Dance Shots: Using Off-Camera Flash

Off-camera flash is a trick I pull out of my back pocket every single wedding. I guess, at that point, it's not much of a trick anymore- but you get the idea ;) 

As you probably know, between low-light and moving subjects, dancing shots are not easy to capture. Usually I'm sweating, and laughing, and thankful I have super fast batteries. 

  But all in all, dancing shots are a great part of the wedding reception, so many fun memories involved, and well worth knowing how to capture. 

  So here goes. 

My recipe for dance shots: 

1. Off camera flash triggered wirelessly to my camera. Set the flash on a stand or table where desired, acting as a backlight. 

2. On camera flash to expose the subjects with a medium shutter speed, set on manual. The flash will freeze the motion so you don't have to worry too much about blur. 

3. Persevere. Sometimes it feels like it takes 30 shots to get one keeper, but that's the nature of candid dancing shots. Guests typically aren't thinking, "I should be photogenic right now", so you keep shooting, keep checking if the images are sharp, keep sweating ;) 

  Here's a smattering of dance shots from the past few weddings- I noticed a tangible difference when I upgraded my speed-light, but the technique is the same. 

**These were all shot on digital vs film 

Fine Art Wedding Photography Portland Or

What comes to mind when you think of fine art wedding photography in Portland OR? Well, I'll tell you. Film. Film, film, and more film. Shooting fine art wedding photos seems to always happen on film. Which is why I bought my first film camera 2 months ago. Yikes! Yes, I have forged into 35mm and medium format photography. I love the muted hues and soft focus of the fine art wedding look. It's sprinkled all over the pages of the latest bridal mags, but there is something incredibly timeless about it's beauty.

Fine art wedding photography based out of Portland Or is a bit tricky as the market is very saturated. But like anything else, you just have to be better at it. A saturated market just means you have to excel to stand out. In a competitive wedding market, film can make the difference. But more than a business idea, I have fallen in love with the creative process again.

With film its more painstaking, thoughtful and precise. There is no room for error in your exposure. Have I ruined several rolls of expensive film? Yes. But the journey is very exciting. Getting those images back from the lab is like christmas every time.

What are some of the Defining qualities of Fine Art Wedding Photography?

A few things stand out.

1. The color tones and skin tones. Because the photographer is using traditional film, the colors have a distinct look based on the film they used. Fuji400 is the most popular wedding film as its colors are soft and romantic. Weddings are soft and romantic so they match nicely :)

2. The focus is softer. Digital photographs compared to fine art wedding photographs are much much sharper. This can give you a "tin can" effect, where the digital image loses its authenticity. Film photography has a "less than perfect" quality that many people are growing to love once again.

3. The style of posing is distinct. Most fine art wedding photographers lean towards poses that direct the avoid eye-contact with the subject. They tell the story, but avoid the "eyes at the camera" look which is typical in most wedding photographers. Fine art wedding photos are about putting the small pieces together to create a comprehensive story of the day. The detail shots are just as important as the classic portraits.

Here's some examples from my own work- and granted, it's definitely in process ;)

Veils from Serephine, Dresses from Lydia Wagner - both northwest designers. With my background in fashion, I can't help but shoot in a fashion style.

 Fine art wedding photography, Portland OR. Portland is the home of Fine Art Wedding photography by Christa-Taylor.

Camera gear: Nikon F100 and current favorite nikon lenses- 85mm 1.4 and 35mm 1.8

How to Batch Edit Your Photos

Today's how-to video is an exclusive insider video from my mentoring sessions. Ha yes. I do mentor photographers in the making. Today's point: You can easily batch edit your photos increasing your work-flow ten-fold. Like speedy gonzalez, speed is everything.