HOW TO DO RECEPTION, DECOR, AND DANCING PHOTOS
The hardest part is deciding to begin. After that you just make it happen.
Preparation
If you have been booked for a limited amount of time then there are certain things that you want to mention to the clients so that they can plan to fit everything in.
● The reception decor must be completed well before the time the couple has arranged for you to arrive and take photos of it. If it is not completed when you arrive you will only be able to take photos of what has been done. At the very least one table should be completely finished for you.
● You must ask the couple to let you know if you are being catered for at the reception because if not you are going to have to bring your own food.
Different countries have different customs, in some it is standard for the photographer to receive food but in others it isn’t. In some countries photographers even include in their contracts that food must be provided for them. You will have to find out what is the standard for your country. If you are given food then you should request to be seated away from the guests. If you sit with them they will probably want to chat with you but all you should be doing is eating and getting back to work.
● If the time of sunset is after the reception begins, then you can suggest to the couple to do some of the photoshoot (about 30 minutes) before the reception and then the rest (15-20 minutes) during the reception when it comes time for sunset. What would happen is the reception would begin and the couple and the MC would keep in mind that you are going to inform them when the best time to leave for sunset photos will be. You will then keep an eye outside and let them know. To get good at knowing exactly when to go outside, you just need to practise; watch the sunset for a few nights and time how long it takes to go down; you want to begin with the photos about 20 minutes before it goes down. Remember, it is always better to begin a little bit earlier as the last thing you want is to miss it. When the time comes, the MC will pause proceedings and inform the guests. All couples are
usually happy to do this, and they don’t have to if they don’t want to, but most want those nice sunset, golden-light photos. The guests are also happy to do it as it gives them time to go and get drinks, freshen up or whatever else they want to do. It isn’t essential that you do sunset photos and it may not be possible for you if the sunset time comes after the time you have been scheduled to finish. But, if you can do it then you should. It is also something that you can only prepare for but not plan for because if the weather isn’t good then there won’t be a sunset.
● Each person doing a speech should be given a certain amount of time and the MC should make sure they stick to it. If each person talks for much longer than they are meant to it will make everything else run late.
● The order in which couples do the reception doesn’t really matter to you.
Using the lighting techniques shown in this lesson you will be able to quickly adjust and move your setup to any part of the reception area. However, it is good if you know what is happening before it happens so that you can be set up and ready to go in advance. So, you can tell the couple, but also mention to the MC on the day, that the MC should check with you before beginning each part of the reception to make sure that you are ready and that you have all your lights in the correct place, because the last the thing you want to be doing is moving lights around when the first dance has already started.
● Tell the clients that when it comes time for you to leave, you will approach them and ask if there is anything else they would like before you go. If they have booked you for a limited amount of hours then this will be an opportunity for them to ask you to perhaps stay longer. If they want you to do that then tell them during the meeting what your fee is per additional hour, that any additional hours will be invoiced and paid following the wedding, and no money will be mentioned on the day of the wedding. Always make sure that any additional hours are paid for before you give the clients their wedding photos.
Decor photos
Although the reception happens at the end of the wedding the best time to do the decor photos is at the beginning. When the wedding begins you probably won’t have time to do it later, especially if something gets delayed and the wedding runs late. Imagine you have planned to do the decor photos after the family photos but something earlier in the day has caused things to run late and now you don’t have time to do it. When is it going to get done? Are you going to take time out of the couple photoshoot to do it? And, what if some of the guests are in there before you and moved things around. You don’t want those kinds of issues so get it done first and get it out the way.
The couple need to arrange for the decor to be completed for when you arrive or at least have one table done. You can only take photos of what is completed, and make sure you say that to the clients beforehand.
Most venues don’t have a problem with setting up the decor for you arriving as long as they have been informed of your arrival time in advance.
Ask the couple, if the decor has not been done when you arrive, do they want you to contact them to let them know, or should you just leave it. This is quite important because if the decor was not done when you arrived, and therefore you couldn’t take photos of it, you don’t want the clients turning round to you after the wedding and asking why you didn’t take decor photos.
If you do arrive and the decor hasn’t been done, take a photo of the room so that you can later show it to the clients to prove that it wasn’t done when you arrived.
