Light is Light Series Ep 03: Using light with purpose on real wedding days.

In the last post, I promised we’d take this series one step further, less theory, more action. Today, we’re diving into real wedding images I created with off-camera flash (OCF). Some shots were built entirely with flash as the main source, others are a blend of flash and natural light.

The goal here isn’t to throw numbers at you, it’s to show you how I approach tricky lighting conditions, the thought process behind my settings, and how light, whether harsh or soft, can always be shaped into something beautiful.

Let’s break down the first image.

Q: “this shot of Sabrina and Michael in downtown Montreal looks insane. Midday sun, harsh light, how did you even pull this off?”

Picture of a real B&G downtown Montreal
Canon R5
Lens Canon 14mm
F16
SS 1/200
ISO 200

Picture of a real B&G downtown Montreal, in a real wedding day
Same settings as above

Bride & Groom on a real wedding day. Picture taken at 5:23
Canon R5
Canon 14mm lens EF
F18
SS 1/200
ISO 200

Real bride on her wedding day. Picture taken at 5:26
F16
SS 1/200
ISO 200

Me: Great question. Most photographers hate noon sun, but I see it as a canvas. For this shot, I started with the Sunny 16 rule: f/16, ISO 200, and 1/200 sec gave me the perfect base exposure for the background, the sky, the buildings, and that crisp sunburst overhead. It’s important to note that I only use these settings when I am using a wide angle lens. I want the subjects and the background to be visible, in focus AND have that dramatic and high contrast look throughout the frame. Once that was locked in, I added off-camera flash to bring the couple back into balance without losing the drama of the scene. In this case, camera right. In comes the frame, soon as balance between background and couple exposure is achieved. It’s a real wedding day, on crunch time, in the middle of a busy street, not a lot of time.
The buildings act as leading lines. The street is the middle of the frame, The buildings behind and the sky add depth to the image.
Equipment used:
Canon R5.
Lens Canon 14mm lens EF
Light used:
AD400 pro
34” quick octagon from Flashgear.net, in a C light Stand, camera right, about 8 feet hight, pointing down at the couple.

• Aperture f/16: I wanted to expose for the background and capture that crisp sunstar effect. Smaller apertures like f/16 naturally create those starbursts, and it also gave me deep depth of field so the buildings, sky, and couple were all sharp.

• Shutter speed 1/200: Since I was working with ISO 200, the Sunny 16 rule points me to 1/200 sec as the correct shutter for proper exposure in bright sunlight. It kept the ambient light balanced without blowing out the sky.

• ISO 200: Normally I’d shoot at ISO 100, but bumping to 200 gave me a faster shutter option while still keeping noise negligible. It also matched perfectly with the Sunny 16 formula.
  
  The 14mm was intentional because:

• Drama & Scale: A wide lens exaggerates the scene. It makes the buildings feel taller and the street more epic, turning a simple downtown block into a cinematic stage.

• Storytelling: With a wedding portrait, I don’t just want the couple—I want the environment. The 14mm let me showcase the city, the sky, and the sunburst all in one frame.

• Movement: It amplified the veil toss, stretching it across the frame like a brushstroke, which wouldn’t have had the same impact on a longer lens.

  So the 14mm gave me the big, dramatic, environmental storytelling shot

With those base settings locked in, I added off-camera flash to lift the couple out of the shadows and match them to the environment. That’s what gives you the best of both worlds: the drama of the midday city and the couple perfectly lit in the middle of it.

Now, from a crisp f/16 urban sunburst to a soft, romantic f/2 portrait. Same couple, same street, same sun blazing in the sky. wider aperture for a nice blurred background

Q; Okay, Braulio, the first shot was dramatic with the sunburst and the whole city in focus. But this one feels so much softer, more intimate. What changed?”

