In yesterday's post, I talked about how to recognize good composition in the wedding pictures that are displayed on various wedding photography sites. I talked about the need for good composition, and gave a pointer or two about what to look for to identify a photographer with talent. Today, I'd like to talk about the importance of lighting.
Consumers with no background in photography can be forgiven for not knowing that properly lighting a photograph involves a lot more than just popping a flash on top of a camera and pointing it at the subject. Light needs to be directed, usually away from the subjects, in order to produce a smooth appearance on the subjects' faces, while preserving definition, shape, and depth, or 3 dimensionality.
What does this mean? And does it really matter? Well, consider the difference between traditional 2-dimensional (cell) animation, and the newer 3-dimensional animation. I don't mean the kind of 3-D where you wear the funny glasses. I mean the kind of animation that was used in the first Toy Story movie. Consider how much more realistically rendered the newer animation is. The difference is that the newer technique creates the illusion of depth in a way that traditional cell animation cannot, and the result is, it looks more natural and realistic. In your wedding pictures, this depth is not an illusion. It's really there, but the photographer needs the skill to capture it. This is not to say that you'll look like a 2-D cartoon if you're lit from head-on, but you could certainly look flat.
Creating images that bring out all three dimensions in a way that is flattering to the subjects takes skill and know-how, and a lot of intution. It is definitely more involved than just pointing a camera at someone.
In addition to preserving the sense of dimensionality, directional lighting also helps to avoid red-eye, blow out (portions of the image with no detail at all because the intense light from the flash "blew it out", leaving nothing but a white spot), harsh shadows behind the subjects, and poorly lit backgrounds.
As an example of what I am talking about, look at the picture above. This image was taken with the flash pointed directly at the subject, which is what you see most guests with fancy cameras and pocket cameras alike doing at weddings. You can see how flat my wife's appearance is. If you look closely, you can even see the flash has created a specular highlight at the tip of her nose. After a long day in the same clothes, your guests may be a little sweaty, and the moisture on their skin will translate into alot of unflattering shininess. Behind my wife, you can see the harsh shadow, and that the background is underexposed (dark). These are the results of poor technique, and of relying on the camera to make decisions for you.
Just a sidenote here... in reference to my previous post about composition, you can also see a host of errors in this image. Note that I framed my wife with her head in the middle of the picture. This is a common mistake made by photographers with no artistic training. You can also see that I paid no attention to background and the role it plays in creating a beautiful image. I didn't bother to straighten the camera, only the tips of the roses are showing, there is a doornob glaring in the background, and I didn't position my wife in a way that makes her surroundings look beautiful.
Now look at this next image:
By simply reorienting myself to where she was standing (incidentally, just a foot or two away from the spot of the first picture), I was able to recompose the picture with more attractive elements in the background, improving the composition 100%. I could have done still more to improve the shot, but I was in a hurry, and this picture still serves the subject well.
Note the difference in lighting. By using the proper combination of aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed, I was able to bring out detail in the background (proper technique raises the light level in the background). By directing my flash correctly, I was able to bring a sense of depth and 3-dimensionality to her face, creating a much more natural look.
Have you ever noticed these issues in photography? It wouldn't be surprising if you haven't, but you would probably be disappointed in your wedding pictures if they had these issues, and you might not even be sure why.
Hopefully, I have been able with these examples to convince you to consider a bit more deeply who you get to do your wedding photography, and to see the difference between good photography and photography that's just ok.
In my next post, we will explore the importance of posing when doing your formal portraits.
Consumers with no background in photography can be forgiven for not knowing that properly lighting a photograph involves a lot more than just popping a flash on top of a camera and pointing it at the subject. Light needs to be directed, usually away from the subjects, in order to produce a smooth appearance on the subjects' faces, while preserving definition, shape, and depth, or 3 dimensionality.
What does this mean? And does it really matter? Well, consider the difference between traditional 2-dimensional (cell) animation, and the newer 3-dimensional animation. I don't mean the kind of 3-D where you wear the funny glasses. I mean the kind of animation that was used in the first Toy Story movie. Consider how much more realistically rendered the newer animation is. The difference is that the newer technique creates the illusion of depth in a way that traditional cell animation cannot, and the result is, it looks more natural and realistic. In your wedding pictures, this depth is not an illusion. It's really there, but the photographer needs the skill to capture it. This is not to say that you'll look like a 2-D cartoon if you're lit from head-on, but you could certainly look flat.
Creating images that bring out all three dimensions in a way that is flattering to the subjects takes skill and know-how, and a lot of intution. It is definitely more involved than just pointing a camera at someone.
In addition to preserving the sense of dimensionality, directional lighting also helps to avoid red-eye, blow out (portions of the image with no detail at all because the intense light from the flash "blew it out", leaving nothing but a white spot), harsh shadows behind the subjects, and poorly lit backgrounds.
Just a sidenote here... in reference to my previous post about composition, you can also see a host of errors in this image. Note that I framed my wife with her head in the middle of the picture. This is a common mistake made by photographers with no artistic training. You can also see that I paid no attention to background and the role it plays in creating a beautiful image. I didn't bother to straighten the camera, only the tips of the roses are showing, there is a doornob glaring in the background, and I didn't position my wife in a way that makes her surroundings look beautiful.
Now look at this next image:
By simply reorienting myself to where she was standing (incidentally, just a foot or two away from the spot of the first picture), I was able to recompose the picture with more attractive elements in the background, improving the composition 100%. I could have done still more to improve the shot, but I was in a hurry, and this picture still serves the subject well.
Note the difference in lighting. By using the proper combination of aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed, I was able to bring out detail in the background (proper technique raises the light level in the background). By directing my flash correctly, I was able to bring a sense of depth and 3-dimensionality to her face, creating a much more natural look.
Have you ever noticed these issues in photography? It wouldn't be surprising if you haven't, but you would probably be disappointed in your wedding pictures if they had these issues, and you might not even be sure why.
Hopefully, I have been able with these examples to convince you to consider a bit more deeply who you get to do your wedding photography, and to see the difference between good photography and photography that's just ok.
In my next post, we will explore the importance of posing when doing your formal portraits.
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