Related Posts

• 
  Setting Yourself Apart with Professional Lighting

  Shooting weddings is so much fun, isn't it?  All the giddy anticipation of shooting all of those fabulous wedding moments.  A beautiful bride in her stunning dress.  A dapper groom gazing lovingly at his new wife.  All those well-thought-out details.  It's enough to make a photographer's heart skip a beat.

  The other thing that can make a photographer's heart skip a beat is talking reception lighting.  Only this time, it is usually in fear.  A lot of photographers are very comfortable working in natural light, but when flash is added to the equation, their hands go clammy, their mouths go dry, and they get hives.  Even if they don't fear the flash, they might be stuck in a bit of a lifeless style of lighting.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  

  We want to walk you through our four flash set up for receptions.  It makes lighting much simpler and gives your images a very polished look.  Brides and grooms spend a lot of time and money planning their receptions, so we believe in capturing those moments in the best way we can.

  Here is a pullback of our flashes towards the end of a reception.  If you look, you can see where all four are placed. 

  

  We personally use 2 580exiis in this set up and 2 430exiis.  We have an arsenal of about 10 flashes, so we can set up almost anything, but we really like this set up.  We alternate the flashes so they go 580, 430, 580, 430 and we start at about 1/8 power and adjust to get the light we want.  Why do we alternate the lights?  Well, the power output of the 580 and the 430 are different so we get a nice lighting ratio with this, so the images are not as flat.  Also, depending on where people stand and their angle, we will get different variations of key and fill and hairlight and kicker.  The variation is not strictly needed, but it is a nice nuance.

  

  The great thing is we can get this clean, textured light with very little effort on our part throughout the entire wedding.

  We get a lot of questions about this lighting, so let me give you the rundown on what you will need.  

  We point the flashes up to the ceiling and diffuse the light.  We usually diffuse the light with collapsable Fong diffusers.  They work very nicely for throwing the light over the venue and also for canceling out any colored ceilings.  The diffusers will also help the spread of light if you are working outdoors at night with no tent.  Fongs are ideal for large event photography.  The omni-directionality of their light makes for a very pleasing lighting pattern for receptions.

  

  Our first preference is to use Manfrotto Justin Clamps (see above) for attaching our lights to the corners.  It puts them up and out of the way of accidents.  But if there is nothing to clamp the lights to, we will use a regular light stand, above the heads of the guests in the corners and usually behind something (so the legs are behind something and the flash head is above the crowd.)  People who have not seen this set up in action worry that the flashes will bother guests. Actually, having the flashes away in the corners is less distracting than having a flash on camera and going off in people's face.  The light is high up to avoid unwanted shadows.  

  To trigger the flashes, we actually prefer to use the Cactus V5 triggers.  I know they are not one of the industry-standards, but we have spent THOUSANDS on another system and we were so disappointed with that system.  It was delicate and SO finicky.  The slightest thing would cause misfires.  The Cactus, ironically, have been the most reliable and the price can't be beat.  

  We don't shoot with a flash on camera as well.  We find that unless we do a VERY wide (i.e. 16mm) shot, we don't need the extra fill.  

  When dancing starts, depending on the size of the room, we will turn off 1 or 2 flashes to give a more dramatic feeling.  

  

  As you can see, the polish that having that hairlight really make the image.  The dimensionality of the light also gives wedding dresses and all of their texture a chance to shine.  

  Based on how you set your camera, you can also capture the colors of the lights a DJ brings (having a lower shutter speed and letting that ambient light enter the camera) or drown it out a bit, if it is causing a significant color cast to your guests (by raising your shutter speed to allow less ambient light to enter your camera.)

  

  The great part is that when moments happen, you can capture them very easily and stylishly, because your lighting is all set up beforehand.

  Which leads to another question.   Many people fret that they just don't have time between the wedding and reception.  If that is the case, just bounce the flash for the grand entrance and then while people are getting settled in for dinner, etc. set up your stuff.  It takes about 10 minutes total.  It is not hard to do.  We also recommend (even if you DO decide to just bounce your flash) having a battery pack and/or spare batteries for your flashes.  We have a few large battery chargers that charge 16 Eneloop batteries at a time.  We load it up and then change out the batteries and let the charger keep refreshing our batteries as needed.  It keeps our recycle times very short.  If your flashes are getting sluggish, swap out the batteries for new ones.  If you have notice before big events (cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc.) swap the batteries preemptively.  (Do this with any flash, really.)

