Shooting a wedding is a demanding task on its own. But add low light and no flash to the equation, and you get a bit more stress and challenge. In this video, Taylor Jackson takes you behind the scene of a wedding he had to shoot in very low light without the flash. He shows you his workflow but also shares a couple of great tips if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
Taylor notes that the couple asked for more candid coverage, so he decided not to use the flash during the wedding ceremony. It would simply be annoying and ruin the atmosphere of the place. So, he had to wing it. He adds that he knew the space and what he could expect from it. Plus, he knows his gear and what it’s capable of doing – and it’s certainly something you should know before taking up any photography gig.
Shooting in a dark environment, Taylor pushed the ISO to 5000, and he says that 6400 would also work with his camera (but require more post-processing). This is why you need to know your camera’s capabilities – with my camera, ISO 1000 is the absolute maximum I can shoot before noise makes the photos unusable. So, not every camera is capable of making usable photos at the same ISO.
When it comes to focusing, Taylor was half-pressing the shutter and using the back AF button as AF lock. He was also walking backward as the couple walked towards him to make sure that the AF is on point.
During the reception, Taylor was able to use a flash, but there were some tricky stage lights that made it difficult for him when he wanted to shoot without it. In cases like this, he recommends that you find the spot that works best and get the “safe shots.” Only after that, you should move on to shooting around the reception hall.
Make sure to watch the video above for some BTS shots and more advice. And if you have some tips and tricks to share for shooting in low-light situations, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
[WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS AT NIGHT | BEHIND THE SCENES ON CAMERA FULL WEDDING DAY via FStoppers]
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