- Center Framed
- clear sky
- Harsh Light
- Leading lines
- Mirror
- Mountains
- Outdoor
- Reflection
- Slightly Cloudy
- symmetry
- Walking
- Wide
The story behind the image
At that moment all our fatigue was gone and we were loaded and ready to create magic! The spot where we shot at is particularly famous for those who know these mountains, so the problem was finding a few minutes to shoot peacefully with the couple, especially since at this time, we were no longer the only ones around.
Creating this shot was particularly inspiring, it reminded me that even the simplest things can be the most wonderful.
Directions
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
I simply told the couple to walk (together or not) across the rock to the highest point and back up. When they were able they could hold hands, play, and look at each other, all with a lot of calmness and tranquility so that I could concentrate on the mirror effect I wanted to achieve.
What did you say?
Well guys, now you can walk very calmly, without falling or hurting yourself, on the rock back and forth. Try to walk as if you were on your own walk and would like to play with each other and hold your hands as much as possible.
Tone of Directions
Calm
Composition
The composition of this shot was particularly easy because the mountains were the real stars at this time of day, so centering the bride and groom on the rock and keeping the linear background of the mountain range was the wisest thing to do. But I said to myself: “If the mountains are so beautiful, why don’t we duplicate them?”, So I tried an old trick that I hadn’t used for a long time and I tried to create a soft, ethereal mirror effect, which would emphasize the beauty of the place.
framing
Center Framed
Focusing
Describe how you spoke to your subject(s)
The focus was simple because I kept the focus on the bride and groom by manually moving it as they walked.
Focus Mode
Single Shot
Focus POints
Single Focus Point
Focused on
Couple
Equipment &
Exif
Camera
Lens
Flash
Filter
1/4000 @ f/1.8 ISO100 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 we had at that time was particularly harsh and of a neutral color, it was around 9.00 am and therefore it was not the ideal light for taking portraits. But this light perfectly illuminated the whole scene and therefore emphasized all the colors.
We decided to shoot in the morning because if we had shot later we would have found the sun much stronger above our heads, and in addition to not illuminating and not enhancing the mountains, we probably would not have been able to capture the beautiful clouds in the sky.
Light Type
Natural Light
Time of day
Sunrise
Editing Workflow
How did you edit this image?
I used Muse and Mirror’s “True Romance” preset as a base, warming it up and trying to bring out the color of that morning’s mountains. I used a circular filter in Lightroom by increasing the exposure slightly to bring out the couple. I also cloned out some reflections that had been created that were bothering me in order to create a more accurate reflection of the mountains.
Editing Software
Preset Used
Challenges
The biggest difficulty was time. We only had a few minutes for these shots, the place is iconic and there were people waiting for us to finish so they could take them too. In those moments it is easy to get anxious and shoot badly or with little care. I forced myself to take my mental time to be able to do something different, that mirrored me and that was different from what I had always seen in that place.
At that moment the idea of the mirror was the fastest to realize. A second difficulty was, in that brief moment of time, being able to catch the perfect reflection when the couple was already going back and therefore I had a few seconds left to create my idea.
Solutions
Speed and calmness helped me get the perfect shot just before the bride and groom finished their walk. I also asked the bride and groom to slow down so that I could take my time to formulate my idea and put it into practice (with my hands freezing given the temperature).
Location
Location Name
Dolomiti
Location aDDRESS
Localita' Forcella Longeres, 32041 Auronzo di Cadore BL
Loation Type
Mountains
Country
Italy
What I learned from this shot is that often times the simplest ideas are the ones that work best.
I wanted to make something that was different, ethereal and representative of the wonderful place we had in front of us.
I hadn’t planned to create anything in particular, but I followed my instincts and when the idea came to me I didn’t waste time.
This image taught me that there is always a way to be different, even when shooting in highly known and photographed places every day, and I will always remember this every time I shoot.
