Offfttt – the mood of this image from the incredible Neil Thomas Douglas! He really is a master at composition and I cannot wait to hear his talk at our Thrive conference in March.
Many photographers think that they can go out and shoot a couple in some mountains and that makes them the Ansel Adams of wedding photography but it takes true passion and understanding to really nail this look.
Neil knows this area so incredibly well and has shot at all times of year. This particular day sounds more than a little challenging but the couple must have trusted him and his vision for this image.
It’s the leading lines that really elevate the frame and draw the eye from the subjects to the mountain. It is extremely well executed and sets a very high bar for wedding photos in Glencoe.
Nikon D780 | Nikon 35mm F/1.4G | f/2 | 1/400| ISO 640
Own Preset
What Neil Said…
“Amy & Dan got married on one of the wettest days I’ve seen up in Glencoe. I waited and waited for it to clear but as it’s December, daylight was fading so just had to take a risk. The visibility was awful so I knew I had to get close to the mountains to get them in the shot so we drove up the Glen to a little spot I knew that would work. It was super windy and rainy so I literally spent 2 minutes at this location.
I won’t lie, I had Ansel Adams and his masterful monochrome exposures in my mind when I took this shot. Some of my favourite shots of his include snowy mountain peaks.
I had to dodge the mountains in post production as they were losing contrast due to the rain, a technique that Ansel also used a lot.
Compositionally I made sure the couple were contained by the background and used the mountains as leading lines.
One tip would be that to always carry lens wipes in your pocket. When the wind is making the rain smack off the front of your lens it’s important to keep on wiping your lens.“