The Debate: Natural Light vs Flash

[Read Time 9 min]

Building a business in photography has many smaller, more nuanced facets (I'm up to 106 at the moment and still counting).

In writing this issue, I wasn't sure if I wanted to dig too deep into "photography" since the goal is to help you understand relationships and build your business by avoiding some of the pitfalls of the wedding industry on the inside.

Plus, there's a TON of great content teaching photography, and you don't need more from me.

But this issue is about style, which is 100% subjective and based on the photographer's taste. I'll do my best not to impose too much opinion on this, but I'm pretty sure I'll fail convincingly, so early apologies.

As a professional in wedding photography, I have a duty to uphold the highest standards of photography. I cannot and will not let laziness or lack of experience lower the standards of good image-making.

Enter the debate of whether or not to use flash when photographing a wedding.

"Back in the day," every Photographer used flash for weddings – indoors and outdoors. It was less about style than it was about the limitations of the film they were shooting with. You couldn't just pick up a box of Kodak Porta 6400 ISO film. You could get a roll of 3200 but only in black & white, and you'd still have to "push" it...and love grain.

New technology has changed that and opened many more doors of creativity for photographers of all specialties.

BUT, that doesn't necessarily mean we need to abandon the older principles of good image-making.

Yes, today's cameras can shoot at crazy high ISOs. No, you don't have to worry about grain - instead, you have to contend with digital noise, which is worse, in my opinion.

This might not be an issue, but if you're not savvy with your digital processing recipe, your photos may end up looking like a snowstorm of icky noise (that's a technical term), OR you're going to spend days (literally) having to work the defects out of your photos just to make them presentable.

Neither is acceptable.

But let's say you're a processing pro, and you can get buttery smooth images shooting at ISO 12,500 thanks to some of those new sweetening software tools. Does that mean you never need flash?

Well, it first depends on your personal shooting style and whether you market yourself as a "natural light photographer."

If you're only shooting outdoor weddings, you're good. I know there are many photographers on the Left Coast who make an amazing living shooting only outdoor venues. Of course, I'm jealous. Who wouldn't be?

Most of us do not live in perpetual 75-degree temps or shoot weddings only held during the day. We shoot where winter is real and where many weddings are in churches...at night.

I've shot in some pretty dark places, and I can tell you, there will be times when "natural light" may be a handful of candles. Of course, SOME of those natural shots will be an amazing addition to the story of the wedding day, but do they all need to be like that?

Is your bride going to be happy when all of her photos look like they were shot in a cave...at night...even though she chose to get married in a cave at night?

"Ay, there's the rub" – William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

At night, when there's no light, there's not much your camera can do to illuminate the room.

However, if your bride is cool with your style being more dimly lit and "atmospheric," you'll be fine delivering exactly that. Not every photographer has to look the same...

BUT, I will offer a warning here and say that your work should appeal to a somewhat broader audience as you start out so you can build your client and referral base.

Just because your ideal bride is delightfully "goth," that doesn't mean her family and friends are as well. It's best to start more traditional and sprinkle in some of your special-sauced images to give their portfolio a splash of art and originality.

If they love those, they'll certainly share them!

There's an incredible wedding photographer named Joe Buissink who calls himself an "available light photographer." He says, "Sometimes I have daylight available, and sometimes the only thing I have available is flash."

That's a great attitude and mindset all rolled into one (so much so that I adopted it - thanks, Joe). What mattered the most was creating the image and capturing the moment, no matter the lighting challenges at the time.

He captures incredible moments on the wedding day, and that's what it's all about.

I use daylight, open shade, open windows, open curtains and open doors when available. I use flash when the free light is not available.

Sometimes, I get really fancy and use a pop of fill flash outdoors WITH daylight (a free second light source with no need for an assistant - thanks, God).

Since my style is more journalistic, I try to make the scene look natural, even if it is lit by flash. That's what's important to me.

What I don't want to happen is for someone to look at the photo and NOTICE that I used flash (harsh, bright and flatly lit subject with hard shadows and dark background).

A good photo using flash CAN look very natural, but again, it's NOT about the light. The photo should let the moment speak for itself.

Shooting outdoors with fill flash makes pulling off a natural look easier. Indoors is more challenging, but it can still be done by "dragging your shutter" (oh no, he's getting technical!)

The basic technique is to blend the interior exposure with your flash.

By slowing your shutter, allowing more existing light in (like windows, lamps, or party lights), and adding flash to provide just enough for proper exposure of the subject, you get a groovy blend of lighting that no one ever notices.

That's the goal of good lighting. It's all about the subject.

The main point here is not to box yourself into one approach. Be a well-rounded photographer, envision the mood or emotion you want to create and use the tools and techniques you need to craft that shot.

Maybe it's as simple as a big bay window at 45 degrees and kicking up the room lights to balance the light behind?

Or maybe it's a combination of a small window on one side, candles on the table, a fireplace behind, and a strategically placed flash to add a kiss of light to the shadowy part of your subject bounced off a warm reflector, creating a medley of light to this exquisite scene (ooooh, now you're working like an artist).

Just remember this. What you're preserving is for others to view and appreciate for a very, very long time.

They might not remember you. They certainly won't remember what tools you used. But they will definitely remember the moments (THEIR moments) and how they felt during those moments. That's what it's all about.

Create your unique style using the tools you're comfortable with. Build your brand around your style, but be known for the important part of wedding photography - the moments you preserve.

Talk soon!