- A Frame
- Prism
- Wood Cabin
- Wood
- Vintage
- symmetry
- Suitcase
- Stylish
- Styled Shoot
- Stairs
- Square Crop
- Soft Light
- Rain
- Playful
- Blue Hour
- Pampas
- Outdoor
- natural frames
- Leading lines
- Laughing
- Framed within Frame
- Energetic
- Creative
- Cold
- Cloudy
- Center Framed
- Cabin
- Workshop
The story behind the image
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I asked them to hold hands, leave their bodies facing me staying super still, and laugh and giggle at each other while holding their suitcases! They were ready to travel through time!
What did you say?
Okay guys, face your bodies square towards me, touch foreheads together while holding each other’s hand in one hand and suitcase in the other. Smile and giggle at each other while looking into each others eyes and don’t move!
Composition
I knew I wanted them dead center with the cabin in the middle of the shot. I had them at the top of the stairs for a leading line leading up to them and I wanted the arch of the cabin to be in the middle. What didn’t work was that I was moving my prism so fast I didn’t get the top of the cabin in the photo at all.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I focused on the couple. I used autofocus because my other hand was holding the prism and I was moving it quickly to capture the blur. I wanted them to be steady while the rest of the photo felt like it was moving.
Focus Mode
Continuous Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
the couples upper bodies
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/2500 @ f/2.0 ISO100 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
I had an overcast, slight sprinkle of rain overhead. In Alaska, it is very moody on the coast! I used only natural outdoor light. This is my FAVORITE type of lighting scenario and I think it makes for beautiful moody photos with no shadows. I used the reflection of the prism with the light to create slight flecks of brightness.
Light Type
Natural Light
Time of day
Blue Hour
Weather
Cloudy
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
Presets – Campfire Presets in Dawn Photo – Film 2 and obviously adjusted to my liking. I love vintage and grainy tones split between blues and oranges. I shoot super dark in camera and then I lighten it up to where it is still a little moody, then I use adjustment brushes to dodge and burn all the areas I think it needs it, such as the couple’s faces. I didn’t clone or heal anything in the photo and the blur and movement are straight out of the camera.
Editing Software
Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
The biggest challenge was that this was a Workshop that I co-founded called Dressed in Wilderness and there were 13 other photographers around! Using my prism and keeping my shot focused without getting in the way of others is always hard. If I could do it again I would have stood further back from the couple to get the entire cabin in the photo.
Solutions
The only thing I did was just try my best to be aware of my surroundings and I kept the eyes on the back of my head open as I didn’t want to knock someone or be in their way.
Location
Location Name
Miller's Landing
Location aDDRESS
13880 Beach Drive Seward, Alaska
Loation Type
Wedding / Event Venue
Country
United States
From this shot, I learned it is possible to use a prism in this way to where you can capture your model still and have the foreground moving. It was just an idea before I tried it. I could have gotten this effect in post but it is a big accomplishment for me to have gotten this in camera. I wish there was a more scientific way of giving advice but I really just shook the prism extremely quickly at the bottom of my lens and held the continuous shutter down. Give it a try!