Real Bride & Groom on their wedding day. Picture taken at 1:40 pm
F2
SS 1/1000
ISO 50

Real Bride & Groom on their wedding day
Same settings as above

Real Bride on her wedding day. Picture taken at 5:41 pm
Canon R5
Lens Sigma Art 85mm lens
F2
SS 1/3200
ISO 100

Picture of a real B&G on a real wedding day. Picture taken at 5:37
Canon R5
Lens Sigma Art 85mm lens
F2
SS 1/5000
ISO 100

Picture of a real groom on his wedding day. Picture taken at 2:21 pm
Canon R5
Lens Sigma Art 85mm
F2
SS 1/2000
ISO 100

Me: Exactly. Different mood, different tools. Here I wanted to blur the background and make the couple stand out, so I opened up my aperture to f/2. I also changed the lens. From a 14mm lens to a 85mm lens. That shallow depth of field melts the cars and city details away, keeping all the attention on them. My settings were f/2, 1/1000 sec, ISO 50. The fast shutter kept the image sharp in bright light, while ISO 50 gave me cleaner tones and let me shoot wide open. The result is a tighter, more romantic crop that feels timeless compared to the dramatic wide shot from before.

• Aperture f/2: I wanted a shallow depth of field so the background would blur away. At f/2, the couple stays sharp, but everything behind them melts into softness, perfect for an intimate, romantic feel.

• Shutter speed 1/1000: With such a wide aperture in bright daylight, I needed a fast shutter to avoid blowing out the highlights. 1/1000 sec kept the exposure balanced and the image tack sharp.

• ISO 50: Normally I’d be at ISO 100, but dropping to ISO 50 gave me a little extra control. It let me stay wide open at f/2 without overexposing, and it kept the tones super clean and smooth.
  
  The 85mm is my go-to lens for portraits because:

• Compression: It naturally compresses the background, making it look closer and creamier. That works beautifully with f/2 to really melt distractions away.

• Flattering perspective: The 85mm keeps facial features natural and elegant—no distortion like you might get at wider focal lengths.

• Isolation: Paired with a wide aperture, it gives incredible subject separation. The couple stands out crystal clear while the city falls into soft blur.

  In short, the 85mm gave me that intimate, cinematic portrait look that feels timeless—perfect for balancing out the big, dramatic wide shot we did earlier.

So every setting had a purpose: shallow depth of field for mood, fast shutter for control, and low ISO for quality. Together, they created this soft, elegant look that complements the couple’s moment.

Posing & Light Placement

Before you even pose your couple, you need the right light. In bright conditions like these, your flash has to be powerful enough to compete with the sun—400 watts and up will usually do the job.

Modifiers That Work

Go with something that wraps light beautifully while still giving direction:

• A beauty dish for punch and shape.

• A softbox for smoother wrap.

• Or a hybrid like the Flashgear 34" beauty dish/quick octabox, which combines both qualities.

Where to Place the Light

• General rule: Always place the light to the side of your position—either left or right. This creates dimension and avoids flat lighting.

• With a wide lens (like 14mm): Keep the light further away from your subjects. This gives a punchier, contrasty look, but it means you’ll need more power. Keep it just outside the frame (or barely visible for easy Photoshop cleanup).

• For softer light: Move the light as close as possible to your subjects. The closer the source, the softer the falloff, and the less power you’ll need. You can even feather the light (angling it slightly past your subjects) for a smoother, more even wrap.

Posing With Light in Mind

Once the light is set, pose your couple so their faces naturally turn toward the light. This makes the light work for them instead of against them, giving you beautiful highlights and shadows that sculpt their features.

Your pose will only look as good as the way the light hits your couple. The rule of thumb I follow is simple:

• Wide angle images: Have their faces toward the light. With a wide lens, you’re often working with a punchier setup and higher contrast. That means shadows will fall harder behind them—but that’s the point. It creates drama and separation. The key is making sure those shadows don’t fall in the wrong places—under the eyes, nose, or neck. Keep those areas clean, and the rest of the scene can handle the contrast.

