KK26092022 – How I shot This

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Photographed by Kathrin Krok

Before
the Shoot

Location Equipment

This photo was taken during a paid photoshoot. The couple saw the photos from our indoor workshops and wanted photos at the same location. This location is perfect if you like playing with light. It was the couple’s first couple shoot too, so that was exciting for everyone. I advised the couple about clothing and colors and how that plays a big role in the overall feel of the images. They stuck to wearing something that matched the color of the location.

The challenge was to create an atmosphere in which the couple could let themselves go and be completely at ease. I saw the light on the floor and wanted to include it in the shoot.

Location Name

Old House

Location aDDRESS

Nümbrecht, Germany

Country

Germany

Location TYPE

Old House

Equipment

Camera

Canon R6

Flash

None

Lens

Sigma ART 35mm 1.4

Lens Filter

None

Other Equipment

No additional equipment was used.

During
the Shoot

Directions Composition Focus Light & Exposure

Tone of Directions

Quiet Calm

Action of Directions

Cuddling Intimate Lying Down

Description

I asked the couple to lie down in the spot of light on the floor, cheek to cheek, close their eyes and enjoy the moment (breath in and out deeply, with help from music).

What was said

“Lie on the floor in the ‘window light’, cheek to cheek, close your eyes, take your hand and place it on your partner’s face/head, listen to the calm music, take deep breaths in and out and let yourself go for one little moment”.

Why I composed the way I did

Photographed from an overhead angle, the couple was positioned to be in the play of light, deliberately using f/9 to “black out” the shadows completely (focus to be on the couple, the play of light, and emotions). Having this top-down perspective, it not only creates interest in the series but also helps to accentuate the leading lines created by the harsh shadows.

Compositional Rules

Broken Rules Leading Lines

Compositional Framing

Center Framed Middle Thirds Close Up Intimate Framing Top down

Focus

Focus mode

Single point auto focus

Focus Technology

Live View Single Shot

Focused on

Her eyes

Focus description

I used Autofocus in the Live View Mode with the folding display (since I’m short and held the camera up to have more distance between them) and also had to make sure that my feet are not in the picture.

It was difficult to make the decision from which angle and with which composition I photographed but ultimately I decided that the two should be framed diagonally in the image as it just felt more balanced.

Shutter Speed

1/250

Aperture

f/9

ISO

100

White Balance

5500

Other Light Sources

No additional light sources were used.

How the light was used

The room was dark and the couple was only illuminated by direct sunlight.
The closed aperture creates the strong contrasts I wanted to achieve, in order to fully focus on the couple, the pose and the emotions through the play of light.

As I had them lie in the spot of light on the ground, I purposely then exposed for the light as to create these contrasts mentioned just above. Here, the light plays one of the biggest roles in the entire image.

Type of light

Natural Light Window Lighting

Time of Day

Afternoon

Quality of LIght

Harsh Directional

Weather

Indoor

After
the Shoot

Editing & Presets

Editing &
Presets

Editing Software used

Preset Used

own custom preset

How I edited this image

I use my presets, which I usually only have to adjust for temperature, brightness, and blacks. I added grain and added sharpening as an adjustment. I use Adobe Lightroom Classic for all my photo editing.

Conclusion

Challenges Solutions Advice

Challenges & Solutions

Events that were challenging during the shoot

Finding the right angle for taking photos so that the image composition remains exciting. Any other angle and the image no longer has the impact I was trying to achieve.

I tried different perspectives, completely shading the couple, I also shot wide open, but it didn’t look as “on point” as I had imagined.

Solutions I found

I tried different perspectives, completely shading the couple, I also shot wide open, but I didn’t like it until they were in the light and I chose the perspective and settings as used in the picture. Sometimes you just have to try different settings until you create the WOW effect and that’s totally fine.

Advice

Learn to work in direct sunlight to become freer in your work. A closed aperture is not always “old-fashioned”, but allows you many options during the day in strong sunlight.

Photographed by

Kathrin Krok

Cologne Canon R6 Sigma Art 35mm 1.4

Hi, I’m Kathrin, I’m not very good at telling stories. I prefer to let pictures speak. There are pictures of pretty much every situation in my life. Even of the most embarrassing haircut I ever had to wear on my head. And I think that’s the most beautiful thing about photography.

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