Sometimes it may not be possible for them to have the decor set up for when you arrive. If that is going to be the case, you need to find that out during your meeting with the client. They must then set aside time for you to do it later on. Don’t promise to try and squeeze it into an already busy schedule. All you need to do your job well is time.
This decor photos should be done within the first hour you arrive. During that time you can also test your lighting setup in the reception hall if you feel like you want to.
At this point you will have a good idea of what the weather is going to be like for the rest of the day so you can then go and look for suitable places to do the group and family photos as well as for the couple photoshoot. You will then move to the location of the getting-ready photos. All of that should be done within one hour.
Obviously, if the couple are getting dressed too far away from that location it may not be possible to do the decor photos beforehand. These are things you need to discuss with your clients and reach an agreement on. And, this is one of the main reasons why you should always recommend to your couples that the locations they choose for their wedding should all be as near to each other as possible. Always remind them that more time spent travelling means less photo time for you.
You will find examples of decor photos towards the end of this lesson.
Entering the reception
Before or during the couple photoshoot, you need to ask the couple what time they need to be back for the reception. You shouldn’t ask anyone else as it is the couple’s choice - it is their wedding day. Always try to get them back a few minutes early and
tell them to give you time to set up your lights inside the reception area before they enter.
At the end of the lesson you will see examples of photos and descriptions of how to set up the flashes.
Speeches and guest reactions
Your main focus is the Bride & Groom. However, the reception is a great opportunity to get photos of all the guests enjoying themselves. What you should do is take a photo of each person giving a speech and spend the rest of the time moving around and getting photos of the Bride & Groom and their guests’
reactions. You don’t need close-up photos of every single person but it is nice to get at least one photo of each table.
When you try to take photos of guests you need to be subtle in your approach. If you just stand in front of people pointing the camera at them and waiting for them to laugh they will probably feel uncomfortable and they won’t laugh as naturally as they would if you weren’t there. So, how do you avoid that? What you should do is stand nearby and already plan your shot in your head, but pretend like you are about to shoot elsewhere, and when the person who is make the speech says something funny and everyone laughs turn and take the shot when the people aren’t expecting it. You don’t always have to do that. Sometimes the speeches are going so well and everyone is laughing so much that you can move around freely and take photos without anyone really noticing you. It all depends on the atmosphere in the room and you will find your own ways of getting the great shots you want.
When it comes time for the Groom’s speech you will want to focus mainly on the Bride and Groom as you won’t want to miss any special moments.
Again, you will find photo examples with descriptions at the end of this lesson.
Cutting the cake
When it comes time to cut the cake it happens one of two ways: either the Bride & Groom quickly go over and do it alone and it takes about 5 minutes, or the MC
announces that it’s going to happen and all the guests come and stand around and watch, which takes about 5-10 minutes.
Throwing the bouquet and garter
This is really quick to do and only takes about 10 minutes. You must tell them where you want them to stand when they throw. It is important to tell them to wait until you are ready before throwing so that you don’t miss it.
First dance
When you are shooting the first dance you should choose an angle to shoot from that has the best background. The first dance only lasts for the duration of the song so you should try to get a nice variety of shots in that time (e.g. close-ups, full-body shots, verticals and horizontals).
Guests dancing
After the Bride & Groom do their first dance the guests usually join them on the dancefloor. If they don’t, go to the MC and tell them to announce for people to join
in. But, in most instances they will join in without being asked. Take photos of the guests dancing for the duration of two songs; you should get all the shots you need in that time. You don’t need photos of every single guest, but you can get as many as you want in that time. Again, it is nice to get a variety of shots (horizontal, vertical, close-up, large shot of the whole dance floor, etc). Be on the lookout for the Bride and Groom dancing with their parents or close relatives - those are special moments that you won’t want to miss.
See examples below with descriptions of how the lights can be set up.
Time is up
When it is your time to leave, go to the couple and ask if they want anything else. If they have booked you for a limited amount of hours and that time has expired, and you have mentioned to them during the meeting about how much you charge for additional hours, they may request that you do additional time. Never say no to doing extra hours, it is a great way to make more money, and it is important that you keep your clients happy and capture as much of their day as they want.
Backup and backup again
Always backup your photos as quickly as possible after the wedding. Put them onto your computer as soon as you get home. Then back them up onto two external hard drives and store them in different locations (e.g. one in the house and one in the car). Get into the habit of making this the first thing you do every time. It is up to you exactly what you do, but don’t take any chances.
