Shooting on location is fraught with all kinds of challenges. Often, the biggest one is the weather. We hope the forecasts are correct, but occasionally they get things a little wrong. It’s often just down to chance. Even somewhere warm and sunny like Florida has its share of random rain. Which is exactly what came during this engagement session. For photographer Nick Larghi, though, this was not a time to pack up and go home. Nick had been planning this shoot for his friend Jason for a few months leading up to the proposal. So, they sure weren’t going to back out now. Instead they made the most of it and shot in the rain. DIYP got in touch with Nick to find out a little more.
I’ve spent some time in Florida myself and seen how Naples Pier looks with the backdrop of a stunning sunset. So, I can understand why this particular spot was picked out. But Florida’s weather isn’t always as reliable as we’d like.
The photograph above shows an example of the kind of sunset they were trying to get. This was from one of Nick’s previous sessions. Below is what they actually saw that evening.
Backlit rain always seems to make for a beautiful image. When it’s raining here in the UK, it’s typically too cold and windy for subjects to want to stand out in it for too long. In Florida, though, even when it’s raining it’s usually rather warm. So, they got to work. With the decision made to keep shooting, Nick told us about the challenges he faced during the session. Random people getting in the shot is always troublesome when shooting in popular locations. You can’t really ask them to go away, so you just have to let them carry in doing their thing and try to work around them. Even in good weather, though, this isn’t always easy. I tried to line them up the best I could so that I was happy with the geometry of the pier and how they were positioned. One thing I did differently here is I got on my knees, kept my tripod low and took the photo that way. Aside from the rain, my only problem during the shoot was the fishermen getting in the way! It was hard to get a clean background. Also, ideally, this type of shot should be done in the darkness, but this was all I had to work with that day as they had dinner plans. In bad weather, when you’re trying to work quickly to avoid killing your gear, it’s even more difficult. Even if much of your gear is weather sealed, there’s still always that chance. Nick told us about the gear he used for this shoot. With the gear set up, it was time to get some quick test shots. to make sure Nick would get the results he expected. As a scuba diver I have personally experienced the results of water and a camera (sad day indeed). I knew if I pulled this shot off though,the results would be worth it. I wrapped my strobe in a tarp that I kept with me that day in case it rained. Basically I kept this part of the photo shoot short and sweet. My friends were kind enough to use their umbrella to cover it as I got set up. Like many aspects of life improvising is key.
Once everything was dialled in, Nick quickly fired away to get the shot he was after. With the session over and everything back in a dry environment, the final step is the post processing. We asked Nick about his process and workflow.
The only time I break this rule technically is with my astrophotography or underwater photos. Sometimes I have to use Photoshop to save photos in those cases or to tease out light that will aid my photo. For non-batch editing or focus stacking, I usually stick to adobe Photoshop. And as always, I shoot in RAW. The final result was definitely worth risking the equipment, and it’s an image I’m sure they’ll cherish forever. I was capturing a moment. That’s all photography is- capturing moments. I wanted the viewer to feel what I felt at that time. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Nick! If you want to see more of Nick’s photography, head on over on to his Flickr page. Images used with permission.
