- Boat
- Center Framed
- Cloudy
- cloudy sky
- Couple
- holding hands
- Leading lines
- looking away from each other
- mast
- Outdoor
- sailing
- Styled Shoot
- windy
The story behind the image
You wouldn’t know it but the bride was super seasick and we had to take breaks for her to take a minute and breathe.
I wouldn’t change anything in this photo. From the little strands of hair out of place to her bell sleeves in the wind, I loved it all!
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I let them know to hold hands a few inches away from eachother (the boat was really bobbing on a stormy day so they had to hold on) Then I asked them to both look toward the horizon and take a deep breath smelling the sea air. I had them stay in this pose for awhile before I had them sit down to help steady themselves.
It was very hard to shoot on the seas on a smaller sailboat without falling over so I was holding on too in the background!
What did you say?
“Okay guys, hold hands next to eachother but leave a gap between you. Look off into the horizon and take a deep and serious breath. Stay here for awhile and take in the beauty!”
Composition
I framed the image like this because I wanted the sea, the mountains and part of the boat in it. I wanted a wide enough angle as I could get to really show we were out at sea so I shot with my 24mm lens. My goal was to show the scale of their full bodies in comparison to the bow of the boat and mountains in the distance.
I tried to keep the horizon lone at the chests and not near the necks or heads.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I always use manual focus especially on the high seas when we are bobbing in the ocean and their hair and bodies are going every which way. I focused on their faces but I shot pretty wide open at 4.0 to make sure as much was in focus as possible since it was the ocean in the background and not a forest or anything. I was swaying like crazy and wanted as much in focus as possible so it wasn’t blurry.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
His face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/1250 @ f/4.0 ISO125 WB-Auto
The way the EXIF is written out follows the common photographic method (with the inclusion of White Balance at the end). Here it is broken down:
Shutter Speed @ Aperture ISO White Balance.
Light & Weather
The sky was extremely overcast and stormy with no real sun. Alaska does not get much direct sun and it was very diffused. I love this lighting because there are no shadows or bright spots!
Light Type
Natural Light
Weather
Cloudy
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
I use G-Presets Campfire in Dawn Photo 2- film as a base but I change it up quite a bit. Always changing up the tone curves and saturation of blues/yellows for a more vintage look. Luckily this photo did not need much else!
Editing Software
Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
The biggest challenge was the stormy seas and rocking of the sailboat. She was also pretty seasick and we wanted her to have fun and not be having the worst day. It is also Alaska and very cold.
Solutions
We took several breaks for them to warm up and we photographed everything as quickly as we could (maybe 30 -45 minutes) and got her to the least rocky area of the boat in the back with some water and snacks so she could feel better. In the end we had a blast and this 70’s groovy loveboat was a fantastic day!
Location
Location Name
Ressurrection Bay in Seward
Location aDDRESS
1300 Fourth Avenue, Seward, Alaska 99664, United States
Loation Type
Ocean
Country
United States
If a couple is planning on eloping on a sailboat, make sure to pack anti-nausea, snacks, water, and boat shoes! Also, hairbrush and hair spray to fix flyaways in between photos! The adventure is so amazing but being prepared with waterproof gear is also important!
In small quarters like this, a wide-angle is so important and I’m glad I brought it that day. There isn’t much room to move around so when in doubt bring a 24mm!
