This was the best shot from the session by far (above).. and, I will say with all honesty, I truly, truly think this is the best Engagement Photo ever taken at the Rail Road Museum in Miami.
It really was a “commercial grade” production. First, what your looking at is not some “photoshop” trick..or “art” LOL. it was real, and was manufactured in the camera. To start, Melissa told me for the save the date they wanted to create an image that was like they “were catching the train”, but she also told me that should would understand if I could not make that happen. Now, I am not about to take some “gimmicky” photo of them trying to catch a train that is not moving.. so I started thinking “how can I make this happen”. The train was not moving, not “powered”, and posed the first problem that needed to be solved. I needed to bring it to life. SO, I took three small speed lights, and gelled them all 1/1 CTO and placed them inside the train car aimed at the ceiling spaced several feet apart. I put them all on the same channel so I could control them all at the same time with my remote. Next, I needed to deal with the lighting on my subjects. I used only one studio light, and had it camera left, bare bulb, and with a 20 degree grid (to control the spill, and prevent it from hitting the train itself) then carefully aimed it between them. It only took me 2 or 3 “test” shots to get the lighting where I wanted it. Okay, next was to get the “motion” of the train, and to a point them as well. This was actually done in camera by use of a slow shutter speed. I was somewhere down around 1/10, maybe 1/20 ish. I braced the camera tight into my chest, and carefully panned the camera as I pushed the shutter. I had to “pre focus” on my subjects, and then do this motion. I took maybe.. 20 frames back to back, and none of them came out. Then.. I saw this. His face was in focus, and the rest fell off.. and thats –exactly– what I wanted. To be clear, they were posed and not moving at all. Only the camera moved. I will say this.. it was very hard, and they took me, and my assistant out for a steak dinner, and drinks after this long day.. and it was very well deserved
Be SURE to check out all of the amazing shots from this session over on my blog.
TH
Location: 12450 SW 152nd St, Miami, FL 33177.
