::the best thing you can give me::

Do I love shooting in beautiful locations? Sure, any photographer does. Am I thrilled when someone tells me their wedding is going to be at some unique spot with fun things to photograph, decked out in every detail according to theme- maybe a fairytale garden wedding or a rustic country wedding in the mountains or a wedding in the middle of a vineyard amongst fall colored hills? Absolutely. And if anyone out there reading is about to plan one of those weddings, make sure you take me along. But to be honest, location isn’t everything, and details aren’t everything. A Vera Wang dress and a Neiman Marcus tuxedo would look great on you, but if I don’t have one tiny little thing, the best thing, I can’t shoot to do your amazing outfits justice. Any takers on what I’m referring to? A good light source!
The room where I met Jennifer and her bridesmaids to take some portraits of them getting ready was a nice hotel room but it was small and pretty dark. The only lights were dim fluorescents and I instantly felt a small lump of fear seize within me and for a split second my confidence left as I thought about shooting portraits in the dark room. They would certainly not be my best work with such dull artificial light and I realized that needed to change, quickly. Thankfully, there was another room the girls were using to get ready in and I went and checked that one out, relieved to see it had something I desperately hoped for- a giant window.
While Jennifer finished getting ready and put the finishing touches on her outfit, I positioned her right in front of the window and took some portraits. Natural light casts those soft, gentle rays I prefer to work with above artificial light sources (however those do come in handy when necessary).
So when you’re thinking about your day and planning where portraits will be taken and shot, consider what kind of light is available to you and your location. A great natural light source is a gift, any photographer is happy to receive.