• Close-up portraits: Here, I prefer the nose pointing toward the key light. Even if you’re using a soft modifier, if the face turns too far away from the light, the shadow side becomes too harsh, which feels unflattering in tighter frames. By pointing the nose toward the key light, you get a smooth transition from highlight to shadow, adding depth and dimension without losing softness.

Think of it this way: wide shots thrive on contrast, close-ups thrive on smooth transitions.

Reflections:

At the end of the day, every image in this breakdown had the same starting point: light is light. Whether I’m shooting with a wide 14mm lens at f/16 under harsh midday sun, or an 85mm portrait at f/2 with a blurred background, the process never changes—I read the light, I decide how I want the image to feel, and then I use my tools to make it happen.

What I hope you take from this is that there’s no such thing as “bad light.” Harsh sun, soft shade, golden hour, or flash—it’s all just light, waiting for you to shape it. The Sunny 16 rule, lens choice, off-camera flash, posing toward the key—these aren’t tricks, they’re fundamentals. Master them, and you’ll never panic in difficult conditions again.

So the next time you step into a wedding day and the light isn’t “perfect,” remember: it doesn’t need to be. Light is light—what you do with it is what makes the photograph.

On my next blog, we will dive into my process of lighting couples indoors, in the absence of Natural light. What happens if it rains and you have to go inside? And there’s no interesting place for you to take beautiful portraits for your couple? Or, if you have to shoot after sunset, with zero natural light available?

Stay tuned.

Why Your Photos Still Look Flat: Mastering Soft Light Like a Pro

So you finally figured out how to expose your couple under the sun.
You dialed in your background. You added flash. You got the shot.

Congrats… you’ve graduated from “survivor” to “basic operator.”
But now I have a question for you — and be honest:

Did you control how that light feels?
Or did you just blast them with whatever light your strobe vomited out?

Because there’s a massive difference between a soft, elegant wrap-around glow that makes your subjects look like magazine covers...
And harsh, contrasty, unflattering light that screams, “I have no idea what modifiers do.”

Heres the thing tho. There is a time and a place for everything. And when well done, harsh light can produce amazing results.

In this two part blog series, we will break both down to you in a simple to read and understand way, so that you can make informed decisions when its your turn to lit up your subjects.

Today, we will focus on soft light.

What Is “Soft Light” vs. “Hard Light”?

Let me break it down for you, because this right here is where photographers separate from flash monkeys.

It’s not about having light.
It’s about shaping it.
Controlling it.
Making it feel intentional.

Soft Light = Flattering, Forgiving, Feels Like a Hug

Soft light wraps around your subject.
It melts shadows. It smooths skin. It’s elegant, romantic, and cinematic.

Think of soft light as the gentle voice in your lighting vocabulary — the one that says:

“Hey, I got you. Let’s make you look your best.”

Its image where you can see the my 34” diffuser really close to the subjects

You get it by using:
big light source (like a 36" or 48" softbox)

• Bringing the light closer to your subject

• Using diffusion (softbox, umbrella, scrim)

What you end up with:

• Smooth transitions between light and shadow

• Catchlights in the eyes that look alive and controlled

• Skin that doesn’t scream “help me” in post
  
  Confused? Lets break this down one by one.
  
  Why Closer + Bigger = Softer: The Real Reason Your Light Still Looks Like Trash

  Let’s cut to the chase.

  You bought the big-ass softbox. You set up your flash. You expected creamy, glowy, magazine-cover light…
  And your image still looks like it was lit with a flashlight and regret.

  Why?

  Because you placed the light too damn far from your subject. Which is a common mistake.
  Here’s the Rule:

The larger your light source appears relative to your subject, the softer the light will be.

Let me say that again, slowly:

It’s not just about the size of your modifier. It’s about how big it looks from where your subject is standing.

So if your 36" softbox is 8 feet away?
To your subject, it’s not a big light, it’s a tiny glowing dot.