When you give your clients the finished, edited photos, advise them to back them up and inform them as to how long you will be keeping your version of the photos.
You can keep the photos for as long as you deem necessary. You may want to keep them forever just in case your clients ever lose their copies. If so, external hard drives are quite reasonably priced so you could just purchase new ones when the ones you have become full. Alternatively, if your internet speed is fast enough, you could look into storing the weddings online. You can Google search ‘online file storage’ to find a website that suits your needs. A popular one is Dropbox but there are many others out there that offer a similar service. However most, if not all, of them charge for storing large amounts files.
Camera settings
This section is included in many of the lessons to help people who don’t yet know how to use their camera settings.
Many photographers will have different ways of shooting but, this will teach you, in a very basic way, how to use your camera settings. You may find other ways that you prefer but, this will assist you in getting started.
● Shoot with your camera settings on ‘auto white balance’.
● Lenses and cameras should always be set to ‘auto focus’.
● Set your camera to focus using a ‘single focus point’.
It should look something like this through the viewfinder of your camera...
...you can see the single focus point in the middle of the frame.
When taking a photo you will aim the focus point at the part of the subject you want to be in focus (e.g. the Bride’s face). You will squeeze the shutter-release button to lock the focus - but don’t press it down to take the photo yet. Now you can frame the shot and take the photo. The focus will still be set to what you initially locked it on. See examples below...
Here is a view through the viewfinder. The single focus point is aimed at the Groom (so that he will be in focus). The Bride is standing next to him, the same distance away, so she will also be in focus. The shutter-release button is then gently squeezed down to lock the focus.
Now that the focus is locked on the Groom and the shutter-release button is still held in - but not pressed down fully yet - you can move the camera around to frame the shot you want to take.
Now you can frame the photo as you want to take it and go ahead and press the shutter-release button down to take the photo.
You will notice here that the focus point is now on the background and not over the Groom, but because it is locked the focus doesn’t change when you take the photo.
Exposure
Shoot with your camera on ‘manual mode’ . What this means is that you will manually select the settings (aperture, shutter speed and ISO) before taking a photo. If you have never done this, don’t worry, it will be explained simply.
Using manual mode should not be confused with manual focusing. Your lens and camera should still be set to auto-focus.
When you take a photo, all you are really doing with the settings is adjusting them so that the exposure is correct; the photo is not too dark or too bright.
Aperture
A low aperture lets more light into the camera. So, if you want your photo to be brighter set it lower (e.g. 1.4) or if you want it darker set it higher (e.g. 5.6).
A low aperture will produce more depth of field (blurred background). A higher aperture will reduce that.
Shutter speed
A fast shutter speed will allow less light into the camera than a slow shutter speed.
If you want your photo to be brighter set a slower speed (e.g. 1/250). If you want it to be darker set a faster speed (e.g. 1/800).
If the subject is moving a slow shutter speed may make them appear blurry, whereas a faster shutter speed will snap that photo quicker and capture them as they move. So you never want to be too slow with the shutter speed at weddings.
Probably not slower than 1/250.
ISO
Setting your ISO higher will brighten your photo. This is used mostly when you are shooting in low-light conditions. However, the higher it goes the less sharp your photo will become and the quality of the image will decrease. All cameras produce different results so you really need to test it and check the photos on a computer afterwards to see the results.
It is usually advised to keep the ISO as low as possible at all times (100) when shooting in bright/light environments. However, even when the light is good, setting it at 200 can slightly brighten any areas of shadows. So, if you are finding that the shadow areas of your photos are too dark you can try that to brighten them a little.
Here’s a quick summary
When you are about to take a photo, the first thing you want to ask yourself is
‘ How much depth of field (blurred background) do I want to have?’.
If you want to have a lot then you may have your aperture set to 1.4. If so, that setting is also going to make the photo brighter because it is letting more light into the camera. Therefore you are probably going to have to make your shutter speed higher (e.g. 1/800) to darken the photo.
If you want to have less blur then you may have your aperture set to something like 5.6. If so, that setting is going to make the photo darker as less light will be going into the camera. Therefore you may have to reduce your shutter (e.g. 1/250) to make the photo brighter. Or you could instead increase the ISO to make it brighter.
