- aurora
- Natural
- Stars
- pick up bride
- Pick up
- photoshop
- northern lights
- night
- Natural Light
- Movement
- Blue Hour
- lower thirds
- glow
- Evening
- Desert
- Dark
- couple pick up
- composite
- Carry Center Framed
- Wide Soft Light
The story behind the image
I’ve traveled to many cool places but this was one of those “I want this to last forever” moments. The last time I felt this way was on my 2018 trip to Iceland. While in Iceland, I saw the Aurora Borealis dance in the sky for the very first time. A feeling I never wanted to end. And a feeling I’ve been craving ever since.
I never thought I would feel that way about any other location but as soon as the feeling presented itself again, I wanted to savor every part of it. The sun started to slip behind the mountains and the sky lit up pink. We were losing light fast but I asked Roberto + Victoria to dance. As they had a moment, this gave me time to adjust my settings. The settings for the image was: 1/160 f1.4 ISO 2000
I am happy with my camera settings given the circumstance I was in (losing light). My shutter speed was as low as my shaky hands could tolerate 1/160, my aperture was wide open at 1.4 and my ISO was uncomfortably high enough at 2000.
When I got home, I was so excited to edit! But this was the most challenging part. The original photo was underexposed, grainy, and had dark shadows, but I expected that!
I first edited the photo in Lightroom. I did edit the photo fairly quickly because I was excited to post it so if I could go back and change anything… it would be to take a little more time editing to get it perfect. After editing in Lightroom, I moved the photo over to photoshop where I added the Aurora Borealis!
The best part of our art as a photographer is being inspired and presenting your inspirations through your work. This photo means so much to me because I took two moments that I Never Wanted to End and stamped them together. Now I can look back at this photo forever and the moment never has to end!
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I wanted the couple to have a moment to themselves so I asked them to dance. Roberto twirled Victoria and then ended by picking her up for a kiss.
What did you say?
Twirl her around and dance for a minute!
Composition
I really like my images to be straight and centered. I do break the rules sometimes, but it felt right for this image. I had them center framed as I wanted the attention to go straight to the couple. Since the desert didn’t offer too many other elements, this just meant that it only added more emphasis to the couple. Sometimes playing it safe is the way to go.
framing
Lower Thirds
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I shoot in manual for my settings but my focus is always on auto! I pinpointed the focus on my subject. The focus was a little hard since we were losing light but I made sure to go slow and take my time. Giving my camera enough time to focus.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The center of the couple
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/160 @ f/1.4 ISO2000 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 sun started to slip behind the mountains and the sky lit up pink. We were losing the light fast and it was getting harder and harder to capture the moment. The sun was behind a mountain off in the distance to our right. I wish I could have positioned them to the left a bit more so the remaining light glow would illuminate them better, but there was a giant dune drop off to our left. It was more aesthetically pleasing to shoot the direction of the photo.
Light Type
Natural Light
Time of day
Blue Hour
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
I first edited the photo in Lightroom. I used brush tools to help brighten the subject. I adjusted the shadows and highlights in this tool and brushed them where needed. I then adjusted my settings for the overall image as normal. After editing in Lightroom, I moved the photo to Photoshop to add the Aurora Borealis overlay.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Personal Presets
Challenges
The biggest challenges were the low light and editing!
Solutions
I was able to put the photo into Lightroom and use a mixture of brushes and settings to get it to my liking. I then processed the photo in photoshop for “final touches” of the Aurora Borealis!
Location
Location Name
White Sands, New Mexico
Location aDDRESS
White Sands National Park, NM
Loation Type
Sand Dune
Country
United States
I used to be afraid of low light. But for what?! I will never pass up a beautiful moment just because of a little grain from high ISO. My biggest advice to you is to capture the moments anyway. Take your time with it. Get your settings right and don’t be afraid to play around in post process.
