One of the most frequently asked questions relates to using flash/speedlight in my photography. When I first started, using flash was one of the most intimidating ideas, but I practiced for months in my house, church, outdoors…basically anywhere I could practice without the pressure of working for a client.

One of the biggest changes to my approach using artificial light was the use of an off-camera light. I'm a natural light wedding photographer, but when the environment darkens, I needed to find a way to illuminate my photos without it looking like–POOF!–I'm shooting with flash. That poof sound? It's the sound I imagine my flash makes when fired alone in a dark room.

During receptions, I use an off-camera flash (you can read about my set-up HERE), but that proved to be a starting point for readers. Today and tomorrow I'll be chatting about the specifics related to your questions, so if you have them, leave them in the comment box or leave them on my Facebook wall. For now, let's start with Tomas…

In dimly lit situations, I prefer to use wide apertures instead of high ISO. High ISO produces grain, so I aim to keep the photo as clean as possible and this is most effectively achieved with wide apertures. However, this depends on what I'm shooting. If I'm shooting reception details (like a table centerpiece or flatware on a table), shooting wider than a f/2.0 is preferred, but I don't shoot as wide when, say, I'm shooting a group of people or the bride and groom making their Grand Entrance. When I can't shoot wide open, I will then increase my ISO.

If the reception light is low, I use my off-camera flash for most of the night. I use pocket wizards to fire my OCF, so if there's a moment when I don't want to use it, I simply turn off the trigger on my camera and leverage ambient light (this most often happens during the First Dance, when I want a mix of looks for the client portfolio).

My flash (both on-camera and off) are powered through standard double-a batteries. I used to use rechargeable batteries, but they didn't recycle fast enough when I was shooting a lot of photos quickly. I now use Energizer batteries and I love them…when they're on sale I bulk up and buy hundreds at a time. I think that makes me weird.

Lastly–to clarify–I photograph wedding receptions with two light sources: the Canon 580EX II flash on my camera and the off-camera flash. To see where I place my off-camera flash in a reception, you can read about it in detail on this POST.

Tomorrow I'll be getting into more FAQs regarding flash photography, but until then I hope you have a day you're happy to be part of.
j*