Lighting for Weddings: Formals Suck

Step Two

Here’s almost the exact situation, but I had a few minutes to grab a couple of small portable flashes (LumaPro LP160s). In these two images, I didn’t have time to set up light stands, but wanted to do something other than on-camera flash. Here’s the perfect time to use a voice-activated light stand (or VAL)—in other words, someone holding a light for you.

Use two small pieces of Tough Lux taped to the front of your flash and voilà, a DIY softbox! Granted, it’s not perfect lighting, but it’s sure better than Setup One. I had a couple of groomsmen standing at a 45° angle to the subjects, holding the two flashes. I also used my on-camera flash with a diffuser on it to fill any shadows that the other two lights might create.

Tip: To recycle quickly, keep the lights on the lowest power settings and use a higher ISO.