- Artificial Light
- leaning back
- vintage car
- styled
- Stars
- sand
- road
- passionate kiss
- passionate
- night photography
- night
- milky way
- leaning kiss
- Leading lines
- Back lit
- kissing
- intimate
- holding each other
- galaxy
- Evening
- Dusty
- dust
- Desert
- Dark
- Center Framed
- Car
- calm
- Wide
The story behind the image
We drove to an area that offered an epic backdrop to park their car, that not only depicted the beautiful location as a whole but provided symmetry. We used the headlights to create a more dramatic look and offer some back light to the couple highlighting the outer parts of their body/clothes, in turn making the dust appear more.
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We asked the couple to center themselves in front of the car and enjoy this moment between them, forget that the camera was on them, and to connect with each other. We had our them stand close to each other and we then asked the groom to grab her bum and give her kiss while dipping her (gently).
What did you say?
grab her bum, give her a kiss and dip her, just slightly.
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
In photography, it’s always so boring to have the subject directly centered. However, for this shot, I feel like it was perfect. The milky way leads your eyes to the couple and then takes your eyes away from them directing you to the headlights to the desert surface where the dust is in the foreground. Your eyes aren’t immediately drawn to the couple, instead, it takes you straight to the night sky. I thought this worked so well, especially it being vertically shot. You’re able to see the dust in the foreground the headlights, the desert organic landscapes that frame the couple, the snow-capped mountains behind them, and the stars that just fill the scene.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I always shoot in live view, so that I can see how the image will look without it being cropped. This is also a great way to not have too much space above or below the subject. In my camera, I use Face AF + Tracking. I initially focused on the groom’s face, then it tracked it as he leaned in for a kiss. When I shoot, I’m never posing the couple, I usually always have them moving around. Face AF+tracking helps me get those really clear shots while the subject is in motion.
Focus Mode
Live View Continuous
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
Face
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/30 @ f/2.8 ISO3200 WB-5800K
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
This was shot just after the blue hour, the stars had already started to appear since we were in the desert. It was completely dark. The only light source we had was the headlights of the car which created a dramatic look. The reason things looked so dramatic was that the light behind the couple created a rim light to separate the couple from the darkness of the night, while also illuminating the dust and letting it play a bigger role in the image.
Light Type
Artificial Light
Time of day
Night
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
I used a custom preset. I really just wanted to bring out the stars a little more and not change the editing too much. I wanted the image to still look like it was still taken at night while illuminating the sky and subject.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Challenges
This was obviously the end of the day, the couple was tired since we’ve been shooting all day. We were all tired, restless, and dirty, but we still had a little bit of energy and sometimes that’s all you need.
Solutions
It’s natural for us to get drained and exhausted, especially if you’ve been shooting and walking around all day. But just having the motivation and positive attitude to create beautiful art can change that.
Location
Location Name
Lone Pine, California
Location aDDRESS
Lone Pine, California
Loation Type
Desert
Country
United States
Approach every session wholeheartedly and push yourself to be creative not only when the sun is out but when the stars come out.