But take that same softbox and bring it in close, 2 to 3 feet from your subject?

Now it looks massive.
It wraps. It kisses the skin. It smooths shadows.
That’s soft light.

Let’s Break the Science Down:

Image from a Bat Mitzvah with soft transitions from light to shadow, due to how close the soft box was — Just outside the frame.

• Light travels in straight lines.

• The closer the source, the more the light spreads across the subject before those shadows even start forming.

• A bigger light area = longer, smoother transitions between light and dark.

• That = less contrast, more glow, less retouching in post.

• The closer the light to your subject, the less power you have to use.
  
  Common Mistake:

  You spent all your money on a big modifier... and then put it way back near your tripod.

  Don’t be that guy.

Bring. The. Light. Closer.

You want that thing just outside your frame, hugging the edge.
Don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it. That soft glow you’re chasing?
It lives in that closeness.

Which Modifiers Actually Create Soft Light (and Which Ones Don’t)

So you understand now that soft light is about size + distance.
But the modifier you choose is what determines how your light behaves, spreads, and feels.

Let’s break down the real tools that work, and why they matter.
Softboxes (Octa, Rectangular, Strip)

These are the workhorses of soft, controlled lighting.

Why they slap:

• Big surface = soft shadows

• Built-in diffusion = smooth, clean falloff

• Directional control = keeps light where you want it, not on your background, walls, or Uncle Dave’s bald head

Best use:
Portraits, weddings, headshots, maternity, kids, corporate — basically anything with a human face.

Your Move: Get at least a 32" or 36" for weddings. Bigger if you’re not running-and-gunning. My personal favourit? The 34” quick Octabox. Perfect for individual shots, like a Bar Mitzvah boy or Senior sessions, as well as the occasional family session and Bride and Groom portraits.

Umbrellas (Shoot-Through or Reflective)

These are great for quick setups or when you need big, soft light fast.

Why they’re decent:

• Cheap and portable

• Great coverage

• Big surface area = softness

Why they suck sometimes:

• No control. Light spills everywhere.

• Shoot-throughs = soft but messy

• Reflective = soft but harder to aim

Best use:
Group shots, behind-the-scenes, large spaces, fast-paced environments

Family formals during an event done with a 7 foot umbrella

Your Move: I use a 7 foot reflective umbrella for family formals during weddings. Fast to set up and take down, gives me enough light for both big and small groups like in this example above.

Parabolic Modifiers with Diffusion

These babies are like Ferraris of soft light — when used correctly.

Why they’re fire:

• Deep throw + control + softness

• Can be used hard or soft depending on the setup

• Looks cinematic as hell

Why they’re tricky:

• Expensive

• Bulky

• Needs distance and patience

Best use:
Fashion, editorial, signature wedding portraits where you’ve got time and control

Your Move: If you’re gonna use one, add a diffuser or inner baffle to soften the hell out of it. Otherwise, it’s punching too hard for this topic.

What NOT to Rely On for Soft Light:

• Bare Bulb Flash → not soft, not controlled, total chaos

• Speedlights with no modifier → welcome to raccoon-eye city

• Cheap knockoff softboxes with no diffusion → hard shadows with a false sense of security

• Your camera’s pop-up flash → delete your camera. I’m kidding. (But also… don’t.)
  
  Now, if you want a total breakdown of real-world lighting setups I use to get that soft cinematic wrap, just click here

Next week we will talk about high contrast harsher light, and how to use it to create highly cinematic pictures. As usually, don’t forget to drop that follow on my Instagram @rochastudio and if you have any questions for me, I am just a text message away.

Open Shade: Your best hack when shooting in a bright sunny day without Off camera Flash

What Is Open Shade in Photography?

Open shade is your best friend when you're shooting outside in harsh sunlight without off-camera flash.

