The Ultimate Guide to Nighttime Wedding Photography
Nighttime wedding photography tips. Almost every wedding now, I do includes a couple night shots. There are a lot of good reasons why I do, and I’m here to say, that you if you are a budding wedding photographer, you should too. Night photos at a wedding. They are quick, simple, impressive. Always impressive.
What is a Night Shot?
First off, what is a night shot? To me, a night shot, is a photo or series of photos that you take of the bride and groom, usually just them, unless friends tag along. That usually involves, setting up off-camera flash. Typically it's backlit, and that is what I find the easiest, but it can be all kinds of different lighting scenarios.
Why You Should Include Night Shots
There are a number of reasons, why I do this, and have done for some years. First off, it's incredibly valuable to your clients. I cannot remember a single couple who was not appreciative of including that last little night shot. For the time and energy that it takes, you are going to knock their socks off. Fortunately for me, getting a magical shot at the tail end of the wedding is almost a guarantee.
It's a good way to wrap up the day, get the couple away from the crowd, leave them with a great lasting impression of you. For me it is a time to get the couple alone, let them take a quick break from the dance floor, decompress and I can make my exit after this. It ends the evening on a high note, photographically speaking.
How to Find a Good Location
How do I find a good location for a wedding photo at night? I'm sure there are 1 million things that will probably work and look impressive for a night shot. However, one of the things that I am always looking for are frames that I can backlight. These photos jump off the page, because they are obviously taken at night. When looking for inspiration, consider these options:
- Doorways, trees, ruins or structures.
- Interesting foliage patterns or tunnels.
- The exterior of the building or a peaked roof.
- Failing that, the middle of a field will work just fine.
As a quick bonus tip, sometimes I will Google the wedding venue that I'm at, and see if any other photographers have found interesting locations to shoot at during the evening. I'm not talking about, ripping off another photographer's shot verbatim, but they can help you find spots that perhaps you didn't know existed.
Communication and Workflow
At some point during the evening, or even earlier in the day I will just seek their permission, and say hey at some point tonight right at the tail end of the evening, I was thinking I would set up a couple flashes or a light outside and we can do a quick night shot, does that sound good? 100% of the time they are going to say, sure no problem. So I give them a bit of a heads up, is it okay if we step outside for five minutes after the next couple songs? They are almost always ready take a bit of a break, and catch some of the cool night air.
Essential Gear for Night Photography
That is if you know a little bit about off-camera flash, and have the appropriate tools. You'll need a little bit of gear. Namely an off-camera flash and a radio trigger, but today those are pretty easy to come by. I love the Godox series of flashes, as they are...
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Target Subjects | Bride and groom, usually just them. |
| Key Equipment | Off-camera flash and a radio trigger. |
| Lighting Technique | Backlit setups are often the easiest and most impressive. |
| Workflow | Scout locations and give the couple a five-minute heads up. |