Light

Light is everything when it comes to filming a wedding. You might think that’s a given or we’d be filming in the dark.
It’s the quality of the light that matters to me. In many venues, I find yellow tungsten lighting and that’s not the type of light that puts a smile on my face.

Summer is a friend in that area. Natural daylight is good but it can also be a problem. Especially when the sun is shining right into my lens. Fortunately, there is always a choice. Moving the camera to a better position so the sun is behind me is key. If that’s not an option, raising the camera to a higher level so it’s looking down is a help.

Years ago when I worked for a national television station, I trained as a lighting cameraman. I learned how to control light. That means that lighting was never something that had the better of me. In fact, I found light to be the be all and end all of how the video picture looked. I could use lighting to get the exact creative look that I was after and it then became a passion for me. It allowed me to build the knowledge to create my own style. That is something that is very plain to me when I look back at all the wedding highlight videos that I’ve made since I began to film weddings.

I could never film someone’s wedding and not consider what the best light source is and how I’ll edit a week later. My thoughts on the day are how to maximize the quality of any lighting, is there enough and what could be a problem.

Is there enough light?

The possibility of a venue being too dark is always there. That’s why I always scout out a new venue, one I haven’t been to before. I then get the opportunity to find out what lighting sources there are and what will be the source on the day. I don’t like surprises when I’m working. It would be unprofessional of me not to do my homework before filming.

Light can be many things. It can be harsh, too bright, too dim. It can be a horrible colour and it can be flickering.
For me, light is my main tool when it comes to capturing beautiful video. It can make the difference between an average video and an exceptional one. Knowing how to use light as well as your camera and how it works and a creative mind is all you need to know.

As always, you can view our wedding highlight videos here.

Stay happy,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video