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Night Indoor Photography Lighting Tutorial WITHOUT FLASH

english flash photography posing + portraits
Indoor Night Photography

Hey there! I'm Vanessa Joy, and I had an amazing time experimenting with night indoor photography using two Westcott bi-color lights. In this thrilling shoot, I aimed to capture a Romeo and Juliet-inspired scene, emphasizing the use of hard and soft light to create a dramatic atmosphere.

Setting the Stage: Before we dive into the details, I want to mention that this video is sponsored by Westcott, whose continuous lights played a crucial role in bringing my creative vision to life. To execute this shoot, I collaborated with Madera Estates, a stunning venue that often goes unnoticed by photographers in the Texas area. The venue's black ceilings posed a challenge for many natural light photographers, but I saw an opportunity to overcome this obstacle by utilizing the Westcott l60b Lights and creating a dark, moody scene.

Unleashing Creativity with Continuous Lights: One of the aspects I truly enjoy about continuous lights is the ability to set the mood exactly as I visualize it in real time. Unlike waiting for a flash and then reviewing the image, continuous lights allow me to see the effects instantly. In many ways, working with continuous lights acts as a stepping stone towards incorporating flash into my photography toolkit.

Crafting the Shots: Setting up the l60 Westcott lights, I opted to plug them into an electric source since my batteries had been depleted throughout the day. To ensure the ideal lighting for my subjects, I used a reflector to enhance the brightness of the lights, compensating for the slight distance between the lights and the subjects. I posed the couple in various locations within the ballroom, taking advantage of the venue's gorgeous doors leading to the patio and its striking candelabra. Despite a photographer mishap of accidentally capturing a tilted candelabra, the images turned out beautifully. Later, we ventured into the groom suite, featuring a captivating red wall, where I employed only one light to subtly illuminate the couple, maintaining a natural feel in harmony with the surroundings.

Perfecting the Results: During post-processing, I edited some of my favorite photos using luminar Neo, while the rest were skillfully edited by Freedom edits. I must emphasize that the Westcott l60b light played a vital role in achieving the desired ambiance. By positioning the lights off-camera, I was able to create depth and moodiness, while also ensuring a seamless integration of the light hitting my subjects with the ambient light in the environment.

If you're curious to explore night indoor photography or enhance your lighting techniques, I highly recommend checking out the Westcott l60b lights. They offer a portable battery pack option for added convenience and are a great addition to any photographer's arsenal. You can find the lights and the lighting kit I used, which includes a book bag capable of accommodating the entire setup, in the link below. I added an extra third light, and it fit perfectly! Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this shoot, and don't forget to like and subscribe for more exciting content. Until next time!

 

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Meet Vanessa

Photography education that gives your art an edge

Vanessa has been photographing weddings, events, portraits and lifestyle for over 20 years.

She's a Canon Explorer of Light, an honor given to only 5 photographers in the United States, and her work has been published by Yahoo! News, Grace Ormonde, Style Me Pretty, Rangefinder and more.

With her practical and open-book style of teaching, she shares everything she knows with hundreds of thousands of photographers as an educator and influential sparker.

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