Love You Forever
Jul, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in a field near Piedmont, Oklahoma. I had been driving around looking for a field for my photo-shoot that evening, and stumbled upon this beautiful location filled with tall green grass!Time
This session was done during the last 20 minutes of sundown. The low sun gave off the perfect natural warmth color that I was aiming for. It was taken on July 17, 2016 at approximately 8:30 PM.Lighting
Sundown seemed like the perfect time for this shoot. There were probably a hundred trees behind this mother and child and to camera left, with just enough empty space for the sun to shine behind them from the right. It created the perfect sun glare in camera to give it the feel I really envisioned.Equipment
This photo was shot with a Nikon D60, and I was actually using my kit lens 70-200mm 5.6! I didn't mind being limited to the 5.6 aperture since the sun was shining so brightly. I was able to create the nice creamy bokeh by zooming my lens all the way to 200mm, and standing as far away as possible while still getting the composition I desired.Inspiration
"Love You Forever" is one of my all-time favorite books. As a mother and bereaved daughter, the words really speak to me. So when this beautiful mama showed up with this special book to read to her son, I couldn't help but want to create a visual image of the emotions I felt inside.Editing
Because of the beautiful lighting on this evening, and the natural sun glare that I got in-camera, I didn't have to do much post processing. I did basic edits such as lowering highlights, darkening shadows, lightening the subject, and adding a slight vignette. I also used a high pass filter to sharpen the title of the book and the subjects.In my camera bag
I of course always have my Nikon D60 packed, along with my 70-200mm kit lens, and my 35mm 1.8 prime. I always carry two lens hoods, two fully charged batteries, and several extra SD cards. I like to keep my backpack light and only carry what I know I will need -- and backups just to be safe!Feedback
Spend some time driving around on the outskirts of your town. Look for fields where there are trees or large open areas to the west, so the sun can be behind your subject. Time sundown a couple of days prior to your shoot, and also follow predicted sundown times on your local weather websites, so you can be sure to get yourself and your client to the location at the perfect time. Shooting almost directly into the sun like this, you're definitely going to want to use a lens hood and a high shutter speed. Keep the sun slightly out of frame to create the golden sun glare. Most importantly - have fun and keep trying if you don't get it right the first time!
