Everything you need to know (or maybe just what I’ve personally learned) about embracing & loving direct light wedding photos.
If you’re like us and nearly every other wedding photographer & videographer out there, it’s fair to assume you’ve had a little fear of direct light, am I right? It can feel scary! While we don’t deny that there’s a lot of beauty in even, natural light, it also has to be acknowledged that on a wedding day, you gotta take what you get. That’s why we say that direct light wedding photos are SO IN.
You can’t always control the light, so here’s what we’ve learned to embrace AND LOVE about it instead!
1. Direct light wedding photos create galleries with depth.
I love combining a gorgeous gallery with golden hour & direct light portraits. Get your couple’s faces in the sun, get creative with your angles. Fill your galleries with gorgeous golden light, and then sprinkle in a set with some harsh shadows & light, too. Depth, variety, beauty.
2. And edge!
Okay, hear me out. Your style can be traditional or romantic, and still welcoming to a little bit of edge. We lean a bit more moody in our edits so it feels like some edgy shots fit well with our style, but truly – embracing the direct light a wedding day gives you can create incredibly romantic images, too.
My favorite times to use direct light:
– prep
– details
– portraits
3. Push your own boundaries – and those of traditional wedding photography.
Traditionally – you don’t want this. Right? We’re taught to seek out shade & look for soft light. Harsh lines & bright direct light are a big NO.
Until you realize it can be the best YES.
We – and plants – grow with light, and that’s literally how I’ve decided to think about embracing direct light wedding photos. This industry is fast moving, and balancing growth with consistency is key.
4. Creative Editing & Composition.
One of the things I love most about direct light images is that you can really think creatively with your editing. Add more grain than you normally would. Push your blacks, deepen your shadows. Rethink some of shots you’d normally cull out – maybe that composition works after all.
Forcing myself to play with direct light & harsh shadows has really taught me so much about the subjectivity of editing. It’s not so black & white (or maybe it CAN BE because direct light edited in black & white is literal GOLD).
5. Your dream clients just might book you because of your direct light wedding photos!
It’s true. Recently, one of the highest compliments we received from a DREAM wedding client was that she choose us in part because of how we embraced & worked with direct light. We didn’t shy away from shooting in it AND sharing it all over our website & socials.
Excuse me, WHAT? Such an honor, right?
Here are a few more favorites showcasing direct light. It’s just so good. I hope you’re encouraged to embrace it, too.
Finally, and most importantly, I must share credit where credit is due – my personal love for direct light came from my obsession with our dear friend, Kyla Fear’s work. My love for wedding photography started with her. My inspiration as I was learning & developing my own style was her creative work. We hire her every year for our own family photos & the images shared in this post were from a gorgeous wedding at The Surf Hotel in Buena Vista that I second shot with her.
She’s the best. Hands down. Take a look at her work & be inspired just like we are.
Crafting really beautiful films + photos for the wild at heart, Basecamp Visual is a Breckenridge, Colorado based videography and photography husband and wife duo, Dave & Shanna. Are you on the hunt for a creative storytelling team for your upcoming Breckenridge, Colorado intimate wedding or elopement? Interested in a session just because? Let’s talk about it! Contact us today to learn more.
