As a photographer I am always looking at light and its relationship to how we perceive the world. Any good photographer knows that light affects mood and ambiance of any image. It's what ultimately makes or breaks your work. I believe that is why I appreciate a portrait that includes a stained glass window.
The whole point of a stained glass window is to display a piece of art by utilizing light. That is why the best way to view them is from inside the church, cathedral, or hall that they are a part of, because the light is then able to pass through the window from the outside. In tern the light is able to illuminate all the colours and emotion the artist intended to come across.
I thought, "what better way to invoke the powerful emotion of the union between two souls than to create a portrait that emphasized both the wedding couple and this beautiful piece of artwork"! We positioned the backlight that would illuminate the bride and groom and then I turned off all of the main lights at the Rosedale United Church except for the wall sconces. (After I had the wedding couple get up onto the balcony of course!) Exposing for the ambient light allowed the stained glass window to shine brightly and then all I needed to do was trigger the speed light and VOILA! A perfectly silhouetted couple next to an equally perfectly lit window of art!
Location: 159 Roxborough Dr, Toronto, ON M4W 1X7.