If you are considering wedding photography in Paris, by far the most romantic night wedding photography is definitely the best choice! Studio Lazuli, which specializes in lighting photography, can provide you with wedding photos as fantastic as a scene from a movie at a low price. Today, we would like to explain why we recommend night wedding photos.
(1) Blue Hour is the best time for night wedding photos as it magically envelopes the entire Paris in a romantic atmosphere
Before explaining the blue hour, first of all, have you ever heard of the magic hour, which is said to be the best time to take beautiful photos outdoors?
Magic Hour refers to the time of day when the light in the sky changes dramatically around sunrise and sunset. There are two types of hours, known as the Golden Hour and the Blue Hour. The Golden Hour refers to the time just after sunrise or just before sunset, while the Blue Hour refers to the time just before sunrise or just after sunset. The Golden Hour, just before the sun sets, is dramatic as the world turns orange as far as the eye can see, but the Blue Hour, when the streetlights and buildings begin to light up, is the perfect time for wedding photos, as the entire Paris is magically enveloped in a romantic atmosphere.
I was so impressed by the beauty of the blue hour when I saw it on my first visit to Paris that I incorporated “Lazuli,” meaning azure, into the name of the site. The photo above was taken in the courtyard of the Louvre during my favorite blue hour, and is my favorite photo that truly symbolizes Lazuli.
We set up the photo so that the Louvre Palace and the glass pyramid on the left and right were symmetrical in composition, and used a cross-lighting technique by setting up two lighting equipment behind and diagonally in front of the client couple.
(2) Lighting photography used in night wedding photography is an essential technique to draw attention to the main subject like a spotlight
Photography is said to be “the art of subtraction,” and I believe that using techniques to naturally lead the viewer’s eye to the subject (the object you want to show) is a shortcut to creating an impressive photograph. For this reason, photographers make every effort to improve the quality of their photos by using single-focus lenses that blur everything except the subject beautifully, controlling the shutter speed to blur the surroundings, adding elements to the angle of view that will serve as a frame, and so on.
A major advantage of night wedding photography is the ability to use lighting shooting techniques to draw viewers’ attention to the client couple, who are the stars of the show, like spotlights on a stage. In addition, it is easier to naturally express the “art of subtraction” when shooting at night, because everything except the subject of the lighting and the illuminated buildings or streetlights will be inconspicuous like blacks on a stage. However, since lighting is a very deep subject, the skill of the photographer really shows, and I think it is a technique that makes inexperienced photographers cry.
(3) Night wedding photography in Paris is a chance to make full use of high-level reflection techniques
The same is true of the photo of the Louvre courtyard introduced in (2), but night wedding photography is a situation where it is easy to use reflection techniques that give a one-rank higher impression. Golden hour is the time of day when the sky is bright and the surroundings are dark, so the image reflected in the surface of the water is very impressive. Even after the golden hour, when the night sky is darker, you can create artificial reflections by adding backlighting. Therefore, in night wedding photography, we focus our attention on the puddles and glass show windows that create reflections more than usual.
I am sure that the “beautiful world” abounds in our daily lives, but in our hectic routines, we tend to overlook it, don’t we? I think the secret to taking attractive photographs is to consciously search for and express the beautiful scenery and decisive moments that abound in our daily lives. Just by changing your point of view a little, such as bending down a little or holding your camera high above your head, you may be able to discover a “beautiful world” that you would otherwise tend to overlook.
(4) The golden hour, when the whole of Paris is illuminated with orange light, should be expressed dramatically
Unlike the blue hour described in (1) above, the golden hour is when the world as far as the eye can see is bathed in orange light, so it is recommended to use lighting with the setting sun in the background for a dramatic effect! If the sunset is photographed in pure light, the subject will be all orange, so it should be backlit or retro-lit. At this time, if you shoot normally in a situation with intense backlighting, the subject will appear dark in the middle of the shot. You need to decide whether you want to adjust the exposure to show only the silhouette of the subject, or whether you want to use strobe lighting techniques to get the exposure just right.
The photo above is a wedding photo taken just after the golden hour. At this time of day, the light in the shaded zone turns extremely cold, so I adjusted the camera’s white balance and used a strobe to take the photo. We shot this photo in the Vincennes Forest, which is right next to Paris. It has a mysterious atmosphere full of nature that you wouldn’t think is near the big city of Paris. Backlighting tends to reduce contrast and color saturation, resulting in a fluffy overall impression, but if the contrast and color saturation are too low, it is correct to adjust the power of the strobe light and shutter speed to achieve a good balance.
Here is a wedding photo taken with the Eiffel Tower in the background at the Alexandre III Bridge during the completely golden hour. (4) The orange light is stronger than in the first photo, and a little red has been added to give the photo a more dramatic look. This is the most difficult time of day for portrait photography such as wedding photography because you need to adjust the power of the strobe light and shutter speed appropriately to take beautiful pictures, but it is also a time when you can get dramatic results that are different from daylight, so be brave and give it a try! I hope you will be brave enough to take on this challenge!
(5) The best time for night wedding photos is when both traffic lights and headlights can be turned into a jewel box and painted as a ball blur
In the “art of subtraction,” signals and headlights that draw the eye to something other than the subject are not welcome elements, but if you can turn those light sources into jewel box-like ball blur, you can create a romantic wedding photo in one fell swoop. To do this, the ironclad rule is to use a bright single focal length lens with a focal length of medium telephoto or longer and an open f-number. One of the extremely important skills for a photographer is to have the ideas and know-how to turn such unnecessary elements into allies. On the Champs-Elysées Boulevard with the Arc de Triomphe rising in the distance, I used the ball blur technique to create a dramatic wedding photo that looks like a scene from a movie or drama.
(6) Back lighting, which is an ally even in rain and snow, comes to life even more in night wedding photos
This photo was taken on the Champs-Elysées Boulevard, just after a slight evening shower. Rain and snow are generally not the favorite weather conditions for wedding photography clients. However, by taking lighting shots during rain or snow, you can capture the most dramatic photos. A strobe can be used to stop falling water droplets, and a backlight can be used to reflect the light from the strobe onto the water droplets to create a striking photo. I always want to be a photographer who can turn elements that are generally viewed as negative elements into positive photographic expressions by turning them into allies.
(7) The Eiffel Tower, shining brightly, is a dream of couples who are in the mood for romance
The Eiffel Tower, a beloved symbol of Paris, becomes even more beautiful and romantic during nighttime wedding photos, when it shines brightly. At night, the Eiffel Tower emits laser beams in all directions, illuminating the entire city of Paris. If you are planning to shoot a wedding in Paris, why not try night wedding photos with the most romantic night view as a backdrop?
If you are looking for night wedding photography in Paris, Studio Lazuli is the place to go.
Studio Lazuli knows the most charming locations in Paris and offers the most romantic night wedding photos at affordable prices (from 580 euros). While a pure white wedding dress is lovely, many couples also feel free to join us in chic, everyday attire. We hope you will feel free to contact us when you visit Paris with nothing in hand.
You can see more wedding photo submissions on our Wedding Photos page. For more information about photography in general, please check out our Photo and Photography page. Also, please follow us on our Instagram Studio Lazuli page where we upload our latest photos on a daily basis!
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