But, basically, the ISO is mainly used as a backup to make your photo brighter when the area you are shooting in doesn’t have enough natural light.
Natural light VS flashes
This section is also included in many lessons for people who don’t yet know how to shoot in different lighting conditions. Again, this is just a guide. You may find your own ways of doing things but this will help you to get started.
In an ideal world a photographer would always have enough natural light to shoot.
But when you are doing weddings you never know what kind of room or building you are going to be working in and how much light they will have. Luckily for you, there’s a great technique that will allow you to be prepared for any situation. And, you can do it in a way that still looks natural.
Making flashes look natural
A lot of people think that flashes aren’t good, but they only think that if they have used them in the wrong way. Some people use a flash on the camera and point it straight at the subject. If you’ve ever done this you will have noticed that the light often looks harsh. Some people use different coloured filters or diffusers on the flashes to try to warm them or soften the light. You can do that if you are happy with the way it looks. It all depends on the style you have and what you are aiming to achieve. If you want your photos to look as natural as possible, like the actual moment looked, then you try the following technique...
Off-camera flashes
If you are using a flash on your camera then the expensive ones are better. But, for this method, the cheaper ones can be just as good as they have less functions (functions you won’t require). Google search ‘Neewer TT560’. They are very cheap.
You will also see they have good reviews. You can try using other brands of flashes, it is mostly personal preference.
Trigger set
To operate the flashes remotely, you will need a ‘wireless flash trigger set’. Google it and you will find them. Always check they have good reviews.
Basically, you attach the transmitter to the top of your camera (just like you would if you were putting a flash on it) and then you attach the receiver(s) to the flash(es).
There’s a frequency setting and you set it so that the transmitter and the receiver(s) have the same setting. The receivers lock onto the flashes. It is really easy and it will take you a short amount of time to get used to using them.
It happens very rarely but, if you find something is interfering with the signal and setting the flashes off, there must be something in the building using the same frequency. If that happens just change the frequency setting.
Rechargeable batteries
You don’t want to buy batteries every time you do a wedding, so use rechargeables (AA for the flashes and AAA for the recievers). The transmitters sometimes work with a different battery, you will have to check.
Buy a charger that charges a set of batteries in about an hour or less. Make sure the brand of the charger is the same as the batteries. And, one set of batteries for each item will last an entire wedding.
At any given time, you will use between 2 and 4 flashes (and an equal amount of receivers); 2 for a small room, and 4 for a large hall.
Light stands
You will also need stands for the flashes (they are cheap to buy), and you can screw the flashes/receivers onto the stands. Google search ‘flash light stands’ to find them.
If you are doing getting-ready photos in a small room, and you need flashes, you don’t have to use stands, just place the flashes on top of a chair, table, etc.
Don’t shy away from trying this method because the results are fantastic (see examples at the end of this lesson). Once you start using them you will never go back. Although you may get away without using flashes during the getting-ready
photos (if it’s a bright room with lots of natural light) the reception will most likely be at night, so you will need them.
Practise with them to get familiar with using them. You can do it in your house; set up two flashes in a room and try it out.
To practise in a larger area, similar to that of a reception venue, you can ask a venue if you can use the area to practise during the week, or ask at a school or church to use their hall; any room about the same size as a wedding venue will do.
Decor shots without flash
If you are shooting inside and there is a lot of natural light coming in through the windows then you may not need to use any flashes. However, it is best to use a lens with a low aperture (e.g. f/1.4) as they allow more light into the camera.
As always, try to get a variety of shots (e.g. close-ups, table shots, room shots, etc).
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter speed: 1/500 sec
ISO:200
Every part of the decor has probably been selected by the Bride, so make sure you get shots of everything.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/2.2
Shutter speed: 1/320 sec
ISO:320
If the same things are on all the tables you don’t need to take photos of each them.
Choose the ones you think look best and get shots of those. However, you should always include shots of what is on the Bridal table where the couple will sit.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/2.2
Shutter speed: 1/320 sec
ISO:320
Always do a mixture of vertical/portrait and horizontal/landscape shots.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/2.2
Shutter speed: 1/320 sec
ISO:250
If possible, take a shot of the room.
Focal Length: 17mm
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/400 sec
ISO:500
Always be creative and try different kinds of shots.