  For a smaller venue, 3 lights or even two will work very nicely to give more dimension and professionality to your reception flash set up.  We recommend using a flash off camera whenever possible for these events, because it will set your work apart and more effectively capture your client's wedding preparations.

  And finally, even if your venue is not the Four Seasons, this can really let your clients' reception shine.  This image was take in the church gym which often doubles as a basketball court at times.  It was a beautiful, well-decorated wedding, but sometimes the gym can overpower even the more carefully detailed wedding.  But good lighting let the lovely planning shine.

  One last note:  Having good quality, clean, consistent light will make editing your reception images a breeze.  Usually I can just apply one of our workflows (most often for me Basic Workflow from Pure Presets 1) and I can simply tweak it to fit the lighting and then apply it to most of the reception images with very little changes.  THAT is a HUGE timesaver.  

  

   

   

• 
  Pure Lighting Tips--Edge of Shade for Flattering Portraits

  
  

   

  We are often asked how we can light whole groups so effectively.  This is a really easy thing to do.  It is especially useful for families.   When we shoot families we like to have areas where we can get some good shots in safe lighting.  Sure, we can play around and experiment, but getting a shot that we know the family will love in flattering light is our bread and butter.

  When we are shooting families we suggest places that we know will have areas of shade with backlight.  So, this is usually accomplished by light filtering through trees or bushes or in alleyways, etc.  The trees create a lovely area of "open shade."  The backlight filters through the trees and gives lovely hairlight and a beautiful and interesting background that helps the group to separate from the background.  

  The important thing to remember here that we NEVER situate our subjects deep in the shade.  There are a few reasons for this.  One, the further from the background our subject's can be, the better bokeh we will get.  And two, at the very edge of the open shade, there is beautiful reflected light that bounces onto the family.  So they will have backlight and a reflected front light.  We never use reflectors for family shoots, but it looks like we do, because this is how we set up the shoot.

  Below is an AMAAAAZING drawing I made.  (It sucks.)  But it shows how they are positioned.

  

   

  Ignoring the fact Rachel has NO art skills, you can see that we have the sun behind the trees, the subject in front of the trees at the very edge where there is no sun in the frame of the camera.  (I might actually be standing in the sun!)  The light from the non-shaded area then reflects back onto the family/group/subject.

  It is quite simple.  Once you set an exposure and white balance, this light stays the same, so you don't need to change settings much.  It is a very easy way to get your groups to pop out of the background.

• 
  Quick preset edit

  Make sure you click HD at the bottom right hand corner for the best viewing.

  Here is a quick video tutorial showcasing a couple presets and also the dehaze tool in Photoshop. We have included the brushes I used as a freebie, and those are linked at the end of the video for you.
  I know that the exposure isn't perfect, I do strive to get things right in camera as much as possible, but I am human and I do make mistakes. Sometimes you have to save those images.

   You can find the freebie that I used in the video HERE.  You can also find the other presets I used in this video HERE. 

• 
  Why a First Look?

  If you've shot a wedding, or been married, or been to a wedding, or seen a wedding on TV, you probably are aware that the day is pretty busy.  It is filled with so many moments that need to happen on schedule and yet it is also a day that so many people from the couple's lives are there to celebrate with them.  It can be an absolutely confusing day for couples.  On the one hand, they want to be sure that they are doing all of the traditions and getting all of the perfect shots for posterity, but they also want to celebrate with their guests.  It can feel overwhelming to try and achieve the perfect balance.

  This is why we offer a First Look session to our couples.  Usually this session takes place a month or so before the wedding.  It is along the lines of traditional bridal photography, where the bride in all her finery is photographed so that images can be used at the reception and kept for memories.  But we also add in the groom to the shots.  If possible (and desired), we go to the couple's venue at a time when the light is just magical, usually Golden Hour, and we capture the first time the groom sees his bride in her gown, and we provide a more personal, leisurely photography experience for the couple.  It is often a little oasis of time in the hectic wedding preparations where the couple can be together and focus on each other and at the same time have their images made in perfect conditions.  

  This also gives the couple a bit of a break on their wedding day.  There are still a lot of formal portraits of the family and guests to be made, as well as detail shots, candids and a few formal couple portraits, but the pressure is off of the couple to pose for portrait after portrait, in hopes of getting every detail of their wedding captured.  Now, they can focus more on the wedding day and less on the formal portraits.  The day becomes less about posing for pictures and more about their love and those who love them

  The upside for the photographer is that it also alleviates stress.  There are MANY details to be captured, but the photographer knows that the couple has been captured at their best and in the best light, rather than leaving wedding portraits to chance.  Inclement weather, wardrobe malfunctions, harsh overhead sun?  Those won't be as pressing of issues for the photographer or couple.

