It goes without saying that any good photo has to have good lighting.

But what exactly is good lighting?

Knowing this will help you plan out your wedding timeline a little better. And make your photographers life a little easier! Because it will ensure that you have the best lighting for your photos.

Let’s start with the best lighting.

This will happen at a time we call “golden hour” which starts at about 1.5 hours before the sunsets. This is more than likely the beautiful lighting you see in all of the dreamy wedding photos you have pinned on Pinterest.

Mid-day when the sun is the highest is when you should avoid photos outside. Contrary to belief, a sunny day doesn’t NOT mean its “great lighting for photos”. It’s actually quite the opposite. Why? Because what do you do when you’re outside and it’s sunny? You squint. And the sun give you these shadows we call “raccoon eyes”, which is exactly what it sounds like… Your face is lit up- but your eyes sockets are black. Shade and overcast is what works best. It gives you a nice, even, soft light. So if it’s cloudy on your wedding day don’t be upset, your photographer is thanking the lighting gods!

If we have to shoot in the bright sun, we try to find a nice even shade covering. Under trees doesn’t always work because the sun comes through the leaves and gives you spotty/patchy lighting. Which isn’t always the prettiest.

Now, on to indoors…. This is where the tricky part begins. Indoor lighting can be just as tricky if not worse than outside. It tends to be a LOT warmer (yellow and red tones), flatter and darker. Also a lot of times venues/churches will not allow us to use flash during the ceremony, so we have to work with what we’ve got. It really is sad that they won’t let us light the photos of your actual union beautifully, but this is part of the challenges we face at photographers.

Another thing to remember: depending on the month of your wedding is the time change and the sun setting 4 hours earlier than it did just 24 hours previous to the clocks falling back! If you are planning a late fall or winter wedding, just remember it gets dark shortly after lunch time and you should consider moving events up by a bit to ensure beautiful light for your photos.

Keep in mind if you have a real professional photographer we know how to work in any and all lighting situations and will make the best of any lighting we are dealt. We adapt and overcome any obstacles in front of us. Your photos and memories are what’s most important. No matter the lighting.

So, if you are looking for someone who is can handle any and all lighting challenges- let’s talk!