- Backlit
- black & white
- Close up
- Cuddle
- Dark
- Details
- Hug
- hug from behind
- intimate
- Moody
- Natural
- Shade
- simple
- Soft Light
- Unposed
The story behind the image
Moving in close, while our couple were in this beautiful moment together and without disturbing or saying anything else, we managed to capture it as it happened. The real trick is to keep ourselves quiet and let the moment happen authentically and to also read the situation. Read the couple. Read when they feel invaded and when they feel comfortable.
This all comes with practice and time, and it’s totally subjective to the couple you’re working with but our main piece of advice here is to just go for it. Don’t forget these detail shots as they not only can be incredibly beautiful, but they make the storytelling so much more diverse and interesting.
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We asked our groom to hug his bride from behind and to show her, in a gentle and intimate way, how much he loves her. We suggested that he cuddle her, kiss her and just embrace her being. After saying this, we let him do his thing allowing him enough space to feel comfortable to do so before we moved in.
What did you say?
Let’s have you hug [bride] from behind, and really hold her close. Go in and give her a few kisses or cuddles wherever you feel and show her, without saying anything, how much she means to you. Take a deep breath and just enjoy her presence.
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
Since this was a detail shot, we wanted to fill the frame with their entire beings. We moved in close, found a spot on her shoulder to focus on and fired away. By filling the frame with the couple, we really give the viewers an intimate look into the couple.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We didn’t exactly have a goal on what to focus on for this shot as it all happened quite fast but we did find that when we moved our focus point to the bride’s shoulder, we got the results we were after. We did this because both the bride & groom’s faces were hidden and so we chose to focus on a spot where the groom kissed her. This lends itself to where we want the attention of the viewer to go.
Focus Mode
Live View Continuous
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The Brides shoulder
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/400 @ f/3.2 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
At this point, we were already backlighting our couple which meant that the part of their bodies that was facing us was in the shade. This meant that the light we had was incredibly soft. Perhaps a little too soft as we always love a bit of play between the highlights & shadows. That being said, we managed to bring out a bit of dynamic lighting through editing.
Light Type
Natural Light
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
We converted this shot to Black & White as we felt that it brought out more of the intimacy while also adding a bit of nostalgia to the photo. We applied our preset and adjusted the highlights and shadows to create a more moody feeling. Finally, we added a little bit of grain to give it all texture.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
The biggest challenge we had was to stop ourselves from saying anything during this moment. As people who love to encourage our couples and make them feel really good and comfortable, sometimes it can take away from a genuine moment.
Solutions
It helps to just see the moment happening and “bite your tongue”. We learned that when we’re going in for intimate shots, that if we absolutely have to say anything, we do so very softly. Almost whisper it. With that practice in mind, we were able to control ourselves and just let the moment happen.
Location
Location Name
Borgo del Carato
Location aDDRESS
Borgo del Carato, 96010 Palazzolo Acreide SR, Italy
Loation Type
Courtyard
Country
Italy
Don’t forget the detail shots during the couple shoot. It really brings out so much more to your storytelling and can be incredibly beautiful. Just remember to know when to say something, and when to let things happen naturally. Even the slightest direction or word can distract your couple and bring them out of the moment and realize that there is a big camera pointed towards them.
