This photograph was shot near the sea in Naples ( Italy ) at the end of a portrait session of a real wedding. We had just finished taking photographs at the beach and we were coming back to the venue for dinner when I visualized this image featuring the bride and groom under that amazing gazebo, immersed in the golden sunset light.
I gave them some suggestions and I quickly moved some objects that were in the field, then I started to take pictures without caring too much the exposure, as I was aware of the high dynamic range of my Nikon D750.
Normally I shoot in aperture priority with center-weighted metering, which is the best choice if you need to shoot quickly and there is not much time to think.
Straight out of camera image - Nikon D750 + Sigma 35mm F/2 at 1/2500 and ISO 50
In this case, the D750 has behaved very well and I did not have to make any compensation.
While I took the pictures, the manager of the location was behind me saying "hurry up, we're late!" So I concentrated on the composition, trying to distribute the elements within the frame in the best way possible.
Kodak Portra 400 NC - www.sergiosarnicolawedding.com
The bride and groom were not exactly in the middle, but I had no time to move them or I would not have brought home the picture!
Once imported the images in Lightroom I first applied the filter VSCO Kodak Portra 400 NC, then I applied local adjustments and customizations to the preset.
Brightness and contrast adjustments - www.sergiosarnicolawedding.com
Gear used
When I finished equalizing all the parameters in the Develop module I sent the image to Photoshop to correct some perspectives which were impossible to fix with the Lens Correction tool. In particular, I moved the white carpet slightly to the left and applied a slight tilt-shift effect to give a dreamier mood.
Little carpet shift and tilt shift effect - www.sergiosarnicolawedding.com
I am very pleased with this image because it sums up the atmosphere that was breathed that day. Additionally, the light was really magnificent!
