Sunset Wedding

[manderb1]

I am taking my FIRST ever "sunset" wedding. I am NERVOUS. The bride is getting married at a Homestead (pioneer) type setting. It has the old church and scenery. A photographers DREAM place to shoot (at least mine). Help! How will I have enough light to shoot the bride and grooms formal shoots? They do not want to see each other until after the wedding. I can do the break outs before the wedding. Should I stick to indoor shots? I wanting to use natural lighting before it gets dark and use a gold reflector when the sun starts going down. Any ideas?

 

[Big Mike]

Stand with the sun to your back and have the setting sun light them up.

Stand with their backs to the sun, meter for a nice looking sunset, then light them up with flash (off camera flash would be even better).

Be aware of what shots you want to get when the sun is low in the sky...it won't stay there for long and you won't have time to be messing around with different groups of people etc.

 

[manderb1]

Thanks for the advise, I have a flash that comes off the camera, should I use that as a fill flash or full power?

 

[Big Mike]

Thanks for the advise, I have a flash that comes off the camera, should I use that as a fill flash or full power?

Do you have a way of triggering it, while it's off camera?

As for power, you will need enough power to illuminate the subjects at the aperture that you are using. If you set your exposure for the sunset, without flash, they would probably be silhouettes...so you will most likely need a fair bit of flash power.

 

[manderb1]

. If you set your exposure for the sunset, without flash, they would probably be silhouettes...so you will most likely need a fair bit of flash power.

True, I plan on shooting a few silhouettes anyway, I think they are stunting. I have a wireless remote that triggers the flash while it is off camera. Is that all I need or do I need to invest in something better. Thanks in advance.