BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Tips for Taking Wedding Photos

Photography Question 

Lisa Stringer
 

Wedding Photography: Shadow Problem


I need some advice on how to avoid shadows when taking pictures at weddings. I use a Canon Digital Rebel with a 420 EX flash. I have also used a bracket. This helped a little. The horizontal pictures came out fine but the verticals had the shadows. Any advice?


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April 16, 2005

 

Christopher A. Vedros
  Does your bracket allow you to flip the flash? Flip brackets allow you to either flip the flash or the camera, so that when you take a vertical shot, the flash will still be positioned above the lens. These are not too expensive and are very handy. Stroboframe is a popular brand.
Another handy item is a Lumiquest Mini Soft Box. This is a soft vinyl folding diffuser that velcros to your flash to diffuse and soften the light.


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April 16, 2005

 

Lisa Stringer
 
 
 
Yes, the bracket allows to flip the flash. I thought the church was too dim to use a softbox.


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April 17, 2005

 

Kerry L. Walker
  The intensity of the ambient light has no bearing on whether you should use a softbox. It is your flash that is lighting the subject. If your flash is powerful enough - and it probably is unless you are using a very small flash - you should use a softbox. If softens and diffuses your flash.


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April 17, 2005

 

Gregg
  For a better answer please tell us where the shadow are. Left, right, etc..


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April 19, 2005

 

anonymous
  What length lense are you using? I have the 3000n and use the 420ex flash, I don't have any problems using my 28-90mm but if I use my 90-300mm then the long lense will create a shadow on my subject, you shouldn't need a flash using this lense anyway, as you are usually too far away from the subject for it to do any good.

Hope this helps.


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April 19, 2005

 

Lisa Stringer
  The shadows are usually to the right of the object/person.


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April 20, 2005

 

Kerry L. Walker
  Are you rotating your camera to the left when you shoot verticals? (I would be willing to bet that you are and that your flash winds up to your left rather than over the lens axis, thus creating a shadow on the right side.)


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April 20, 2005

 

Lisa Stringer
  Actually the bracket that I used allows the flash to be moved up over the camera when taking vertical shots.


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April 21, 2005

 

Kerry L. Walker
  If you had the flash up over the lens axis, I have no clue as to why you are getting shadows.


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April 21, 2005

 
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