In this edition of our ProTeller series, we are looking at an image that was taken by Dan Pepe of Dan Pepe Photography, out of Houston, TX.
Why did you take this image and what inspired you to take this image the way you did?
I was shooting a wedding in Oregon and this image presented an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. As I understand it does frequently in the pacific northwest, it was very nice weather when we went in to the church for the ceremony, it poured buckets while we were inside, and by the time the ceremony was over, it was nice again. We were walking to the car to go to our next venue, I walked past the puddle, felt like I was missing an opportunity so I asked them to walk back to it and they went for it.
What was involved in the preparation for this image?
No preparation was involved at all, it was more about trusting my instinct when I had a feeling that I should carpe diem, even when I had already walked past it.
What was the hardest part of the execution of the image, or what were any (at all) challenges you faced in its capture? How did you overcome those challenges?
Getting the angle right was a bit of a challenge, but it didn’t take too long, I had to get pretty low to get all of them in the puddle. Exposure took a few tries, too, as they were severely backlit by the sky.
What skills or previous experiences did you call upon that you have developed over time?
Spot metering and using AE Lock were helpful at getting the exposure right quickly.
Assuming you did any, what technique in the post processing of this image had the biggest impact on it and what software do you rely on to accomplish it?
Post processing was a significant player in the final look of this image. Although it rained significantly, and the puddle is real, the puddle itself looked a lot less like a lake and a lot more like a river. It was long and skinny and the far left side of the image was mostly the broken blacktop of a parking lot. Clone stamping as well as bringing in some extra sky helped to simplify that side of the image so attention wasn’t drawn away from the couple, I also had to pull detail back in the shadow area to save detail in their faces – sorry if that cheapens it!
How does the final image differ from what you were envisioning at the outset?
It was exactly what I wanted, and that’s what I like about it – I had the idea for this image, the puddle was less than perfect and I made it into my original vision in photoshop. Simplicity is what I like most about it.
If you had to go back and take this image again, what would you do differently and/or the same?
I wouldn’t have second guessed myself in walking past the puddle the first time. Because of the way it came out, I came away with a renewed sense of trust in my gut feelings while on location.
What gear did you use for this image and which of it would you say was indispensable in achieving your results?
I used a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon EF 24mm f1.4 II lens. The wide angle was key for keeping them close, because when using reflection, the perception of distance is elongated.
What advice do you have for people trying to take images like yours?
Well if you wanted to take this exact picture, bring a garden hose and look for a hookup… but that’s more of a joke. More theoretically, I would say be aware of your surroundings and try to find opportunity in even situations that might seem like they are a drag, for example, a rainy wedding day.
