Why “Sun Flares" for Wedding Photography?
We’ve all heard it said: Golden hour is the absolute BEST time for dreamy wedding photos!
But what happens when it’s overcast, gloomy, or the sun slips behind the treeline before you have the chance to sneak out for photos? Well, you look to your photographer to work their magic. 😊
My secret sauce? MY HAIR! During our photoshoot, you’ll notice that I pull my hair in front of my camera and cover a portion of the lens. Why? It creates the absolute dreamiest filter: my own personal “sun flare” effect! Especially in Upstate NY where the weather is unpredictable and the skies are grey more times than not lol, having this technique almost guarantees gorgeous tones in your images – golden hour or not!
Below are some of my favorite examples of wielding my superpower, my long dirty blonde hair, and enhancing the beautiful environments where I’m shooting my weddings and couples. P.S. You can bet your bottom dollar that this is the reason I might never cut my hair.😉
During TJ and Lindsey’s microwedding, we snuck away during cocktail hour for bridal photos, but there wasn’t much of a golden hour because it was an overcast day. In the shot above, I took the photo through my hair and some goldenrod flowers. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make the biggest “wow factor” in photos!
Below are snippets from my engagement session with Amberrose and Rick, where dreamy sunlight was in no shortage! We were shooting at Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia, PA, and the lighting was perfect - but simply pulling my hair in front of the lens enhanced the photo to give it rich haziness, sweet moodiness, and romantic texture.
The following shots were take at peak fall foliage in Upstate New York, and I wanted to amplify the already natural colors and tones of the gorgeous scene in front of us. I snagged a few of the already-fallen leafs off the ground, and held them just enough to the edge of my frame to get a soft yellowish-orangish. It was the perfect compliment to the romance exuding from Em and Andrew.
The golden hour for Lara and Carlos’ microwedding was nothing short of a SHOW. Sweet, soft, and perfected by a glow, I felt it was almost perfect… but just wanted add a little bit of pop… so I shot ever-so-slightly through Lara’s veil (left-hand side). It created just the amount of depth, interest, and emotion that I felt like the feeling of this exact moment was truly and genuinely captured .
My finger lakes engagement session with Sydney and Brad was playful, warm, and FUN, and I wanted their energy to radiate through every photo. With chemistry that was palpable and positivity that was infectious, I felt that a little extra warmth brought in by my hair flare was a perfect fit. I was sure to work WITH the sunset, capturing the already rich golden hour, but enhance it was a little more “oomph.” :)
Last but not least is the Pinterest-worthy microwedding for Lindsey and TJ. During their day, I used my superpower not just for their golden hour portraits, but also for miscellaneous shots throughout the day. Their wedding was truly a fairytale, set in the most gorgeous terrace setting with beautiful grounds and walkways, so I wanted just a little more “glow” to their photos. I wielded my hair in front of my lens to achieve an artful, whimsical look, and I’m so in love with how they turned out.
Moral of the story is that “sun flares” (or hair flares, goldenrod flower flares, veil flares, etc. :) add such tasteful, dreamy hints of haze, emotion, and color to your photos and will level-up your wedding photography experience to a whole new level!