"Thinking Of You"

"Thinking Of You"
©David A. Ziser

When was the last time you saw a beautiful profile of a bride? You sure don’t see them very often these days. I still think the profile view is one of the most beautiful and dramatic views of a woman. Here is another image from my Digital Master Class - one of my favorites.  Our model, the setting, the light - all simply gorgeous.  In many, many posts here at DPT, I've always discussed off-camera flash and how to get that beautiful lighting on the subject.  This image was illuminated with only the light coming in from a nearby window - no flash at all. It's not the light source that makes the image, it's many times, simply the light itself. I just positioned the bride, relative to the direction of light coming in through the window, so I would have a flattering loop light pattern falling on her face. I just don't believe that you need the latest, greatest most expensive piece of gear to capture a great image.  Understanding and using the light knowledgeably and creatively will often times lead to a stunning result.  That's what happened in this example. Behind the bride was a blank wall.  I simply moved a floor planter into the background of the shot to break up the monotonous look of the blank wall.  The flow of the palm frowns worked beautifully in the composition.  Their dark green color was a perfect compliment to the dark skin of my beautiful bride. The palm frowns seem to almost add a certain sense of motion to the background, too.  I love the image.  Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 200mm, F 5.6 @ 1/40 second (handheld), ISO 1600. 

Enjoy! -David