2 Lighting-Related Tips For Planning A Wedding Photo Shoot In The Rain

Are you about to get married and, weather permitting, want a photo shot of you and your new spouse in the rain? Rainy-day wedding shots can be beautiful and romantic, but getting the proper lighting in dreary conditions can be tricky. Read on for two lighting-related tips you should know when having your wedding photos taken on a rainy day.

Back-Lighting Is A Must

You won't have natural sunlight to rely on if you plan to have your wedding pictures taken in the rain. And because raindrops are clear, it's difficult to get them to even show up in a photo without enough light. 

You'll need a source of back-lighting to filter through the raindrops. The raindrops will slightly magnify the light, making them seem brighter than everything else in the photo. If your photographer only works with natural light and doesn't have a back-lighting setup, you'll need to find a location with ample luminescence. Consider standing under a streetlight with your new spouse or near a doorway to a brightly-lit church or banquet hall.

No Dark Umbrellas

Umbrellas with dark undersides will prevent light from filtering through the raindrops in front of them, and they can also cast unsightly shadows on your and your new spouse's faces. If you must use an umbrella in your wedding photos, opt for one with a white underside, or a clear one. A clear umbrella won't affect the lighting at all, and you can get some fun shots that exude a bit of mystery by asking your photographer to shoot through the umbrella, making your faces visible but a little out of focus.

A white-underside umbrella, with its top tilted ever so slightly in the direction of the camera, will reflect the back-lighting and act as a softbox, thus softening and illuminating your faces and making them stand out amid the dark, dreary background.

Lighting is everything when it comes to capturing a rainy day wedding photo. If you get the opportunity for a photo shoot in a rain shower on your big day, find out ahead of time if your photographer has a back-lighting setup, and scout out a spot with other forms of back-lighting if they don't. Don't be scared to get wet during your photo shoot -- that soaking-wet, kissing-in-the-rain look is fun and romantic -- but if you feel the need to carry an umbrella, definitely opt for one that is clear or white so it doesn't inhibit your lighting.

For more information, contact Joe Damone Photography or a similar company.

Share