Lighting Considerations Are Key to Great Photography
It’s October and Fall is upon us with shorter days and longer nights, so it’s dark now by 6:30pm. As the evening light is changing, we have to alter our approach with late afternoon weddings. Last weekend we had a wedding at the Tapestry House near Fort Collins with a ceremony that began at 6:30pm. The couple wanted all their photos after the wedding instead of before, a desire that we always respect. Having many years of experience with evening wedding photography during the Fall months in Northern Colorado, we were prepared for the challenges and successfully captured the beauty of the Victorian-style wedding on that romantic moonlit evening. We were able to take a few portraits before the wedding, but an incredible sunset with rays of golden light disappeared mostly unused. The pictures we took after sunset, however, still turned out lovely. The ceremony was very nice, there were lights that hung in the surrounding trees and gazebo which gave off a soft glow that warmed the evening and allowed enough light for photographs.
Taking wedding photos after sunset can present as much of a challenge as photographing a wedding in July when it’s 95 degrees and everyone is squinting in the bright sunlight. Since lighting is such an important factor of wedding photography, potential lighting problems are something we like to discuss early on. When we first meet with couples, Sherri always brings a sundown time chart so lighting issues can be addressed. As experienced wedding photographers serving the Denver area, we have photographed many early afternoon and late evening ceremonies and we work with couples to find the best approach to capture the precious moments of their special day.
