Shot of the Day from Tanya and Kevin’s Portrait Shoot

Choosing a shot of the day from this particular portrait shoot was very, very hard. There were so many shots that I just loved and that really showed something special about Tanya and Kevin. They were so easy in front of the camera and both of them had such a fantastic sense of grace and movement and they both engaged with the camera so much that choosing just one pic . . . .

I have to admit that for quite a while it was a toss up between the shot below and the one in my previous blog post where Tanya is looking over Kevin’s shoulder with this seriously naughty /delighted expression! In that shot I really loved the catch lights * in her eyes and what the shot conveyed about her personality and her sense of fun.

I think ultimately the shot below won out for me because I have a soft spot for photographs showing people with their eyes closed. There’s a vulnerability and a trust that it shows. And from a body language point of view, asking the people in front of your camera to close their eyes brings about a sense of calm expectancy and it’s a calm that cannot be put on for the camera. With two people standing pretty much nude so close together it also takes their awareness into their bodies and into those precise points of contact between their bodies. When I see this image I get a very clear sense of the comfort and the deep joy that Kevin and Tanya find in each other. So for me that’s why this shot was the winner.

Here are my shot settings:
Shooting Mode    Manual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed )    1/125
Av( Aperture Value )    5.6
Metering Mode    Spot Metering
ISO Speed    100
Lens    EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Focal Length    70.0mm
Image Size    4368×2912
Image Quality    RAW

For the aperture on this I wanted enough depth of field on the couple to properly show their bodies but to also not pick up any detail on the background. I know I could’ve gone with a much larger aperture and started to shift their bodies out of focus (I could even have added the blur in post) but I liked the very specific reality that the clear focus brings to the image. In post I removed some skin blemishes, but most of the scars or marks that Kevin and Tanya have I left in the shot. For me they add so much depth to the story of their love for each other. While they’re not married (yet) you get the sense that their relationship is definitely one that is for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health. These guys will weather the storms together.

Anywho, time to float back to the surface of my little pool – that’s enough deep for one day

* If you read the Wiki entry on catch lights that I linked to this post: the catch lights I created in the shots with Kevin and Tanya with their eyes open were from having a large square soft box close to Tanya’s face and within the angle of reflection of her eyes. The Wiki post also mentions having entire scenes caught in the eye of your subject. Thought I’d post this shot from a wedding I did a while ago where the groom is reflected in the bride’s eyes.

Tags: Couple Portraits, Shot of the Day