- Beam
- Melli & Shayne
- the roots presets
- Strong pose
- simple
- Serious
- Posed
- Portrait
- Patch of light
- Natural Light
- Moody
- Mid range
- Light Beam
- calm
- Leading lines
- Indoor
- Harsh Light
- Groom Portrait
- Free
- finland
- Directional Light
- Dark
- Contrasty
- Center Framed
- Window Light
The story behind the image
But then we looked a little closer and saw these windows allowing a beam of soft light through. For portraits, this was perfect.
We decided to take our safe shots in a brighter room just in case these ones didn’t work out as we had hoped. Once we knew we got the “money shots”, we moved on to the darker room and used up the remaining time playing with the light, the shadows, and the poses.
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We had our groom stand with his shoulders towards us with his one hand in his pocket. We then asked him to just turn his head and look outside the window, and to completely relax. Taking deep breaths and keeping the shoulders open. Sometimes going a simple route brings out a strong portrait. Not too many directions. Just being in the moment.
What did you say?
Stand with your shoulders facing us with your one hand in your pocket. Now, just with your head, look out the window. Take a deep breath and completely relax. Forget about us and just think for a moment. About anything.
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
Because his posture was so dominant, we wanted to keep his center framed so that all the attention of the viewer is on him. When framing a shot like this that is not full-body – a good rule of thumb to follow is to “cut your subject off” just above their knees. We also left quite a bit of headroom on top so the image feels a bit more spacey.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
Our focus was on the light patch that was falling onto our groom. As this lit an area of his face, we simply moved our focus point over his face and let it lock on.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The grooms face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/2000 @ 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
The light in the image took a huge role in the whole frame of the image. We found these roof-windows in a darkened area of the room that let in these beams of light. We had our groom stand just underneath it, and turn his face towards the light source. This allowed us to create a very dramatic, contrasty portrait.
Light Type
Natural Light
Weather
Indoor
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 keeping the atmosphere calm and relaxed. As this was taken just before the couple’s first look, it’s natural that emotions and energy are all over the place.
Solutions
Fortunately our groom was a very laid back guy, but in any case, we still adopted a very calm attitude for this shot. We, ourselves, stayed calm and even did the breathing with our groom. It is so important that you understand how your energy as the photographer plays a big role on the feelings of your subject.
Location
Location Name
Private Home
Location aDDRESS
Vantaa, Finland
Loation Type
Private Home / AirBnB / Apartment
Country
Finland
Keep your eyes open for creative ways to use light. If a room is dark although it has windows – try something new and create a darker, moodier shot.
Remember that your energy as the wedding photographer is incredibly important when creating portraits. Want energetic stuff? Be energetic. Want calm, and quiet? Be that.
When you ask your groom to put his hand in his pocket, pay attention to how this affects his suit jacket. Sometimes it may pull the jacket awkwardly, and if this is the case – it’s better to have the buttons open.
