The weather was sunny and bright for weeks before – and weeks after the shoot. It didn’t rain the whole day, except for the exact duration of one hour and thirty minutes, which also happened to be the exact time of the shoot that day.
Postponing wasn’t an option, since my client Alison already had her hair and make-up done professionally. Neither was waiting until the rain stopped as I scheduled the shoot at my favourite time of the day, when the light is soft and golden: One hour before sunset.
I had no choice, but swallow down my disappointment to not being able to get some magical backlit shots as I usually do, but that I was left in the rain instead (with equipment I didn’t trust to be waterproof and wasn’t curious to find out about in a practice test). I put on a brave face and walked to the beach.
For reasons I really don’t understand, my wonderful clients Alison and Jack were in an exceptional good mood! They laughed and kissed and had fun, even though Alison got brown and wet sand all over her dress.
The rain started to pour heavier, but luckily my husband came along to assist me with the shoot (thank you – love!). I shot with an umbrella in one hand to keep the rain off the gear and the camera in the other hand.
After a while, Alison and Jack decided to get pictures in the water. Terrified, I remembered when I photographed Alison’s wedding one year ago, she wouldn’t even take her dress out of the protective cover, being too afraid to get dirt on it. Now, she would fearlessly jump into the waves of the ocean. Panicking, one thought filled my head until the end of the shoot: “They are throwing themselves in this salty, muddy water for this. I better deliver. I can’t let them down!!”
I was barely able to give instructions as I was standing too far away to keep my equipment safe from the salt water spray and my hands were occupied with the umbrella and camera.
Nevertheless, Ali & Jack didn’t seem to mind how insecure and terrified I felt in that moment, while giggling and laughing and splashing in the water. They just trusted me. For that, I am incredibly thankful.
As we walked back to the car park, the rain turned into a gentle drizzle and as we drove off, it stopped completely.
Later, at home when I looked at the photos on the screen, I realised how completely unique and special the moment I captured was: Two people in love, laughing and kissing – something that is much harder to do while sitting in the grey ocean in the rain, than standing in the bright sun. Something I know, that Ali and Jack are capable of, even when I am not there to capture it.
2 Comments
Lovely work Elisabeth, some special photos in here – shows what you can do if you’re willing to go that one step further!
Thanks a lot Adam! Challenging yourself is always important!