I recently read a Facebook post where another nationally-known photographer posted about attending a wedding. She said that at that wedding, the photographer used flash during the ceremony. She also said that the second shooter wore jeans and a tee shirt, but that’s another topic. I also just recently attended a wedding and both the main and the second shooter were using flash during the ceremony. This got me to thinking. How often does this happen? And, are brides aware that this is going to happen?

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A wedding ceremony is a beautiful thing. It should be as sanctified as humanly possible. Random bursts of bright lights does not lend well to this. At all.

Flash at your Wedding Ceremony

So, do you want flash at your ceremony? Do you even need flash at your ceremony?

My answer is no. In my professional opinion, flash should never be used during the actual wedding ceremony. Any professional photographer you hire should be fully capable of capturing images that are correctly exposed without the use of artificial light—especially with the modern advancements in today’s camera processors. 

Before you sign that agreement or pay that retainer, ask. Do you use flash during the ceremony? Do you use flash during the ceremony in even extreme lighting situations? You should actually be concerned how your potential photographer photographs the entire ceremony. Ideally, you want to hire someone who is very discreet… someone who doesn’t linger in the center aisle or block your guests’ view. You want to hire someone who captures your day without ruining your guests’.

The sound of the camera shutter clicking is obtrusive enough. Don’t further the disturbance levels by adding obnoxious bursts of light and unprofessionally-dressed photographers who walk down the center aisle and block everyone’s view. My 2¢.

The post, Flash at your Wedding Ceremony, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.