Keeping the 'ambiance"

[kelleyrie]

I helped out at a wedding nearly a year ago and the pictures still have me questioning whether I did the right thing. The wedding was at sunset in a room with tons of windows and I didn't want to light up the room and take away the 'feeling' of the light there but every time I look back I wonder if I should have brought my umbrellas. Do you 'keep the ambiance' or give yourself perfect light.
Also here's a picture so you get an idea of what I'm talking about.

[candleman]

I would have bounced a bit more fill flash in there... personally.
The reason I say that is that the backlight is still quite strong here.. the highlights are a touch over exposed as far as I would considera highlight.
(if that makes much sense)

But it does depend on how you frame the image, and what you're trying to say.
a shot from another angle would have looked great (IE over the grooms shoulder) because the backlight has now become a viable Key light due to it's placement..

I can't imagine trying to work with umbrellas in a Ceremony environment.

So, I do generally like to keep a hint of ambience... but it depends.

[kelleyrie]

Unfortunately that was my "position" and I couldn't move much more than up and down the aisle, per the photographer I was working with. I did get a face shot of the bride where the light was right but for most of the ceremony not so much
I doubt they would have wanted/ or even let me set up lighting really, I just wonder how to handle light like that without losing it. I completely turned my flash off for this, looked better to me than bouncing in the viewfinder.

[jdepould]

You probably could've let the windows blow out (like, way out). I would've shot a mix of ambient and fill.