In this edition of our ProTeller series, we are looking at an image that was taken by Steve Dalgetty of An Endless Pursuit Photography, out of the Virginia/DC area. He can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
What inspired you to take this image the way you did?
I was photographing Andrew and Rebecca’s engagement session in Charlottesville, Virginia and spending a cold afternoon in December capturing them. I photograph my couples in a very candid way that tries to put far more emphasis on natural emotion vs stiff posing. Andrew and Rebecca were incredibly easy to work with because 1. they were super into each other and not afraid to show it, and 2. they were hilarious. For this particular image, we had just finished shooting in this location on some railroad tracks near the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville and we were starting to walk away when Rebecca began asking me if I ever tried to get my couples to loosen up by telling them “don’t laugh no matter what” or statements to throw people off their guard. It felt like the perfect challenge so I asked them to go back to where we were shooting before and to hold each other close and we’d try something together. Occasionally I will use prompts with couples to evoke emotion or interaction. There are some great ones such as the Beloved Series for couples, or more recently the Unposed Field Guide by Love Is A Big Deal. For this image I used a prompt from the Unposed Field Guide. I spoke very slowly and asked Andrew and Rebecca to “hold each other super close… and Rebecca I want you to think about… the first time… (long pause) Andrew farted in front of you.” And this image was the result of that. What made it even better is she clearly remembered that moment!
What was involved in the preparation for this image?
I never plan for couple portraits since I shoot in natural light and lighting changes for locations based on time of day or by type of sky. This session took place over the course of the two hours prior to sunset. We were probably about one hour out from sunset at the time of this image. I find that location planning or posing planning often competes against creating a natural environment for emotion to unfold naturally as every couple is different. Because of this I usually wander a location with a couple and we simply talk and hang out while I keep an eye out for interesting backdrops and lighting. Once I see something then I’ll put the couple into the scene, loosely pose them, and then let them interact. In cases where the interaction needs some help I might give them some type of prompt like I did in this image to solicit either laughter or intimacy.
What was the hardest part of the execution of the image, or what were any (at all) challenges you faced in its capture?
This image was pretty easy to execute. The setting and backdrop were not the focus point and the lighting was soft. I was about two feet away from them and held my camera above them to shoot at a downward angle.
How did you overcome any of the challenges that presented themselves, or what skills or previous experiences did you call upon that you have developed over time?
I think the biggest set of skills for couple portraits has less to do with technical camera work and a lot more to do with people interactions. I’ve learned through shooting hundreds of couples that everyone is different in how they interact with each other and how they interact with me as a photographer. I’ve learned over time that I have to go into a session with a lot of flexibility to help make them comfortable and then to take photographs that compliment them as a couple. With Andrew and Rebecca there was a lot of joking and laughter. With other couples the posing, the prompts, and the conversation is a lot more serious and focused on the triumphs or hardships of their relationship. Learning how to read people and then use that to photograph them in a way that looks and feel like them is really about practice, patience, and some good old trial and error.
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?
This image felt like it highlighted the joy and laughter the most in black and white. I used a black and white preset by A Fist Full of Bolts and processed in Lightroom Classic Creative Cloud.
How does the final image differ from what you were envisioning at the outset?
It was what I hoped for. I new the moment I saw them both react to my fart joke prompt that we would have an amazing image!
If you had to go back and take this image again, what would you do differently and/or the same?
I think I’d do the same.
What gear did you use for this image (camera, lens, and any accessories) and which of it would you say was indispensable in achieving your results?
I shoot Fujifilm XT-2 mirrorless cameras. This was using the 23 f/2 lens (35mm equivalent) at f/2.8. My favorite thing about the Fuji XT-2 is that the electronic viewfinder seamlessly switches between the optical viewfinder and the flip LCD screen on the back so that as soon as I take my eye away from the camera that I’m in live view on the LCD screen. The other amazing feature is that white balance and exposure are previewed which means I spend a lot less time looking at my meter and a lot more time on composition because I know the end result of exposure before I even take a picture. For this image I held the camera up with my LCD screen tilted down so I could see Andrew and Rebecca. I immediately saw the exposure was correct and was then able to divert all of my attention on the couple and our interaction. My ideal camera system lets me avoid thinking about the technical aspects of my camera and keeps all of my energy on my subject and composition. The Fuji system is fantastic for this.
What advice do you have for people trying to take images like yours?
For anybody looking to excel in creating natural candid images of couples that are not models I highly recommend combining basic posing with prompts. Some great resources on couple posing are the Foundational Poses by Pye Jirsa. You can check out his workshop on SLR Lounge. My favorite prompts are the Unposed Field Guide by Love is a Big Deal because they’re incredibly simple. However, once you learn the basics of prompting it’s easy to make up your own. Having some basic posing and basic prompting memorized helps to quickly put focus back on the couple, the lighting, the composition, etc.
**EDITORS NOTE**
Steve echoed one of my advices in my post on increasing variety at your shoots. I called it the anti-pose, but he describes it masterfully here.
