- afternoon
- calm
- Car
- Center Framed
- Cloudy
- kissing
- Natural
- natural frames
- Rain
- Rule of thirds
- shoot through
- Soft Light
- umbrella
The story behind the image
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We asked the couple to go to the other side of the car + positioned them in the opening of the door. It was a rainy day so we had them hold an umbrella to keep them as dry as possible before their ceremony. We had the groom hold the umbrella in his left hand + to tilt it back slightly to allow as much light on their faces as possible. From there we directed the groom to get in nice + close, whatever that meant to them.
What did you say?
Ok you two, come close together. As close as you can! (Groom) hold the umbrella in your left hand so the pole doesn’t block your faces. Now (groom) get in nice and close on (brides) right cheek.
Tone of Directions
Calm, Normal
Composition
We are constantly looking for objects to shoot through to add depth to the images we create. We knew we wanted to incorporate the car into a few portraits so we opened up both car doors, placed them in the opening on the one side + shot through to the other.
Compositional Rules
Leading LinesShoot Through
framing
Center FramedWideFull BodyNatural Frames
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
We used single point, auto focus for this image + made sure to focus on their faces. Shooting through the car allowed for the interior to be out of focus which brings your eye to what you want the focus to be on.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
The Couple
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/3200 @ f/2.0 ISO200 WB-6500K
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 overcast day which meant that the light was even + soft. This allowed us to shoot in any direction + worry less about their positioning in regards to where the light was coming from + focus mainly on composition + their connection. As the umbrella they were using was not clear we did have to ensure it was slightly tilted back to allow as much light as possible on their faces.
Light Type
Natural Light
Light Quality
Soft
Time of day
Afternoon
Weather
Rainy
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
This was a pretty simple edit as the light this day was so soft. We applied our preset which tends to be warmer, making sure their skin looks great + slightly highlighting them using a radial filter. Last steps are removing anything that may be distracting + adding a nice dose of grain.
We’ve spent 10 years tweaking an original VSCO preset to get this look.
Editing Software
Adobe Lightroom CC
Preset Used
Challenges
The biggest challenge was the rain, which has become less of a challenge after photographing weddings in the PNW for the last decade. We also ran into some challenges with the location. The bride loved some previous images we had shot at this parkade but they had since put in some stricter shooting restrictions + required a fee to shoot in the space, which the couple was happy to pay.
Solutions
By having umbrellas on hand + picking a location that also had some covered areas with good light, we were able to work with the rain, create images we were proud of, all the while keeping the couple + their wedding party dry. By contacting the parkade regarding shooting restrictions ahead of time we were able to feel confident shooting in the space knowing we wouldn’t be asked to leave. The added bonus is they never actually made the couple pay in the end!
Location
Location Name
Downtown Vancouver
Location aDDRESS
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Loation Type
City
Country
Canada
One of the things you have zero control over on a wedding day is the weather. If it is looking like rain is in the forecast make sure you have a plan. Ask your couple their comfort level when it comes to shooting outdoors in the rain, invest in some nice umbrellas, and always have a backup plan for locations that are covered or indoors. Do your research on locations as some may have shooting restrictions, something you don’t want to deal with on a wedding day.
