- Artificial Light
- Cabin
- calm
- Center Framed
- Dark
- Evening
- Gazebo
- kissing
- Lanterns
- Natural
- negative space
- night
- Outdoor
- Stars
- String Lights
- Wide
The story behind the image
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We asked the couple to stand in the middle of the gazebo and simply hug and reach for a kiss. We spent the whole day with the couple and so they didn’t need a lot of directions by this point.
What did you say?
Laura and John, can you now hug each other, reach for the kiss and hold it at least for 10 seconds.
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
I used a 50 mm lens to take this shot. I was on the other end of the pond, quite far away from the main subject as I wanted to have a few reflections in the pond. I kept the couple in the middle of the frame slightly lower in the center to see more of the sky. I chose to shoot in the portrait as this would allow me to capture not only the sky and the subject, but also the water & reflections too.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I focused on the main subject – the couple. The challenge was to keep camera straight as I was on uneven surface and very close to the water.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
the couple
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/60 @ f/1.4 ISO800 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
It was an evening summer light, so it was perfect for a night shot. I’m not a huge fan of the flash for photos. The only artificial light in this photo is from the string of the festoon lights. Timing was everything for this shot, as if I had waited a bit longer the night got darker – it would have been much harder to expose and keep enough details in the highlights & shadows.
Light Type
Artificial Light
Time of day
Night
Weather
Clear
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
I used my usual color preset as a base. I wanted the image to have a dark and dreamy feel. I kept the overall exposure on the darker side to compliment the mood I was after, but made sure to pay attention to the couple in the warm light in the cabin. Lastly, I added some stars to create a more dramatic look through photoshop.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Preset Used
Own Custom Preset
Challenges
The biggest challenge was to have couple in focus and have steady hands whilst taking the shot as I wasn’t using a tripod.
Solutions
I took a several shots to make sure the couple is in focus and the image is sharp. You can use a tripod to make sure the image quality is better due to the slow shutter speed or just rely on your hands.
Location
Location Name
Solton Manor, Kent
Location aDDRESS
Solton Manor, East Langdon, Dover, CT15 5JB
Loation Type
Wedding / Event Venue
Country
United Kingdom
Go out there and shoot as much as you can, play with the settings and play with the light to achieve the best image. Always ask your couples to come out for the night shot if there is an opportunity. If you have time you can try this at home with fairy lights.
