elle + rich {chapel hill wedding}

It’s getting to be that time of year again where it gets to be like 150 degrees outside on any given day here in North Carolina.  Back in the day, when I first starting shooting weddings, I would fear the mid-afternoon sun and long for nice overcast days where the sky would turn into one big soft, beautiful light source.  The mid-afternoon sun is still not “ideal” in some cases, but the more experienced I become the more comfortable I get with “less-than-ideal” conditions…actually to the point where I now embrace them.

Direct mid-day sun is not an optimal lighting environment because, one, the light is coming almost straight down leaving unflattering shadows on faces, two, because it’s so bright it causes people to squint, and three, because the light is more neutral colored as opposed to the flattering warm colored light the evening sun provides.  However, one big advantage of shooting in mid-day sun as opposed to overcast skies is that you get directional light.  For the professional photographer this is always a good thing.  Directional light helps shape and form the subjects/objects upon which it falls and with the right balance between highlights and shadows you can really get some images that just “pop”.  That’s my little tip of the day for you budding photographers out there.  :)

Now, if you are a bride, of course it is ALWAYS preferred to have a nice sunny day for your wedding, and that’s exactly what Elle and Rich had for their beautiful, quaint little wedding at the Aquaduct in Chapel Hill.  Congrats you guys!