Using High ISO and No Flash to Create "Mood"

©JP Parmley
Wikipeda says that "A mood is an emotional state".

In most situations, I like to keep the ISO as low as possible even with the high performance of the 5DMIII.  Unless I was shooting a quickly moving subject indoors and needed a fast shutter, I usually try to stay below 800.

But I have been experimenting with some situations that for me, create "Mood".  Perhaps the emotional state you will get to from these images will be different than mine, but none the less, it is hard to deny that "Mood" is present.

In these series of images with the bride and groom with their parents, after I had taken several with an on and off-camera flash, I turned the flashes off and cranked up the ISO.  Taken at ISO 3200, f4.5, 1/60th these images create a feeling that the images with the flash just do not portray.  We have received more feedback on these images than any of the others.  Perhaps because the parents of the bridal couple felt the emotion or were reliving the "Mood" of that moment in time.  Whatever it is, shooting higher ISO images to help deliver the "Mood" is now a part of every event I shoot. 

The Power of Off-Camera Flash

©JP Parmley

I took this image on Jan 11, 2014,  our first wedding of the new year.  It shows the power of using off-camera flash.  After posing the bride how I wanted her, an off camera right 580 Speedlight at 1/64th power was shot through a white umbrella.  I had an additional 580 Speedlight on the camera with a white cap diffuser pointing straight up. 

Because the old wooden ceiling was about 20' high, I had it set at 1/2 power.  The diffuser allowed me to throw some light forward, filling the shadow on her face created by the off-camera flash.  If the ceiling had been lower and drywall, I would have probably only need about 1/16 or 1/32 power.  I used a set of Pocket Wizards to remotely fire the off-camera flash.  You can notice the two catch lights in her eyes.  The larger one is from the umbrella and the smaller one is from the front of the on-camera flash diffuser.

The image was shot on a Canon 5D Mark III, ISO 400, f 4.5, 1/80th.

If you have not started using or experimenting with off-camera flash, you should start.  It can add an extra dimension that direct flash just can't provide.

Enjoy!