The goal of this composition was to have the couple in the center of the frame while also having the string lights in the background. Since the lights all formed leading lines towards the couple, the attention is driven straight to them. They also ended up framing them by being above them.
Center Framed
I focused using the viewfinder with my single point autofocus because it really helps to control where the camera locks on to. With bright elements like the string lights, the camera could easily get tricked into thinking it should focus on those instead of the couple if we used a matrix focus method or something where the camera reads the entire frame.
Single Shot Autofocus
Single Point
The Brides face
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.
Since the string lights let off plenty of light, this shot worked totally fine without a flash. I try my best to shoot without flash as much as possible (but sometimes I just have to) as it makes the image feel a lot more natural. The string lights from behind also created a beautiful rim-light which helped to separate our couple from the background.
Artificial Light
Night
I edited this picture with our lightroom preset “Josi”. We simply adjusted the white balance by making it a bit cooler (to reduce the warm glows) and brought up the exposure. We also finish off our edits with a vignette & a slight layer of grain.
The main challenge I had was actually capturing this moment as it happened. Things like this happen once (authentically) and go by incredibly fast. It was also a bit tricky to expose since I wasn’t sure if the image would be a bit too dark to edit.
The bride was just such a happy & emotional person on the day and I knew that if I stuck around her, I’d be able to capture a ton of authentic & beautiful moments. Since I was actively looking to capture a shot like this, I just made sure to watch the couple and get myself ready just before it happened.
Finca Son Togores
Finca Son Togores,. Palma-Valldemossa km. 10-F200 Esporles, Mallorca 39.664971, 2.633543, 07190, Spanien
Wedding / Event Venue
Spain
Don’t be afraid to shoot without flash when it’s possible. When you have nice lights, like in this case string lights and candles, try to shoot without flash to capture the atmosphere of the wedding. The perfectly lit shots may be nice and sharp, but it also takes away a bit of atmosphere from the image. My advice is, to flash when there is bad light ( to less or with color or led… ) and don’t flash in these situations. Use it only when you really have to.
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