![]() Then you place the flash at a 45 degree angle in front of them. You always want to eliminate the sun as much as possible by putting it behind the couple or at a 45 degree angle behind them. The trick to working with flash at a beach wedding is knowing where to but the subjects and where to put the flash. This is probably the question that I get asked more than any other when I travel and teach. Where To Put Your Flash At A Beach Wedding If I didn’t tell you, would you know this was a flash picture? The key is to add enough flash to matter but not so much that they don’t look naturally lit. Without flash, their faces would look like that. Look at the darker part of her dress on the right. I could have just used the sunlight but the image would have been “flat.” So I added a flash to the side to get more dimension and eliminate shadows. This was a morning wedding so the light was behind me. You have to be able to recognize when the background is brighter than your subject and know how to light them. Recognize When You Need A Flash On The BeachĪs I mentioned before, you have to learn to “see” the light. I want to have every tool at my disposal. I’m just the sort of guy who doesn’t like limitations. But weddings, especially beach weddings in Clearwater, Treasure Island, etc… you should be prepared to work with whatever you have and use flash when needed. Personally, I think that shooting all natural light portraits is fine because you have the luxury of time and you can always move locations or re-schedule for another day. I think the problem is that flash photography is harder and so the people who master it tend to look down on the folks who just can’t be bothered. ![]() Flash photographers need to learn that sometimes, natural light is just better… and natural light people need to realize that sometimes you just need a flash. The truth is that both sides need to take some lessons from the other. Meanwhile, there are natural light shooters creating some amazing work. You will find many photographers who look down with disgust at people who claim to only be “natural light” photographers. The first rule of flash photography is knowing when to use flash photography. See how the shadow starts on her cheek? This contrast between light and shadow is what gives an image a 3-dimensional quality ![]() Ideally, you want the light to hit the face from a 45 degree angle so that you get a shadow on the side of the head. See the shadow on her neck? That tells you where the light is at. You have to always be aware if the background is brighter than the subject’s face, because that means the background will “blow out.” I have a bad habit of stopping total strangers when they are about to take a picture because I can see that the faces will be dark and the image would be so much better if they just turned. Eventually, you won’t be able to “not” see it. So, you have to learn to see as the camera sees and recognize the limitations of the equipment. Your eyes adjust for the shadow part when you look there and adjust for the light part when you look there…. So, even if half their face is in shadow, you don’t really register it. When you look at someone standing outside, your eyes are constantly adjusting to the light. You have to learn to see light in a different way than before you were a photographer. Right before sunset (the golden hour) is generally the best time. Direct sunlight coming from straight overhead produces horrible light, deep shadows in the eyes and makes people squint. Generally, the closer you are to sunrise or sunset the better off you will be. Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind: Still, there are so many times during a beach wedding where it’s the best choice. The down side is that it comes with huge restrictions: You can’t decide where it comes from (light direction), you can’t decide if it will be harsh or soft, you can’t guarantee it will be consistent. Some of the best light in the world occurs naturally and a photographer who knows how to recognize it and use it can do amazing things. Natural light photography is exactly what it sounds like: Natural light. Natural Light Wedding Photography On The Beach So, this article is going to have a lot of photographer-related content but it’s also a great way for anyone who is looking for a wedding photographer to understand the difference between a natural-light photographer and one who uses flash. ![]() A big part of the PPA’s mission is education and we are always working to raise the level of quality in the world of photography. I’m a member of the Professional Photographers Association of America, the second oldest professional organization in the country (150 years!) with over 30,000 members. In addition to photographing weddings all year in the Tampa bay area, I also travel quite a bit and teach photography. ![]()
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