- afternoon
- Beach
- celebration
- Center Framed
- champagne
- Cloudy
- Energetic
- full body
- Horizon Line
- kissing
- Laughing
- Playful
- sand dunes
- Soft Light
- Wide
The story behind the image
Just after our couple had finished celebrating and pouring the champagne into each other’s mouths, the groom went in for a big kiss on the bride’s cheek and she was all into it. It was a complete spur of the moment thing with 0 planning on our part. The only thing we did was shoot. We shot right through the whole “celebratory event” and then some.
Composition
We chose to shoot this in portrait mode since we liked that it kept the focus on our couple and the moment more so than the environment they were in. Because the moment was the main focus, by eliminating the surroundings – the viewer is drawn immediately to the couple. We also tried our best to keep them framed within the sand dunes behind (notice the horizon doesn’t cross through their heads).
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
Normally for action moments, we switch to continuous focus, but as we all weren’t moving too far from the same spot we kept it to single shot. The reason we did this was to not let the camera get confused by any hands crossing the focus point and having it try and focus on that instead.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
On the Bride's face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/1000 @ f/1.4 ISO1600 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 weather was very cloudy, the light we had to work with was incredibly soft and beautiful. The sun was not far away from setting, but it still was quite a “white” light. Since the light was easy to work with, we didn’t focus too much on where the light was in relation to these shots, and instead paid more attention to other parts of the image.
Light Type
Natural Light
Time of day
Afternoon
Weather
Cloudy
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
It was fairly easy to edit this shot as we had really soft and beautiful light to work with. We applied our Protea preset to the image, adjusted the exposure & contrast sliders, and tweaked the white balance to bring in a bit more warmth to the image.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
The only challenge we had here was being fast enough into position to capture this moment. Everything was happening really fast and so we couldn’t afford to waste time.
Solutions
The best thing to do is firstly be very proficient with your camera. We know where every button is, and what every setting does at all times – and so we often don’t need to think about it when shooting. This only comes with practice but it’s invaluable for moments like these that just happen.
Location
Location Name
Sankt Peter-Ording
Location aDDRESS
Sankt Peter-Ording, Germany
Loation Type
Beach / Coastal
Country
Germany
As much as you can, really try and get to know your equipment. If you can start to “see” how a shot would look like with a 50mm and a 35mm without actually having the camera in your hands, you’ll be well on your way to finding some amazing compositions and moments. It helps you be prepared.
Honestly. Don’t stop shooting. Shoot right until you are sure nothing else will happen. Because it’s these little moments that happen when your couple thinks you are “done” that is oftentimes incredibly genuine and beautiful.