  We recommend that the session be not closer than 2 weeks from the wedding, since the dress might need a dry-cleaning and the photographer needs time to edit the images for the couple and deliver them and have prints made for the reception.

  Our couples who have chosen First Look sessions are always so positive about the experience.  

  Below are images from a recent First Look Session:

  

  These images were taken on a lovely spring day, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the weather was nice.  On their wedding day, the blossoms were mostly gone, and there was a fierce 65 MPH wind, followed by rain that evening.  But there was very little stress about the misbehaving wedding weather, because everyone knew that the portraits were "in the bag" already.  We got some on the wedding day, but when it got uncomfortable, we packed it up with no regrets.  (Edited with Pure Presets 1 Basic Workflow in Lightroom and then finished with Sunny Matte from Pure Matte in Photoshop.)

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 
  Pure Lighting Tip--Flashes to Give Instant Ambiance

  Do you ever have uninspiring backgrounds?  Or no idea where to shoot?  This post is to show that you don't need to have the Ritz-Carlton to make an interesting image.

  

  Location:  Under a billboard in a parking lot, in the dark, in a sketchy area of town.  (Please note: Pure does NOT recommend shooting under a billboard, in a parking lot, in the dark, in a sketchy area of town.  /end legal disclaimer.)

  But we pulled out our flashes.  We tossed on our cheap Cactus triggers.  (These were V2, before the V5 were released.)  And bam.  Interesting light and an interesting image.

  

  How about this one?  Flashes lead to the resulting image:

  

• 
  The Magic of Working as a Team

   

  Peanut butter and jelly. Batman and Robin. Chocolate and Vanilla. Laurel and Hardy. Mickey and Donald. Thelma and Louise. Mario and Luigi.

  We all know good things come in pairs, and working as a photographer is no exception to that rule.

  One of the things we get quizzed about most often in relation to Pure is the fact that Crystal and I (Rachel) work together as a team. We shoot a vast amount of our sessions together, and work at the business end together too. It's a mysterious and inviting concept to many. And people are always curious how it works for us and if it could work for them too. Since I am not a legal expert, this won't be an extensive legal how-to on the workings of business partnerships. Rather it will be an overview of how it's worked out for Crystal

  Crystal and I met in 2008 on a ParentsPlace message board for expecting moms. We both had a love of photography and were dabbling in part time photography businesses. We were still learning a lot of the business part and were both at a point where we were trying to decide what to do with our businesses.

  We finally got the chance to shoot together at a bridal session and something clicked. We realized we shot a lot better together. We had more fun, we felt more relaxed and that translated into more relaxed clients and better images too. So one shoot together, turned into a wedding we shot together, which turned into more and more things we shot together. Eventually, we stopped formally inviting the other to shoots and started to call and see if the other was booked before scheduling a client.

  Slowly our businesses melded into one and Pure was born. (Ok, ok, so we went through a few name changes before we landed on Pure, but you get what we mean.)

  So, what do we get out of team shooting?

  We're mainly wedding and family photographers, and the parlance in the wedding industry is often centered on "second shooters." That's not actually how we roll. When we shoot, we both are main shooters. No one is THE shooter and no one is secondary and relegated to an eternity of table shots.

  So what does that mean? It means that we are able to divide and conquer. While one person is doing all the pre-wedding detail shots, the other is with the bride and her dad doing dad seeing his little girl in her wedding dress for the first time, or groom with his daughter or niece or bride and her mom. While one is doing ring shots and reception details, the other is getting formal groups. All important details, but we can give each one more attention and focus.

  
  
  

   

   

   

  The above images were captured at roughly the same time in the wedding day. Using all that good light as efficiently as possible!

  But if the situation arises and there is a very large group or a lot of small children, then having someone shoot large group shots and someone getting everyone's attention, posing quickly, and making sure everyone in the shot looks there best is wonderful. A group's attention for group shots is not very long, so having two people getting things done is perfect.

  In those situations where we are shooting together at weddings, or in regular client sessions where we shoot together, how does it help? We generally have at least 3 cameras on us at all times. Sometimes 4. Rachel shoots 2 cameras most of the time. So we try to have multiple focal lengths, and then we simply choose different angles, different focal lengths, and different light to tell the same story. So our clients get so many more choices to choose from (and eventually buy) with team shooting.

