As your big day approaches, you may have been anxiously keeping an eye on the weather forecast. While a sunny day is always ideal, a rainy day can be just as beautiful if you know how to work with it. In fact, you can even manipulate the weather and recreate a beautiful sunset using off-camera flash.
Off-camera flash refers to using a flash that is not attached to your camera to create more dynamic and creative lighting. It can be a powerful tool for wedding photography, especially on a rainy day when natural light may be limited.
So, how it works?
Prior to each wedding, I prepare for my photo shoot by requesting my clients to put together a mood board and answer a questionnaire. This allows me to gain a deeper understanding of what they admire about photos and the kind of emotions they want their wedding photos to evoke. Jo had expressed her desire for those stunning photos taken during the golden hour just before the sun sets.
Therefore, we had included this plan for her wedding day, however, it rained persistently throughout the day and remained cloudy. Given that it was the end of August, this was unlikely, especially considering the previous and following days were sunny and warm. Nevertheless, being in England, it is not unusual to experience such changes in weather frequently.
What happens when it doesn't work?
For every wedding, I make sure to bring all of my equipment and assume a superhero stance as I confidently declare, "no need to worry, I can recreate it." To achieve the desired effect, I positioned a flash, attached a warm gel to the front, and placed a sphere behind the couple to diffuse the light. Crouching down, I began taking photos and adjusting the exposure, captivated by how beautiful the couple looked. In fact, if anyone else had taken the photo, they wouldn't have known that it wasn't the real sun.
So there's no need to fret about inclement weather or unexpected circumstances, as long as you have a skilled photographer who can handle any situation, you can still obtain the stunning photos you've always dreamed of.