I think one of the biggest myths is, when the sun goes down, you are done taking photos. I love the fact that that is not true! Photographing in the pitch black is honestly one of my favorite things to do. How do I do that without sending someone a file of twenty matching black images? I’ll tell ya how. Here are a three of my favorite nighttime photography light sources to make these night photos memorable, beautiful, and shine forever.
FLASH
I LOVE flash. Flash is such an awesome way to change the entire dynamic of the sweet moment. I love the crispness it gives to your photos, as well as adding a new kind of drama. It brightens the colors because the shadows cannot cover whatever the flash hits first.
One of my favorite parts is how it’s makes the background pitch black if you are not standing in front of anything very close. It truly resembles that you are surrounded by the thickness of the night. When you are close to an object, the light will touch this person or object and it will show in the camera. The closer you are, the brighter the object. I love how it makes my friends pop in the image because there is not a background to take your focus off them.
Flash works great when you’re taking a photo where you’d like the smallest details to pop. Like Champagne! Champagne-popping photos are gorgeous with flash as you catch every little droplet coming from the bottle, or each colorful, sparkly piece of confetti. Flash is awesome to snap in the snow or rain to see how it can make everything so clear.
LIGHTS
Another light source to enhance your photography is light. Adding your own light source and not using a flash gives an awesome feel to the photo. I’ve wrapped my clients in Christmas lights, ball lights, and tea lights to create a magical glow. A unique light source is awesome in giving a totally different feel to the photo.
It’s so romantic to see just the couple’s faces bright and close as the world around them goes dark. I love the lighting of string lights because instead of the boldness and crispness of flash, it gives an intimate and enchanting feel which makes for amazing photographs.
FIRE
A super fun light source is fire. Fire is FUN FUN FUN!
Now, I’m not saying throw giant fire sticks in the air (but if you can do it, always share that talent, and definitely capture it with a camera.) But fire gives an energetic and exciting feel to the night–and the photograph. The light of fire is unpredictable and bounces whatever direction it feels.
I love when my clients walk out into sparklers dancing all around them and you see the excitement and joy on their faces. Fire can also be used to light up lanterns, tiki torches, or campfires- all amazing things to give the client a special experience as well as create amazing photos for them.
I love that your fun really doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down. Great photos in the dark just need a little help. A variety of light sources comes to your rescue. I can’t wait to continue to explore other innovative ideas to create other special memories for my clients, as well as what new dynamics I can dream up to set the mood for my clients and the photos they’ll treasure day and night.