like 1/64th.
This lighting setup is my favorite because it uses minimal equipment but produces maximum impact. I hope you’ll give it a try! And of course, with all photography tips, play around with it and see where you land! Try placing the backlight in different positions, adjust your camera settings as you see fit, and just have fun. These photos are some of my favorites to take on a wedding day.
For a full list of my gear recommendations, please head over to my resource page!