  Below are a few examples of nearly the same moment, but wildly different images resulting. So much choice for clients!

  
   

   
  These shots are also at almost the same moment, but give the client vastly different experiences they can relate to.  You will notice how we are shooting with different lenses and focal lengths. 

   

  

   

   

  This can be invaluable for shooting things like first looks for brides.  Again, almost the same moment, but a completely different perspective.

  We've found that being able to offer such rich and varied galleries to clients has helped us to sell more album pages, ask a higher price for sessions, and sell more images.  Our word-of-mouth is pretty good too, because we underpromise, but really overdeliver.

  Ok, ok, so you can get a lot of shots with two shooters.  Good good, but you could probably get a second for some of that.  (Though I would argue that you would have a hard time getting such reliability in that situation.)  What ELSE does it help with?

  Crystal and Rachel have fairly different, but compatible personalities.  Crystal is creative and enthusiastic.  She embraces the fact she is loud!  She's funny and very friendly and loves to make raucous jokes.  Rachel is a little more cerebral.  She's the technical nut and tends to like a little more dry humor.  What works amazingly in this situation is that clients come in all shapes, sizes, and personality types too.  So while one couple or client might warm right to Crystal, another feels very at home with Rachel, and so that tends to be how we choose who will lead in the situations where someone in obviously in charge as we shoot.  The team member that the clients feels most comfortable with is the one who typically leads out.  It helps us easily and naturally tailor the client's experience with us.

  Another amazing benefit we will tout constantly when people ask us about team shooting is how much we can grow in a short amount of time.  Working with someone gives you instant feedback.  We brainstorm together, we troubleshoot together, we critique each other and we provide ideas.  We can come to the shoot with ideas and if something is not working the way we think it should, we can quickly troubleshoot problematic things.  I think half of the reason that we have been able to continue refining our signature lighting styles is because there are two of us.  In the beginning, when something was not going as planned, one would be able to keep shooting and keep all the balls in the air, while the other stayed back and tweaked the lights until they worked.  It was not a situation where we would have to junk an idea just because some little thing popped up.

   

   

   

  Above is a situation where the flashes were not quite working, so we got a safe shot and Rachel kept shooting the getting ready while Crystal tinkered with the flashes and got them working just right so we could give our images that perfect polish we want to be known for.

  One of my favorite stories of the benefits of team shooting and troubleshooting happened when we were shooting a small wedding at a beautiful outdoor enclosed pavilion.  The front was a very large floor to ceiling window and Crystal went out to get a shot of the party from outside of the window to give the album a sense of place and document the venue better.  There was a small step down out the door that was almost imperceptible and tripped up quite a few guests that night.  As Crystal was walking out looking at her camera and changing settings for the outdoor shot, she lost her footing and fell face first (and CAMERA first!) to the pavement.  She got up, very shaken.  She tried to take a shot and her camera would not focus.  She came back into the reception quite upset by the fall.  She showed Rachel the camera and Rachel quickly realized, in her non-shaken by a surprise fall mind, that the switch that turned off the auto focus on the lens had been switched to manual in the fall and that switching it back fixed the situation.  It seems simple but having that second pair of eyes and second mind is often invaluable.

  Another amazing benefit is that there is simply less overall pressure.  Less pressure to get a million epic shots per wedding.  (Yep, I only have to get HALF a million, right?)  Less pressure to edit a million images.  Sure we both edit and deliver a ton, but to give a very impressive representation, it takes a lot less stress from both of us.  We can focus on the story as we see it and edit our favorite shots.  Even if one of us feels a session or wedding was a little more ho-hum, the fact we both were looking for creative angles, lighting, focal lengths, poses, framing and whatnot to tell the story means that there is usually a pretty cool story there.

  And finally we have found that creativity begets creativity.  Sounds basic, I know.  But when we start brainstorming, it is amazing to see how one idea from one person starts another idea from the other, which gets spun in a completely different direction by the original person, and on and on.  Sometimes the trouble we have is not that there are too MANY of us in the team, it is that we need more manpower to help fuel all of our original and awesome ideas that come out of different creative minds working together.

  These are just a few of our whys.  Next time I will start writing about the hows of our partnership.   How do we divide work, who edits, etc.  Would there be interest in a follow up like that?