This was an engagement shoot on a gorgeous May day from 10 am till about noon. Yep, the middle of the day. That's when we were all available, and because MD has so many trees and buildings, usually, we can make it work. Here are some of the images we got, thanks to the abundant trees and buildings, but there were some poses the couple wanted that just weren't possible because of various factors, mostly Old Sol banging down on us from nearly 90 degrees ascension.

They really wanted some shots beside and in the middle of the road, which offer great lines, symbolic richness and a nice perspective. But people don't realize just how reflective a seemingly black road can be in broad daylight-they're like mirrors, let me tell you. The one road shot we did get was due to some shade on the side of the road, but the contrast between the road and the shade was huge, so it's still a problematic image.












I love how what I've started learning in the darkroom has helped me with my digital skills. Many of the processes in lightroom and photoshop are based on something in the developing or printing process for film, and now that I better understand what goes into making a good print, I feel much more confidence making certain adjustments in pixels.

What I learned from this shoot:

• Don't say no to a shoot because of the time of day. Look around and see how you can make it work. Open shade and indirect light can be found, even in the middle of the day. 
• Be discerning in what you choose as proofs. I'm getting very economical on that score. My proofsets are getting smaller and smaller, which I think makes it easier for a client to choose. 
• Remember your goodie bag with the hair gel and other helpful items. I left mine in the car as we walked all through the little town where she grew up and we could have used a few things at times. 

Monday was another wedding down at the Washington D.C. Temple.  I have my tricks and things that work, but I also don't want every bride's photos to look the same, so I always try to add new poses and ideas each time. We were shooting at the height of the midday-starting at 12:15, so it was challenging to tame the bright, bright light and it was very humid, so the sky was hazy and pale blue instead of a bright, cerulean blue. On Saturday, when I was there with my family in the evening, this was the sky over the temple, and this is without filters or any digital adjustments:

By Monday, the humidity had soared and this was the sky that met us at midday:
But, here is a similar sky with some adjustments in Lightroom-a Graduated Filter in Blue and the vibrance pumped up:


So, we made it work. By shooting these from farther away to put the focus on the setting and their couple-hood, I was able to not worry so much about the shadows on their faces.

We also made good use of the many trees on the property and the shadows of the building itself creating open shade. There was some dappled sunlight to deal with, but I had a helper there who could hold a reflector over their heads if needed for some of the shots, as in the second one below.



Because of the schedule for the day, we only had about an hour for me to photograph the couple by themselves, but I think we worked well together-they were exceedingly happy and pleasant in spite of the oppressive heat and again, it was a special honor for me to photograph a dear friend. I've known this beauty since she was three, so I found myself steaming up my viewfinder occasionally as the emotions came to the surface.