When I shoot a first dance I always like to have two cameras to hand, one with a flash on top, and usually my 35mm lens. And the other one (in this case the D750 with the 20mm 1.8 lens) to shoot with the aperture wide open and capture a shot using just available light.
Normally within seconds of the first dance starting I can tell which setup is going to be more successful. If the venue / dancefloor is already really well-lit I will opt for the natural light option. And if its really dark, or just horribly lit from things like pink or purple uplighters (why do venues think we like those?!) I will light up the foreground with direct flash and therefore kill-off/darken the horrible/messy or just cluttered background.
I know what some of you photographers might be thinking... “Why don’t you just shoot off-camera flash with multiple flashguns?”… and I have a simple answer to that. I really don’t like the look of images shot with multiple light sources/OCF. It doesn’t suit my style of shooting, or fit in with the rest of the natural looking images that I take on a wedding day. My photographs are often referred to as gritty and edgy, with an authentic and documentary feel. If I blasted a load of light into a scene I would feel like I was taking over and interfering, and that’s something that just doesn’t excite me.
With this particular wedding I remember it was a really bright sunny day, and all day I had been impressed with the stunning conservatory structure, and by the time the sun had gone down, and the evening entertainment lights had came on, it just brought the whole building to life.
I didn’t have to think twice what lens to use for this shot. To really emphasise the amazing interior I immediately chose my widest lens for maximum impact.
As you can see from my camera settings, I didn’t actually have to pump the ISO ridiculously high to get this shot. I could’ve easily handheld the 20mm lens at a lot slower shutter speed, but I opted for a shutter speed of 1/200 sec because I wanted to freeze the people dancing. Having the bride and groom in the centre, with the parents to their sides was the perfect arrangement for me to fire off a burst of frames.
Like SO many first dances, this one was over before you knew it, the lights in the background were dimmed, and the dancefloor was soon filled with evening guests. So it was a quick swap of the flashgun onto the camera with the 20mm lens, and shooting the action for the rest of the night with direct flash. I could’ve easily chosen to shoot this scene with the flashgun, but because it looked so impressive to my eye I trusted my camera and lens to capture what I saw in front of me!
Having a camera I feel comfortable with and completely trust is of HUGE importance to me when I photograph weddings. I also have to be aware of its limitations. Cameras and lenses are pretty expensive, but also very responsive and reliable. So next time you think you need to blast the hell out of a scene with your massive flashgun, have a quick think to yourself before you kill the atmosphere with an already well-lit scene that your camera will be able to handle.
Don’t be afraid to trust your camera more in low light conditions, you might just surprise yourself and end up with a timeless image that looks exactly how you saw it with your naked eye.