Focal Length: 17mm
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/400 sec
ISO:500
Decor photos with flash
This photo was taken with two flashes - one on left and one on the right - on stands and pointing up at the ceiling. If the room has a dark ceiling you may have to increase the power of the flashes, but usually the flashes are on ¼ or ½ power.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.8
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
ISO:200
This one was also taken with two flashes pointing up towards the ceiling. The flashes are on stands, one on either side. Always make sure that you can’t see the flashes in the photos.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/2.2
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
ISO:100
This photo was also taken with two flashes at either side. To light up the back of the room, another flash was positioned on the left further down the room to light that area. Just make sure that you can’t see the flashes in the photo. If pointing the flashes straight up doesn’t light all the areas you want lit, try angling them slightly in the direction you want to light up more.
Focal Length: 34mm
Aperture: f/4
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec
ISO:640
Reception photos
By the time most receptions begin the sun has already set and there isn’t enough light to shoot without flashes.
As mentioned before, if there is enough light in a room then you could shoot without flashes. But, you are going to need a lens with a low aperture (e.g. f/1.4) because they allow more light into the camera. It may also mean that you are pushing your ISO high. All cameras perform differently so you have to practise with yours and test to see what it is capable of, because pushing the ISO higher will reduce the quality of the image and you don’t want to do that too much.
Whether you use flashes or not all depends on what kind of result you wish to produce. Using flashes can light up the room almost as if it is daytime. But, if you want it to be darker you can simply reduce the power of the flashes. However, you may not want to do that, and if there is enough ambient light then you may not have to. The choice is yours because it all comes down to personal preference.
In this section, you will see examples of reception photos taken with and without flashes.
When you are using flashes in the reception, you don’t want to be constantly moving them around so you want to try and light up the entire room. To do this you can use 2, 3 or 4 flashes depending on the size of the room. If it isn’t possible light up the entire room, you can move around the room using 2 flashes, one on either side of the subject area you are photographing.
Every so often, you may come across a reception area that is divided into different sections and the roofs are at different levels or they have beams that prevent the light from the flashes traveling around the room. When this happens you are best to use two flashes (one on either side of area you are wanting to photograph) and move the lights around with you. When you do this, go from table to table trying to get a few nice shots (e.g. people laughing) of each section of the room.
Here you will see three options for setting up the flashes in a reception area. Most reception areas will be square or round, but even if it is a different shape you can still position the lights in a similar way.
The question you have to ask yourself is ‘ Do I need 3 or 4 flashes to light up this room?’. Even before you do a wedding you should practise this; ask at a school, church, wedding venue, or anywhere else that has a large building and practise using your flashes. Only then will you get good at knowing what to do and confident with using your equipment.
Option A:
Place 4 flashes, one in each corner of the room. It doesn’t have to be close in the corners, just somewhere in those areas.
Option B:
Place 3 flashes in a triangular shape around the room.
This is how you shoot with flashes in a large room. You can keep the flashes like this for the entire reception including the cake cutting, bouquet throwing, and dancing if you want to. However, you may want to change the setup to produce different results. See the following photo examples for more info on how to do that.
Using flashes with two photographers
If you are shooting the wedding with a second photographer, you can each use 2
flashes to light up the area you are shooting in, or take turns taking shots with the 4
flashes. If you each have 2 flashes then you will need to make sure that your triggers and receivers are set to different frequencies from each other. If you don’t do that then every time you take a shot it will set off their flashes too. Also, some flashes have a setting that causes them to fire when another flash in the room goes off. If this is happening, check your flash’s manual or Google to find out how to switch this setting on your flash off.
Reception photo examples
Below you will find a mixture of photos taken throughout wedding receptions. The descriptions under the photos will tell you if there were flashes used and how those flashes were set up.
This photo was taken without flashes using a 50mm lens. The light bulbs were producing enough ambient light that flashes weren’t necessary. The ISO was pushed higher because of the low-light conditions.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec
ISO: 1250
This photo was taken using the Option A setup; 4 flashes, one in each corner of the room, firing up towards the ceiling. You can see how the light looks really even and natural. The flashes were set to ¼ power because the ceiling was white and therefore the light reflected around the room easily. If you have a darker ceiling then you may need to increase the power of the flashes.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
ISO: 160 - you can see the ISO is lower because the flashes produce enough light.
