Creative Toolbox // 02

Over the course of the year, the amount of stuff I bring to weddings has doubled. I used to really value minimalism, probably in the same way everyone does when they’re first starting out, but I quickly learned that when you have more stuff, you can do more stuff.

About half of the stuff that I drag around on a wedding day is simply cameras and lenses. But the other half is all of the extra lighting equipment for the dark parts of the day…namely, receptions. By having extra light, in the form of speedlights (aka flashes), and being able to use lights that are not attached to the camera, I can add more dimension to the room and the scene and create a more dynamic, interesting, and exciting picture.

To illustrate, I pulled a few photos from recent weddings. I always use lighting to illuminate the dance floor, since dancing usually takes place after the sun goes down. But sometimes I also have to pull it out for detail photos, when the wedding takes place in a hotel or other venue that doesn’t offer much in the way of natural light. And although the details have a more dramatic effect when photographed with artificial light, it can be just as lovely.

I’m obsessed with the shadows in this photo…I just love how it seems like the shadows are dancing too.

It’s lovely when there’s enough natural light from a window to photograph the details of the reception area, but when there’s not, using off-camera flash shows them off in a dramatic way.

By using the bride and groom to block the light from the view of the camera, they get a lovely glow that outlines their frames and makes them stand out from the rest of the picture.

And during an indoor ceremony, having a light off to the side to illuminate the couple when the flash on the camera isn’t close enough makes for a much more beautiful photo.

In terms of lighting, here’s what comes along to every wedding:

Nikon SB-910 (used on Nikon D700)

Nikon SB-900 (used on Fuji X-Pro1)

Nikon SB-700 (used on lightstand)

Flashpoint 9′ lightstand

PC sync hot shoe adapter

Two Cybersync Radio Transmitters (attached to camera via PC sync cord)

Cybersync Radio Receiver (for firing off-camera flash)

Honl 1/4″ Grid

So there you have it…another little sneak peek inside my creative toolbox!