Shooting Silhouettes for Mood and Drama…

Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.
~ Rumi

Imagine being spontaneously asked by a young man to be “in” on a surprise proposal to his girlfriend at the beach, and if I would please take a few pictures!! It was the most amazing, sweet, romantic experience! During the moments I was shooting, the young man is trying not to get too damp on one knee proposing to his girlfriend with this absolutely stunning ring, I’m trying not to get my camera splashed too much, she’s totally surprised and in tears! Everyone on the beach pitched in from wine in a crystal glass, to clapping and cheers of congratulations. How beautiful! This is one of my favorite photos that I shot from that moment… I love being a photographer!

Technical info: Moments before being asked to take a few pictures, I had my Nikon D810, Nikkor 16mm-35mm wide angle lens, set up on my Induro tripod and outfitted with neutral density filters to shoot some creative work as the sun was going down. I had to switch gears fast, changing to a more appropriate lens for this shot, the Nikkor 24-120mm. White balance was set to Cloudy to accentuate the golden tones, along with nudging the warm tones in post processing. Exposing for the sky area outside the sun allowed me to create a silhouette with slight detail of the beautiful couple along along with the remnants of an old pier complete with pelicans perched on top.  I love shooting silhouettes, it’s one of the first ways I learned to be creative with the camera, a simple skill that is enduring, and has wonderful emotional appeal.This is one of the skills I like to teach during my photography workshops, photo tours and seminars.  I hope to see you in 2015!