And, because it is lower, the image quality will be higher.
It is nice to move around the room and take photos of the guests reacting to the funny speeches. This photo was taken with the Option B setup because it was a smaller room and 3 flashes were enough to light it.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
ISO: 200
This photo was taken with 3 flashes but set up differently than before: two flashes in the corners behind the photographer and one at the back on a table pointing towards the photographer on a low power (e.g. ⅛ power)- you can’t see it because it is being blocked by the people, but it provides a nice effect that you should try when doing dancing photos.
Focal Length: 17mm
Aperture: f/5
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec
ISO: 640
This photo was taken without flash on a dance floor that was outside. There was a lot of light shining onto the couple through the windows of the reception venue. If you’re not using flashes you should always try to shoot from a side where the most light is shining onto the couple as your camera will need that light to focus.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec
ISO: 5000 - The ISO is extremely high here. Not all cameras can go that high and have the photo still looking good. You have to be careful; test your camera to find out what it is capable of before attempting anything at a wedding.
This photo was taken outside using flashes. It is very difficult to shoot with flashes outside because you always get shadows because you are unable to bounce the flashes/fire them up at the ceiling. This photo was taken with 3 flashes pointing towards the dance floor: one on either side (left and right) and one from where the photographer is standing. The reason for this is because you are trying to eliminate the shadows. Put the flashes on a low power (e.g. ¼ or ⅛) so as not to flood the area with too much light. It is rare that a reception is outside, but best be prepared.
Focal Length: 17mm Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec ISO: 1000
You can take photos of the food. This was taken with 2 flashes: one on either side of the table firing up towards the ceiling on ¼ power.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
ISO: 320
Try to take at least one photo of each person who is giving a speech, guests’
reactions, and nice shots of the Bride & Groom enjoying themselves.
This photo was taken using 3 flashes to light up the room. You can see one of the flashes in the mirror but it actually looks quite nice. It would only be a problem if it was too bright and overwhelming, but in this case in wasn’t.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter speed: 1/160 sec
ISO: 320
This photo was taken using two flashes positioned to the left and right side. When there’s a window or mirror in the background you need to frame your shot carefully so that you and the flashes do not show up in the reflection.
Focal Length: 40mm
Aperture: f/4
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec
ISO: 640
If you want to move around the room and take photos of people, you can do so with using two flashes: one on either side. Or, if there is a dark background, you can place a third flash low and far and the back on a low power (e.g. ⅛) pointing towards the camera - that is what was used in this photo. This is what is called a backlight, and it helps to separate the people from the background - a nice effect. If you prefer, you could have the third flash pointing up to the ceiling, that could also work as long as you don’t see the flash in the shot. You just have to practise these things to see which you prefer.
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/1.4
Shutter speed: 1/200 sec
ISO: 1000
Shots you should have for the reception
● The couple entering the venue.
● At least one photo of each person giving a speech.
● Reactions of the Bride & Groom during the speeches.
● Reactions of as many of the guests as possible.
● Bride & Groom cutting the cake.
● Photos of the food, gift table, dessert table, etc.
● Groom throwing the garter.
● Bride throwing the bouquet.
● Bride & Groom’s first dance, Father & Daughter dance, guests dancing.
Lesson summary
You will now have a good idea how to use flashes within a reception area. Flashes on stands are really easy to move around and something you can do quickly and without much effort.
If you don’t have to use flashes, and your camera can handle pushing the ISO
higher, you could try shooting without them. As mentioned before, it is up to you and it all depends on what kind of style you are aiming for with your photos. There are no rules with photography; if it works and it looks good then do it!
Always experiment and do tests with using flashes before you attempt to use them at a wedding; the more you practise, the better and more confident you will get.
You can also try techniques of your own. Who knows, you may just find a way of doing things that is unique and sets you apart from other photographers.
Unlike other parts of the day, you should shoot the reception without having to do much directing. This is what is called documentary-style shooting; you just capture
what is happening. You only really need to direct if you want the couple to stand a certain way as they are cutting the cake or throwing the bouquet. You may also want to tell the couple to try to dance mainly in the centre of the dance floor during their first dance, if you think it looks the best for your lighting setup. If you have a preference for where the people should be standing when they give their speeches then try to arrange that with the MC before the speeches begin.
Congratulations! You have completed this lesson.