- afternoon
- Artificial Light
- Back lit
- Dancing
- Energetic
- Friends
- Mid range
- Middle Thirds
- Party
- Playful
- Rim Light
- Rule of thirds
The story behind the image
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
As people were singing and dancing, I asked them to come around the couple and closer to them. By asking I mean I was hand-signing to people because there was simply no time to talk. I wanted to see the couple literally surrounded by their families and friends and enjoying the moment with them.
What did you say?
My hands were talking for me, showing people to come around
Composition
The idea was to show all scenes: the band, the couple, and the people all dancing in a circle around the couple. I was looking for the context, the main characters, and the story. So I stepped into the circle and framed as wide as possible. Also, I used the two lights on the background as a guide to know where the middle of the stage was.
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
As the couple were turning round and were not close to each other, I moved my focus point on the right of my sensor, so I can have the focus on the groom then on the bride one after the other. I was using the continuous autofocus mode so the camera was continuously recalculating the point on my moving subjects.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The Grooms face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/250 @ f/f/1.6 ISO2500 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
There are two reasons I decided to shoot with the backlight. The first one is to get a softer light and glow created by the natural haze when shooting backlight. And the second one is to avoid having my own shadow or people shadows on the couple on the other side. The couple is only illuminated by the stage spots and the daylight.
Light Type
Artificial Light
Time of day
Afternoon
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
I wanted to recreate a party-night mood. So I warmed up the temperature and turned down the exposure and added some contrast. Then I turned down the highlights and white to be softer and creamier. I also desaturated the greens that I thought were distracting. And finally added a little bit of black vignetting to focus the brightest part of my image on my couple in the center.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom CC
Preset Used
Own personal Presets
Challenges
The main challenge was how fast things happened. In a second it went from a cool couple session to a party mode. No time to analyze the place, or no idea how long the moment would last. I had to think fast to get the best of the moment, choosing the right focus mode, and catch the best expressions.
Solutions
The continuous autofocus + high burst mode combo is a huge help in these kinds of situations. Even more so if you’re like me and you like to shoot at or wider than f/2 most of the time.
Location
Location Name
Domaine du Marchais-Bouchet
Location aDDRESS
Le Marchais Bouchet 49350 Gennes-Val-de-Loire, France
Loation Type
Wedding / Event Venue
Country
France
For dancing photos, especially if you don’t want to use a flash to keep the intimate mood, don’t be afraid to raise up your ISO. You’ll be able to shoot at a higher shutter speed and avoid blurry pictures. I personally prefer a photo with a bit of grain than a flashlight.