It’s the type of shade that’s not blocked in on all sides. Light is still bouncing in, but you’re protected from direct sun. Think: the side of a building, under a tree canopy, beside a wall, or just outside a doorway.

You’re not in full darkness. You’re in a soft light pocket, diffused, flattering and even.

And it’s a game changer when you’ve got no gear, no time, and a sun that’s trying to cook your couple alive.

Why Open Shade Matters (Especially When You’re Gear-Less in the Sun)

Here’s the deal:
Direct sunlight sucks. It causes hard shadows, squinty eyes, blown-out highlights, and sweat-streaked foreheads. Not sexy. Not flattering. Not usable. If you adjust your camera settings to your couple’s skin (Or white wedding dress), you will blow up the sky. If you adjust for the bright sky, your subjects will be severely underexposed. I Avoid direct sunlight like the plague. Check this image below for example. Nadav here has no choice but to squint (Even tho it was 5pm, imagine at 1 pm). Harsh shadows on his nose, under his hair, under his neck. Not comfortable to your subjects, and not the best look for your final deliveries.

Nadav under direct sunlight

Open shade solves all that. Why?
Even lighting on the face. No raccoon eyes from overhead sun.
Softer shadows. Better skin, better contrast, easier edits.
No blown highlights or overexposed backgrounds.
Your couple won’t be squinting like they’re staring into the apocalypse.
When you’re outside at noon with no flash and no time, open shade is the cheat code. It's nature’s softbox, if you know how to find it.

How to Find Open Shade Fast on a Wedding Day

No time. No gear. No excuses. Here’s how you find open shade on the fly:

1. Look for Structures That Block Overhead Sun

Buildings. Porches. Overhangs. Big trucks. Trees (with thick leaves, carefully with hot spots). You’re not looking for full darkness — just something that blocks the sun above, while still letting light spill in from the front or sides.

2. Use the Edge of the Shade

Don’t bury your couple deep in the shadow. You want to shoot right on the edge — where the light from the open sky hits softly, but direct sun is gone.
That edge is where the magic lives.

3. Angle Their Face Toward the Light Source

Even in shade, you’ve got a direction of light (usually from the open sky). Turn your couple toward that light, just like you would with a softbox. Boom — clean skin tones, catchlights, flattering falloff.

4. Use Reflective Surfaces Nearby

Light-colored walls, concrete, sand, even white cars — they bounce light back into your subject’s face like a natural reflector. Use them. That’s free lighting, baby.

5. Always Check the Background

Shade won’t save you if there’s a trash bin or 18 parked cars behind your couple. Move around until the background works. Trees, walls, neutral tones. Clean it up in-camera.

But for me, the most important tip I can give you is to make sure the background isn’t exposed to that big bright sun light. If the background isn’t exposed to that big bright sunlight, you can actually shoot wide open under direct sunlight.

On these examples below, on the first picture, the background is exposed to the sunlight. Even tho I managed to lower the highlights in the background, it is still overexposed when compared to the subject. In the rest of the images, I moved around until I found a spot where the background wasn’t exposed to the light. The settings were exactly the same.
F2
SS (Shutter speed 1/500)
ISO 100

On my next article, I will teach you how to shoot under direct sunlight, if you don’t have a choice, both using only natural light only AND with OCF (Off Camera Flash)
Feel free to email or DM me on Instagram any time by clicking here.

Braulio Rocha
The Braulio Way

Lighting kit for wedding photography Part 1: Ceremonies.

Logo of Flashgear.net

On these next few blogs, I will dive into my personal preference for what Off Camera Flash (OCF) equipment I use for a full wedding day, as well as how I use it considering a full wedding day presents different scenarios and lighting situations.

remember, there are more than one way to achieve results. Different photographers will use different equipment and methods, this is just what works for me.

