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@KillerBlackbird

Natural light > *

@Ilya

You can add light here or there with Lightroom. But if there is light available without having to use flash…or if I can use settings that don’t make the pictures look like crap without flash…I will always use the natural light even if I have to use a tripod, or coax people into standing super still, etc.

That’s just how I roll I guess.

I concur…at least for my style/taste.

I agree, I do prefer natural light to a flash in most situations, but you can actually get a natural look once you learn how to use it. After doing all the editing I have now and the things ive learned in the few short months, shadowing my uncle etc. I’d rather get the exposure and light done right from the moment I press the shutter button then spend hours post processing if it doesnt need to be done.

@KillerBlackbird

There are certain situations where artificial light brings your subject to life however, or it may be too dark to photograph a person at a reasonable ISO number. For those situations off camera strobes are ideal.

Depends what you’re shooting but I like natural light when possible.

Agreed, unfortunately setting up strobes in every situation during a wedding etc is pretty much impossible :lol

@Ilya

Yeah, that’s basically what I said. Sometimes you need flash, but I do everything in my power to avoid it. I just don’t like it.

Play with it, find someone to practice on, ask around and try some things. You can get a flash to look quite natural, sometimes you have to take it off auto/TTL and learn to use it manually, but its very possible. You’re making a lot of work for yourself by shooting underexposed, sacrificing light and retouching afterwards, not only that your probably making your job a bit harder/longer for you and the people your shooting if your making them stand perfectly still pulling out your tripod when you can just use the flash

I’m sorry if I sound like I know everything, because I don’t I’m just relaying things I’ve tried myself along with watching my uncle/father and other family members shoot weddings and events since I was a little kid, ask jim and dan, I constantly ask them questions, im constantly playing with my camera and trying things, theres plenty on here that know more then me, but my eyes dont lie :lol. Maybe im biased but I’ll tell you my uncle in paritcular takes some of the best event photos I have ever seen. He’s arrogant and a perfectionist, he’s good at what he does and obviously has been doing something right if he’s been doing it for 35+ years. He hardly likes what he does anymore to be honest and is a bit of an asshole, but thats because people don’t want to spend what they used to on weddings and their definition of “quality” has changed and don’t understand your paying for time, not just the photos

but I will say again, I like you guys do prefer natural lighting… but for moving people in dark areas or with all diferent contrasts… sometimes natual light just doesnt make sense.