Louise and Matt got married at Stanbrook Abbey in Worcestershire.
We discussed the photos that the couple wanted in length, and it was clear that the bride an groom really wanted some stunning after-dark photos taken at their wedding. They were keen on having some dramatically lit images like the one you see here.
For this image, I used an off camera flash that was placed about 4 metres behind the couple, pointing back towards me in order to light the floor surrounding the couple, as well as providing a stunning rim-light. I made used manual camera settings to work out the correct exposure for the background, and then manually dialled flash in using a Pocket Wizard Mini and Flex setup that allowed me to change the flash output without having to run backwards and forwards. I asked the Stanbrook Abbey staff to change the colour of the external lighting to the pink/blue (as the green didn't seem right) and took several frames, using different poses and slightly different angles.
I used exactly the same technique with a photo of Louise and Matt at the old front entrance to Stanbrook Abbey. Here, I used manual exposure to work out the correct settings for the ambient light (the large light above the door) and used an off-camera flash placed behind the couple to light them and the doorway. This time, the flash was pointing directly up as to avoid overpowering the couple with the light being so close to them.
Location: Stanbrook Abbey, Worcestershire.
Keywords: Photographer-directed image (149).