Lets start with a list of my OCF kit that bring too every wedding, as well as a link to my favourite OCF supplier.
1- Two Godox V1 pro Speedlights Click here
2- Two AD200 pro Click here
3- One AD400 pro Click Here
4- One 34” Quick Octabox the works as a soft box as well as a Beauty dish since it has a beauty dish plate Click Here
5- One 75” ULM Silver reflective umbrella Click Here
6- Three Heavy Duty Air cushioned Light Stand Click Here
7- One Godox Xpro II Controller Click Here


There’s a lot more equipment you can use, like small diffusers for your speed lights and AD200’s, just go to www.flashgear.net and have fun shopping.



Now, let’s get to the fun part. What do I use all these lights for, during wedding Ceremonies?
Let’s start with understanding that a full wedding day presents different challenges lighting wise. The same with ceremonies. Every building is different.
For example, churches can be very dark with brown wood walls, same as barns, or they can be very bright with big windows and white walls.
So what to you do if you are presented with a church, barn, synagogue or any other temple, with very low ambient light?
That’s when OCF comes in handy. But first, remember to respect the location, and always ask the person in charge of the ceremony what are the rules. I have been lucky so far and have always been able to use OCF in dark ceremonies.

Maid of honour coming down the aisle

When bridal party (or the bride) is coming down the aisle, if it’s a small room, I always have two AD200’s Left and right of the altar, pointing at the wall BEHIND me on light stands. Why pointing at the top corner wall behind me and not straight down the aisle?
Because if it’s a small room, the light, even at its lowest power, would be too harsh . So pointing them at the wall opposite to the aisle, will make the light hit the walls, and as it bounces back, it spreads wider and by the time it hits people coming down the isle, it will be softer and less harsh. This image is a perfect example of what I mean. The two AD200’s diffused with a good dome, are pointing at the wall behind me, creating a nice and soft spill of light by the time it hits this maid of honour.

Bride coming down the aisle

Now, if its a large room, with very high ceilings and a long aisle, then I do the opposite, I point the lights straight down the aisle, at 13 feet high, diffused with a Godox Dome, to make it less harsh. This image is an example of it. Big church with super high ceilings, and a very long aisle. Two AD200’s diffused with a Godox dome, pointing straight down the aisle. The bride and her parents are properly exposed while still saving ambient light.





How do I control these lights?
I always have two cameras on me, each with a V1 Godox speed light on them.
One of the cameras has either a 85mm lens or 70-200 mm lens (Depending how big is the idle). That camera has the speed light controlling the OCF (The two AD200’s). The purpose is to have good light for when they are the further away from me, as they start coming down the aisle.

The other camera has a 24-70 mm lens. The speed light on that camera isn’t controlling any off, its just for when the bridal party gets closer to me and the speed light on my camera is enough to properly expose them.



Both Cameras always have high enough ISO to save ambient light. Some photographers even use coloured gels and adjusted Kelvin scale to match ambient light, but that’s a conversation for another blog.


During the ceremony, always trying to be the least disruptive as possible, have an assistant who’s only job is to work with the lights so that you can keep your focus on what’s happening in front of you. Try to adjust the lights in different angles, always to get perfect and soft light, when the couple is up on the altar. Walls are great light reflectors or just for bouncing, use them. Don’t point lights straight at the couple in the altar, they won’t enjoy it as its highly distracting, always bouncing off of walls.

A bride an her parents

But…

If it’s a building with a lot of natural light, big windows and white walls, you absolutely don’t need any kind of OCF, just flash on camera and enough ISO. In these two images (right and above) this church had white walls, big windows and a lot of ambient light, so I only used speed light on my camera for a bit of fill, and high ISO high enough. Keep it simple people, don’t do more than what you have to.




Next Tuesday, I will talk about my Reception Setup, where I mix the two AD200’s with a AD400, all controlled by one of my V1 speedlights.

For more tips and examples of my work, check my Instagram here
You can also join my Facebook educational group here

Drop a comment below and let me know what you think, and stay tuned for next week’s blog about lighting reception rooms