WEDDING WEATHER WORRIES? YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER HAS IT COVERED
Brooke Jackson, owner and photographer for BrookeRenae Photography, puts weather worries at ease ...The photographs of your wedding day hold the importance of capturing each moment of joy and love shared, timelessly framing them in memory. So, naturally there comes the pressure of the weather needing to be perfect. Clear blue skies with sun kissed grounds. But what happens to these photos if the weather does what it’s best at doing: being unpredictable? Join Western Australia Wedding & Bride’s Alice O’Brien as she discusses with Brooke Jackson, owner and photographer for BrookeRenae Photography, how beautiful wedding photographs are taken no matter how mother nature acts.
There is one day out of a calendar year where couples pray for, hope for, and beg for clear and sunny skies. This day being their wedding day of course. It’s how the day is envisioned by so many, saying “I do” under the sun. However, mother nature is not known for her predictably, wedding day or not, so what happens if the day is overcast, or windy or scariest of all, rainy? How will the photos be taken, how will they look, and will all be ruined? Questions flash through the couple’s heads as they see the clouds turning. Well, Jackson from BrookeRenae Photography is here to recount a story of when this exact situation happened at a wedding she photographed.
“I once photographed a wedding where it unexpectedly rained for most of the day and instead of letting it ruin the plans, we grabbed a couple of white umbrellas and embraced it,” Jackson reflects.
“The couple were amazing and willing to brave the rain, and the photos we captured ended up being some of the most beautiful from the day.”
Rain is known to dampen the ground; it also holds the power to dampen the mood of the newlyweds if it’s not wanted. But, despite these negative connotations, rain can “add a really romantic atmosphere” Jackson points out. Maybe rain isn’t something to be feared on a wedding day, but rather embraced when it falls, as it can create photographs which feel raw and real and completely one of a kind.
Image courtesy of BrookeReane Photography
Written by Alice O’Brien
LIGHTING THE WAY FOR BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS
When the sun is amid rising for the day, or setting for the night, it illuminates all that it touches in a beautiful light commonly, and lovingly, known as golden hour. This natural lighting is “absolutely stunning, there’s no way around that” says Jackson “creating some really beautiful images.” Despite the universal love of a golden hour, it can overshadow other moments of underrated lighting, including blue hour.
“This is when the sky can turn beautiful shades of pinks and purples, the moon starts to appear and everything takes on this really calm, soft feeling,” Jackson says.
“It’s actually one of my favourite times to photograph couples because the light is so gentle and romantic, and it creates a completely different mood in the images.”
Golden hour is one hour of the entire wedding day, and the magic of the day isn’t restricted to those sixty minutes. However, there does come more tricky outdoor natural lighting to manage, or as Jackson approaches it, different lights to work with.
“There are a few different ways to work with harsh midday light … the easiest option is usually placing the couple in open shade, which helps create softer and more flattering light,” Jackson explains.
“In times when shade simply isn’t available … I rely on experience; knowing which direction to shoot, how to position the couple and how to use my gear to work with the sunlight rather than against it.”
Due to the years, knowledge and expertise Jackson carries with her, these are tips she’s picked up along her path of shooting more countless weddings. But the most important lesson she’s learnt and reminds couples of is “that [your] wedding day doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful … it just needs to be you.”
LOOKING INTO THE EYE OF THE STORM
Mother nature can be an unforgiving mistress, bringing with it unpredictable moments of all kinds of weather, lighting and moods on a couple’s wedding day. However, what should stay consistent is your photographer, their calm energy and their approach to preparing for every weather scenario, being able to shoot no matter the conditions. This is how Jackson handles all her wedding photography.
“A lot of planning goes into preparing for the unpredictable parts of a wedding day as no two weddings are ever the same, and things like weather, timing and lighting can change quickly, so it’s important to be flexible and ready to adapt,” Jackson says.
This game plan Jackson carries in her back pocket is exactly what helps her couples “feel relaxed” throughout the wedding. Jackson takes all the worrying, redirecting and pressure of nailing the creative vision away from her couples, placing it on her own shoulders, allowing her couples to remain present on their special day. This comes down to a personal characteristic vital in any wedding photographer: adaptability.
“Being adaptable means being able to adjust quickly while still making sure those important moments are captured,” Jackson says.
“Staying calm, finding solutions and going with the flow helps keep the day enjoyable for everyone, and often those spontaneous moments end up being some of the most meaningful photos.”
A wedding will never – and this is not something to be afraid of – unfold exactly how it was planned to. But in those moments of unpredictability is when some of the most magical memories are captured by a couple and their beloved guests. From a photograph perfectly capturing a blissful moment of freedom in the rain to the golden hour perfectly sitting on a bride’s wedding dress and even the softness an overcast day can bring to a photo, each will hold the same weight of love.