Help with wedding photography lighting?

Question

So... shooting a wedding tomorrow in a not-so-ideal lighting situation. The event center is COVERED in windows around all sides, wrapping the building. The problem? My flash shoots straight out the window, losing all light and completely underexposing anything I am attempting to get a shot of.

Obviously the ideal solution is to shoot without the flash, right? Well... there are a few problems. First, the wedding is a 6:00 p.m., meaning we may or may not get great sunlight. Second, we're expecting bad weather tomorrow... which, again, means maybe not such great sunlight.

Anyone have any tips on how to achieve decent lighting under these circumstances, without having to bump my ISO all the way up? I'm not looking for a miracle, and don't expect anyone to have a catch-all solution, just any tips or tricks that you have tried that work under similar conditions... thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Personally I love bad weather! I think overcast skies make for the best lighting for portraits, I don't like the harshness of sunlight.

Use soft reflectors for the flash so it doesnt get so far as the windows but your subjects are still lit up.

Are the couple having a pro photographer there too? Its a big responsibility to shoot a wedding, you shouldnt try unless you're 100% sure you can handle it and make it work.

Some tips: http://www.swpp.co.uk/professional_image...

Good luck!

Answer 2

Shoot at the higher ISO and apply a noise filter, when necessary.