At this workshop each ShootStyle member explained their individual approach to lighting receptions. As you might expect there was a lot of overlap in the the lighting basic concepts we all used, but how we applied those concepts to our lighting turned out to be very very different. The topics covered ranged from bounced on-camera flash to off-camera speedlites, to studio lights to light-on-a-stick.

The day started with an informal lecture session where we all discussed our lighting methods and showed examples of those methods in use with images from actual weddings.

After the lecture, everyone broke off into small groups for hands-on instruction. To make the experience as real as possible, participants learned each of our lighting styles using their own cameras connected to our lighting gear.

One of our goals was for each participant to have 1 on 1 time with each ShootStyle photographer, so that if they had any questions specific to how that photographer worked, they’d have a chance to get them answered.

And occasionally, folks got to take their thinking caps off and have a little fun.

Big shout-outs go to Nantucket photographer Mark Crosby for shooting these behind the scenes photos and to ShootStyle Alumni Alicia Williams for keeping us on time throughout the day.

This workshop sold out pretty quickly, and if you missed out on it we have another very special workshop coming up on October 30th. Zofia will be leading a Lifestyle Family Portrait Workshop on Nantucket. We’ll be working with real families and Zofia will be demonstrating her approach to untraditional family portraits. This will be very intimate event with a maximum of 9 participants.  Complete information on our upcoming Nantucket workshop can be found here.

No words, just a collection of photographs that convey the style of a city wedding to me.

Obviously, I’m not above making a moo pun.

Yes, it’s been entirely too long since we all got together to share a drink, some stories, and some laughs – so please come join the ShootStyle gang on Sunday July 25^th at Temple in Providence. We’ll be getting there around 6pm and who knows when we’ll be leaving. The last time everyone got together with us, we closed the joint down:

Temple is located at 120 Francis Street in Providence, RI [google map]

You can let us know you’ll coming by RSVPing to the event on our facebook page.

See you there!

via Craphound.com

One of the big challenges faced by wedding photographers in New England is that our wedding receptions often take place in dark, windowless halls. Worse, these halls are sometimes run by catering managers who feel that turning the lights down to almost nothing gives their hall a romantic ambiance.

Well, that may be, but the dim atmosphere also means that Grandpa can’t read the menu and we wedding photographers can’t shoot using available light.

So the question facing us isn’t ’should we light the reception’ but rather ‘how should we light the reception?’

There are a number of approaches to lighting the reception and each of the ShootStyle members do it a little differently as you can see in the examples below.

At this hands-on lighting workshop, ShootStyle members will be demonstrating everything we know about lighting a reception. And since none of us tackle lighting a reception in exactly the same way, you’re likely to see an approach that suits your style of photography.

We’ll be working with flash on camera, flash off-camera, sync cords, radio triggers, multiple speedlights, light-on-a-stick and even studio lights. We’ll cover topics such as lighting the entire dance floor, balancing your lights with the ambient light, and creating dramatic lighting. And because time is always tight on a wedding day, we’ll also show you how to get different looks from a single lighting set up.

We’ll probably be introducing you to some new equipment was well as new techniques. We all know that buying new gear is fun, but great light starts with getting the most out of what you already own, and we’ll be there to help you do just that! Bring whatever equipment you currently have including a camera, strobe(s), stands, triggers, cords, fast lenses, etc.

There’ll be a lot to cover and we’ll be zipping right along, so to get the most out of this workshop, you’ll need to already have some understanding of basic camera function.

The Rock Your Reception Lighting workshop is happening on Monday, August 30th from 1pm to 7pm at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence, RI. It is limited to the first 20 people who sign up. Tickets cost $89 and are non-refundable (but if you find you can’t make it you can transfer your ticket to a another photographer).

We look forward to seeing you there!