- calm
- Natural
- Still
- Soft Light
- Shade
- Rule of thirds
- Quiet
- Pool
- Natural Light
- Mid range
- Closed Eyes
- lying down
- Leading lines
- intimate
- Indoor
- holding each other
- High Angle
- gentle
- Cuddle
- Water
The story behind the image
For this photo specifically, we asked them to embrace each other, close their eyes and leave only their faces out of water. We posed them in the most shallow part of the pool to help them float and went on adjusting little details in order to find the best composition.
The most difficult part was to communicate with them during this time, cause they had their eyes shut and drowned ears, but like sculptors, my wife and I were moving and adjusting them from outside.
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We asked them to embrace each other with their eyes closed and leave only their faces out of water. The hands were very important as well, so we told them to hold each other with one hand and the other should caress the other’s face.
What did you say?
Ale, I want you to lean your head on her belly and hold her left hand. And Samm, you will hug his head with your body and gently caress his face with your right hand.
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
We wanted the image to feel simple and balanced, so we kept their heads centered in one of the thirds and showed a lit bit of what was happening in the immediate surrounding. I like how her arms and the pool limits frame them in the middle of the image. The other thing here is that we took this picture from above so we had to keep it the most leveled possible to some weird perspective that would make the shot less simple.
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
Our main concern was for both of their faces to be completely in focus, so I shot it in f2 to help us have a wider focus range. It was a bit tricky to focus cause I was leaning forward with the camera trying not to capture my own feet, so I put the focus point somewhere in her face and took three shots in sequence to make sure I had it right.
Focus Mode
Live View Single Shot
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The girl's face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/640 @ f/2.0 ISO100 WB-6000K
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
It was close to 2PM and the light on site was still very harsh, so we chose to pose them under the shade of a tree that was covering that entire area to have the soft/flat look we were going for. You can even see a light leak that goes thru the tree leaves and hits Ale’s eyes, totally accidental but magical.
Light Type
Natural Light
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
To edit this image I applied one of our base Presets called Luna from ‘The Cool Preset Pack’ and gave it a little bit of warmth. The idea was to have a very simple, neutral toned image that would focus more in the emotion of it, so we reduced a lot of the contrast pumping the shadows. We removed some distractions from the bottom of the pool, added grain and that’s basically it.
Editing Software
Preset Used
Challenges
Communicating with them was very difficult cause they were underwater with their eyes shut.
Solutions
I had the help of Carla moving their arms and heads, by touching them from outside the pool.
Location
Location Name
Hacienda 21
Location aDDRESS
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Loation Type
Pool
Country
Mexico
Make sure you are on top of what you want to create by curating lots of inspirations before getting there to shoot. If needed, have a copy of the moodboard with you and take a look at it if you feel stuck.
