- Back lit
- Natural Light
- Sunset
- Soft Light
- slow dance
- Shade
- Roots Presets
- road
- Rim Light
- Natural
- calm
- Leading lines
- kissing
- intimate
- harsh sunset
- Harsh Light
- Golden hour
- full body
- Center Framed
- tree
The story behind the image
Before our couple booked us, they had a few questions that they wanted to ask us before making their decision and since we already really liked each other from our initial phone call, we offered to meet them at a nice outdoor restaurant for lunch & some beers and to go over everything.
We did and it was absolutely great. Not only did we land the booking but more importantly, we really got to know our couple. This meant that on the day, there were no awkward introductions and they fell completely at ease with us working around them. Having this “pre-meeting” is not always possible – but when it is, it’s worth it. It makes everyone feel so much more at home together.
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We asked our couple to do a slow dance together, making sure to hold each other close. We encourage them to lean their heads together, to go in for a kiss every once in a while and to “snuggle”. We also made sure that they always had a connection with their arms around each other.
What did you say?
Hold her close and do a slow dance together. Forget about us and just live in this moment. Your moment. Lean your foreheads together and go in for a kiss whenever you feel it’s right
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
We had our couple in the middle of the road (private / no cars allowed) to allow the leading lines to guide the viewer’s attention straight to our couple. We also paid careful attention to not let the sun seep in too much as it was incredibly harsh at this moment.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
Our focus was on our couple and as they weren’t moving too fast, we didn’t have too much of an issue locking on to them. We moved our single point autofocus over our couple and let the camera find it’s lock. As we moved around them, we kept refocusing for each picture.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The Couple
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/640 @ f/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
As the sun was incredibly harsh at this moment, we didn’t want to let it dominate the frame or blast our couple. We did however position ourselves and our couple to hide the sun behind a tree, but to also let our couple stand just slightly in the light. We did this because we then got a beautiful rim light around the back of our couple which helps separate them from the background.
Light Type
Natural Light
Time of day
Sunset
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
The edits are made to be warmer with a big focus on skin tones and light play with shadows and highlights. A few minor local adjustments were made (Gradient and Brush) as well as finishing off with a fine layer of grain. The whites are not blown out nor are the blacks 100% crunched.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
The main challenge we had here was finding the balance between too much backlight and not enough. We also had to keep an eye on where our couple would move during their slow dance as they could take one step in the wrong direction and throw off the exposure & light.
Solutions
It helps to show our couple exactly what we mean by taking a few fun test shots and then showing them the back of the camera. That way they understand just what we’re going for and can adapt accordingly. We also asked them not to move too much from their spot just to be safe.
Location
Location Name
Gut Dietersberg
Location aDDRESS
Gut Dietersberg, Dietersberg 1, 92539 Schönsee
Loation Type
Wedding / Event Venue
Country
Germany
It’s not always possible to meet your couple in person before their wedding, but if they happen to be in the area and you all really like each other – it’s always a good idea! This means that when you see each other on their special day, things should flow much smoother between you all. And who knows? You may even walk away with a new pair of really good friends.
Harsh sunset light can be a challenge, but don’t be afraid to try something new. Learning to hide the sun, mask it, or even use a bit of it can create some wildly cool photos. As with everything, it just takes a bit of practice and then you’ll start to be able to predict how the image will come out based on what light is happening.
