- calm
- Mid range
- symmetry
- Soft Light
- Prism
- Playful
- Natural Light
- natural frames
- Laughing
- Center Framed
- intimate
- Indoor
- holding each other
- Fractals
- Directional Light
- Creative
- Colorful
- Window Light
The story behind the image
With the cool mix of light, color, and patterns on the wall, we decided to use the kaleidoscope glass in this situation to see how it went. This was just the test shot, but we were really digging how it turned out! After this wedding, it inspired us to start using prisms and fractals a lot more than we were previously!
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
As the light was coming from the right we asked the couple to face that direction by cuddling into each other from behind, so the light hit evenly on their faces. It turned slightly prom pose-esque, but we liked the cheesiness for this type of frame!
What did you say?
Just snuggle in and chat shit with each other – we’ll see how this goes!
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
We kept the composition fairly simple so we could illuminate the couple evenly via the skylight. “Prom pose” just kinda happened, which isn’t something we generally do, but we ran with the unplanned cheesiness! We also took the shot a little wider out with a bit of negative space so the kaleidoscope effect could fill up the other space and keep the couple in focus in the middle.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
The focus of this image was very simple. We used auto-focus and we shot through the center of the glass with the couple in the middle, which the AF point hitting them in the middle of their faces. From there, we were able to move the filter around until we get the desired effect.
Focus Mode
Single Shot Autofocus
Focus POints
Single Point
Focused on
Their faces
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/250 @ f/2.5 ISO1000 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
We used a skylight on the upper right-hand side of the room. This created a nice muted glow which highlighted the couple perfectly. It also created a nice contrast which allowed them to stand out more and make the colors of the room pop.
Light Type
Natural Light
Weather
Indoor
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
We have a custom preset that we’ve tweaked and refined over the years. Besides adjusting the temperature and exposure, there isn’t much else we do to the images after applying the preset.
Editing Software
Adobe Camera Raw
Preset Used
Custom preset
Challenges
Prisms/fractals are becoming ever more popular, especially within wedding and elopement photography, so we’re always figuring out ways to have our own spin on things and make them look unique.
Solutions
Experimenting with all kinds of glass and effects to see what we can achieve and come up with something different.
Location
Location Name
Grass Room DTLA
Location aDDRESS
616 East 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Loation Type
Wedding / Event Venue
Country
United States
We found that prisms and fractals can be a great addition to a session, especially when you’ve got great light, tone, and colors to work with already. Sometimes we (and other photographers for that matter) would just use filters expecting them to do all the work and create awesome effects with no effort, so we always try and find a situation where it adds to the shot, instead of just creating it. We can always get caught up when playing around with new toys, so we do test runs and figure out which piece of glass would work best when you get to a certain situation that might require it.
