Natural Light Photography: What Every Bride Should Know

Natural Light Photography: What Every Bride Should Know 

Natural Light Photography: What Every Bride Should Know

As the name suggests, natural light photography is all about using the light around you instead of bringing in artificial lighting such as a flash.  The best way to picture natural light photography is to think about capturing photos next to a window.  Natural light is much softer and can incorporate a natural glow or bring a slight moodiness to an image.  Natural lighting works really well if you will be getting married in a garden or a venue that has an outdoor focus. 

Why Photographers Love Natural Light 

First and foremost, natural light is soft and very flattering. Think about the golden light that flows in through a window and how it immediately changes the mood of the room. Bring that imagery into a wedding setting and you get a romantic and delicate feel.  Brides are always happy with the results of natural light photography because it tends to smooth out any imperfections on their faces. Since natural light is much warmer, it makes the couple portraits look gentle and relaxed too.  The good news is that this is also one of the more affordable types of wedding photography. 

When Natural Light Won’t Work 

Unfortunately, when you’re working with natural light, evening photos end up looking quite grainy. If you plan on taking a lot of night time photos, you may want to bring a flash into the mix. If you decide to hire a natural light photographer, they will find a blend between the natural background lighting of your venue and artificial lighting to achieve better evening shots. 

One thing that couples should be aware of is that natural light photography does require specific skills and not every photographer knows how to get it right. If you feel that this is the right style for you, pay careful attention to a photographer’s portfolio and ask them questions about their recent experience with this particular photography style before you make a final decision. It also helps to find out whether they have shot any weddings at your venue or at a similar type of venue as this can also be a big help. 

Here at Rebecca Anne Photography we call ourselves natural light photographers as we always want the photos to look as natural as possible. But we also want to make sure your images are lit correctly, which means incorporating flash if needed and doing it in a way that is as natural looking as possible.