- Bed
- Leading lines
- top down
- Rule of thirds
- Playful
- Natural Light
- Natural
- Moody
- Mid range
- lower thirds
- intimate
- black & white
- Indoor
- Homeshoot
- holding each other
- High Angle
- From above
- Directional Light
- Dark
- Cuddle
- calm
- Window Light
The story behind the image
The female in the photo, Wia, was very soon moving out from her flat (where the image is taken). We wanted to say goodbyes to the flat as she was moving in with her boyfriend, Manu. We wanted to complete the shoot even it was a very murky and cloudy day and Wia’s flat was in the heart of the city of Helsinki, apartment complex first floor. Aka VERY little light.
As I have worked in this country for many years already, I knew the light would be the biggest challenge. And it was. Wia’s studio apartment only had two windows so I needed to really think through how to position them to get the light just perfectly. Luckily, even one murky light source can be enough! As I continued with the shoot, I quickly noticed how intimate it became. Small space, very low light and very limited options. The best platform for creativity!
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I asked Wia and Manu to get comfortable and cuddly on the bed. I gave very little direction to them during each pose. I mainly advised them to position their bodies and faces while keeping in mind the light direction the whole time. The facial expressions and subtle touches are all them!
What did you say?
Okay cuties, get nice and comfy, hugs and kisses are welcome. Manu you lead the way and Wia you react!
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
I wanted to create a feeling where the viewer is like a “fly in the ceiling looking down”. The image is shot with a wide angle lense, as I am standing on the bed with them and raising the camera as high as I can. This choice was intentional as I wanted to get both of them to the frame, faces highlighted and from the same angle. I also wanted to show a bit more of where they were: the wooden floor, curtains etc.
Even composition is super important to my work, in this image there was no deeper compositional choices made. The leading lines of Manu’s arm and the wrinkles on the blanket are meant to guide the viewer to the focal point: the faces. Intimacy is highlighted with “frame within a frame ” effect caused by Manu’s arms around Wia.
framing
Lower Thirds
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I autofocused on Wia’s face, locked the focus and then recomposed the shot.
Focus Mode
Live View Single Shot
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
Wia's face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/250 @ f/1.4 ISO640 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 used only natural light and a single light source of a window. The window is located on the left side of the image. The light was a bit of a challenge at first, but I was able to tackle it quickly. It was important to get the anatomy, skin, and faces shown and highlighted with the light. I was happy with the result.
Light Type
Natural Light
Weather
Indoor
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
As a base I used my own signature black and white preset called “Moody Me Original BW”. I tweaked the exposure a bit lower and added a tiny bit more contrast.
Editing Software
Preset Used
Challenges
As mentioned before, the biggest challenge was the light. The day was very dark and the light options very limited in the apartment.
Solutions
As going in with the mentality of “Light is the king” it really helped. I composed and directed every pose and position solely based on the light. Even some parts of the apartment would have had better furniture or cool details, but were in the shady side of the space, I rejected those ideas.
Location
Location Name
Kallio, Helsinki
Location aDDRESS
Kallio, Helsinki
Loation Type
Private Home / AirBnB / Apartment
Country
Finland
The better you get the luckier you get. I feel like with this couple it all just clicked! They were just perfect together in every way, and that made my job very easy! Showing a bit of skin is always a plus. I just love how the light can paint the human anatomy even more, and bring out some nice details in our bodies.
