It's All in the Light {New Braunfels and San Antonio Wedding Photography}

A few days ago I blogged about the advantages of having a second photographer at a wedding. Today I'd like to elaborate on that by showing you some of the differences between shooting with natural light and using strobes or artificial light.

The reason I'm following up with the second shooter blog with this lighting issue is because I often have my second shooter follow me around and shoot with natural light the same thing that I'm shooting while using strobes and other lighting techniques.

You'll see that they can both be beautiful in their own way. One of them isn't more right than the other in cases like this. That's just another advantage of having a second photographer. I can create twice as many couple images in half the time by having her shoot around me.

Take these shots for example. I set my couple up against the sunset and aimed an off camera strobe at them. My second shooter set her camera up to use available light only and shot at a different angle. I ask my second to move around and get a variety of angles.



The one on the left was taken by me with off camera flash, the one on the right was taken by Laura, my favorite second, using just available light.

Do you see how with the strobe lit image we see more detail in the sky. It brought out those rich colors of the sunset. But the natural lit image is lovely as well, in a different way. Both have their merits and their charm.

Here's another example of that same couple at the same session.



I'm sure you can tell now which was lit with off camera strobes and which was shot with available light only.

We do this at every wedding we shoot together. My second, whether it's Laura or one of the other fine second shooters I use, tell me they enjoy their job "sniping." They let me do the posing and lighting and they can just wander around and catch the moments in a different way.

Here's another wedding with the same thing. Can you tell which ones Laura shot?





The difference is more subtle in the lighting in this next example because we had such an overcast sky this day. In my image here you can see the light hitting the bride's face and just a little color in the overcast sky.



The next image was shot by another favorite second, Priscilla Lopez. Notice how she also had a different angle making the same pose flattering in a different way. She was also using a longer lens and therefore had more compression in the background giving that soft bokeh. Her lighting was all natural.



I could give you all these images without a second photographer, but that would be more work for me and would take twice as long during a time when the bride and groom really want to be done with photos so they can join their family and friends at the reception. I'm blessed to have some of the best second shooters around to give my couples the best images they can have.

Lisa On Location Photography

When the Family Grows, and Grows, and Grows.... {New Braunfels Photography}

My oldest turned 18 last month. And her first act as a legal adult was to sign papers with the New Braunfels Humane Society to foster pets for them. They had a new batch of orphaned kittens that needed constant care. She insisted she was the lady for the job. She would prepare special food for a 4-week-old kitten and care for it until it was old enough to adopt out. So she comes home with this thing.



I took one look at that face and knew we were in trouble.

When I asked how long we would be taking care of the little cutie, she told me at least 2-4 weeks. That was it. That sealed it. We could handle a day or two without falling in love. But if she kept that thing in this house for 2-4 weeks I knew we'd be hopelessly, irreversibly smitten.

Sure enough it happened. There's no way this kitten is going anywhere. In spite of the trouble he brought (and I'm not even talking about the nasty case of squirts he developed).



So we went through quite a bit of laundry at first. We dealt with hissing and anger from a few adult cats who weren't quite so welcoming. We learned to deal. And just when we thought all was right with the world, this little creature comes into the house.



We named her Belle. And we also decided that we would no longer be fostering animals. We are incapable of not getting attached. So meet the newest members of the family. Belle and Squirt (aka Tumble, aka Boo -- the kitten hasn't earned a name yet).

Lord help us!



Lisa On Location Photography

It's a Christmas Fiesta at Sunset Station {San Antonio Wedding Photography}

Saturday's weather was cold and wet, but that didn't stop this fiesta from raging all night at Sunset Station.

Priscilla and Gabriel's wedding was a traditional Catholic Latin Mass at The Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. Despite spending my entire life in the Catholic faith, I had never seen a traditional Latin Mass and I am hooked. It was so beautiful and peaceful. It's worth the experience for all faiths!



The ceremony was followed by several hours of joyriding on the "Party Bus" with the couple and the bridal party. We made several stops for photos over the course of the ride. Marriage Island was a stop, as was the Selena bridge and Sunset Station for the reception. I won't share many photos of the events of the party bus because it did get wild. What happened on the party bus, stayed on the party bus!









The party at Sunset Station had a fiesta flair and lasted long into the night. The couple was whisked away by a lit carriage in the drizzle.

I was so honored to be able to photograph this glorious day!

Lisa On Location Photography