Transformations and Dramatic Statements 
Event Lighting: Working with Photographers to Capture the Event in the Best Light
October 13, 2011
While lighting at an event is clearly the fairy dust that takes a party from ordinary to extraordinary, it can also significantly impact the quality of imagery that the event photographer is able to capture. From no lighting at all to neon-blasted and fluorescent-filled rooms; we’ve heard photographers’ recount story after story of their lighting challenges. As a result, Eventions has made it our mission to make sure the photographer’s needs are understood and absorbed into every event lighting design.
Over the years, we have found that photographers are truly artists that walk to the beat of their own drums. As a result, they all have different approaches and preferences when it comes to ambient or production lighting techniques. However, some of the most common lighting requests we hear from photographers usually include: installing all lighting with dimmers to allow adjustments throughout the night; providing some form of perimeter lighting; taking the monogrammed gobo off the center of the dance floor; not using sharp breakup patterns on the dance floor; and balancing the intensity of the foreground and background lighting.
Below we share some thoughts on lighting from three of the Philadelphia area’s best-known photographers:
“Whenever my future clients marvel about some of the amazing room shots that I’ve had the opportunity to photograph over the years, I always point out how great professional lighting helped to create the image. Photographers can light a room with flash, but it is always flat looking. Professional lighting provides depth to the room and highlights all the décor. When a room is properly lit with appropriate balance, all I need to do is photograph it. Candlelight is beautiful and warm to the eye but to a camera it is NEVER enough. The warm glow must be enhanced with professional lighting to make it glow deeper in the camera. Photography is capturing light either on film or a digital sensor. If there is no light, there is nothing to photograph.” Marie Labbancz www.artoflove.com
“I take a kind of street photography approach. I use the light given to me and sometimes I’ll add a bit just to help. If there’s a little soft perimeter wash around the room, great. Perhaps a soft glow on everyone’s faces. For me it would be really boring to overly light a room and have every shoot a major multi-hued production. I want to have something more organic, real. I want the challenge to find the light, use the atmosphere and create something spectacular from nothing. I want the opportunity to be the observer who shows someone something that touches the heart and soul. Most of all I want my work to be fun and my art beautiful and real. ” Kevin York www.kevinyorkphotography.com
“Professional lighting in a space should be layered, with soft perimeter lighting for depth and soft warm lighting on faces. Patterns on the dance floor or across the room is not a favorite because it causes blotches and shadows that may add decorative drama but aren’t flattering to people. Instead I suggest a mix of soft colored washes across the dance floor, like soft pinks and lavenders blended together. And even though most people like amber or flesh colored lighting, it generally turns everyone an unflattering orange.” Sarah Dicicco www.sarahdicicco.com
On most of our productions, we are collaborating on the lighting design with an event designer or/or wedding planner. Once we have those specifications in hand and the lighting plot in place, our lighting designers strive to find the balance between ambiance and clarity to allow the designer and the photographer to achieve their respective goals for the end client.
CATEGORY: A Conversation With, Business Partners, Weddings
Last Minute Requests to Event Lighting Design Plans Don’t Scare Us
January 24, 2011
As lighting designers, we know how to evoke an appropriate mood, reinforce the style of the event design and highlight visual elements into a unified environment. Working closely with your event designer, florist or event planner, we begin the design process by listening to the event vision and overall goals before sharing ideas on how light can be used to enhance the vision. In fact, the earlier we get involved in the event design the better the collaboration is in achieving the client’s desired “look” for the event. But sometimes, as all creative or visual art professionals know, all the pre-planning in meetings, in computer-generated renderings or on paper isn’t the end of the design process. Invariably, last minute requests for changes or additions to the lighting design occur during the installation of the event. Most people are “show me’s” and can’t visualize how we can create effects to match or highlight the space, mood or action. And, frankly, very often the lighting designers see something on the job site that inspires an addition, change or logistical adaptation. We happen to love these kinds of last-minute “shoot from the gut” challenges because our ability to adapt on the fly generally separates us from the rest of the pack.
For instance, for a wedding at Winterthur Estate in Delaware our client, Evantine Design, collaborated with us for months on an outdoor celebration around the Reflection Pool. The lighting design would incorporate lighting the entire party area, from 65 foot trees around the perimeter to shrubbery, fountains, architectural statues, walkways, stairs and of course, dinner tables, a stage and dance floor. All was set and in place when a dramatic summer storm meant changing plans completely and moving the wedding inside the adjacent museum. Not only was the new party space rather clinical, with stone facades and walls of glass at either end, it required working with restricted conditions for attachment and installation timeframes. [Photo of the event space just before we began installation]
Our goals were simple: unify the entire room and ceiling with textural light using multiple gobos in layers of pink, lavender and magenta; highlight the stunning floral décor on dinner tables; wash the band and dance floor with photo-friendly hues of amber and pink; and let the rest fade into darkness.
As we were working through the details in the installation, Evantine asked us to light up the incredible columns surrounding the entrance area to the space. We were more than happy to use our new LED uplights at the base of the columns. This simple request turned out to be one of the more memorable design elements of the wedding.
Seen from the outside, who would know all this happened in a matter of hours.
[Photos courtesy of Laura Novak]
CATEGORY: Design Ideas, Our Stage This Weekend, Weddings
You Are Coordially Invited to Attend Aisle Style
February 20, 2010
Eventions, along with Innove Events, Around Main Line Magazine, Two Paper Dolls, Millefleurs, and David Campli to be featured in Aisle Style, An afternoon of social mingling with event specialists for weddings, private parties, corporate galas and special events. Come and meet our lighting designers to learn how the correct lighting design can truly enhance your wedding.
when Mar 14, 2010 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
where St. David’s Golf Club
845 Radnor Street Road
Wayne, PA 19087
cost Bride’s complimentary, Guests, $20
Visit: http://www.aislestyle.eventbrite.com
CATEGORY: Business Partners, Community, Design Ideas, Weddings, What We're Up To
We’re Blogging!
February 11, 2010
Hello and welcome to our blog. We plan for this blog to become a repository of all of the cool things that make Eventions what it is! In addition to showcasing some of the great events we are involved in, we hope to have great event and industry related information.
As I sit snow bound with 46 inches of snow, I thought it was appropriate to post this picture of a warm beach wedding we did last summer that we will do a blog on later.
We hope you check back often to see all of the cool things we are working on.
CATEGORY: Weddings, What We're Up To
