Have you ever tried to figure out how to get the shot? Maybe you have ever seen a photograph on someone’s website or IG feed and tried to reverse engineer the shot, but then got fed up because you just couldn’t figure out how they did it?? Well we are here to tell you how to get the shot with the ShootDotEdit inspirational blog series for wedding photographers called How I Got the Shot! — featuring some of the best work from our INCREDIBLE ShootDotEdit customers!
This week, we asked Terrence and Heather Huie from Apollo Fields how to get the shot. This husband and wife team are based out of New York and Colorado and describe their photography as “Artistic storytelling for adventurous couples. And as you’ll see in these photos, they’re all about adventure and risk-taking.
So without further ado, here’s Apollo Fields telling us how to get the shot!
How to get the shot
DUMBO Engagement
Gear: Nikon d750, 50mm f/1.4 lens.
Exposure: 1/320sec, f/5,0, ISO 250, No Flash
About 30 seconds before I got this shot, all I could think to myself was, “I hope all this rain doesn’t ruin my gear,” and, “This couple is so cool for not bailing right now.” We were shooting in DUMBO, and anyone who has worked in this location knows the absolute masses of tourists, photographers, and callous New Yorkers that tend to swarm this overlook in the evenings.
With almost no warning, the skies opened up into torrential rain and the dozens of people who were in the shot before scattered like cockroaches when the lights turn on. All of a sudden, we were the only ones out there, and just as fast as the rain rolled in, it cleared out and yielded this stunning power-hour golden sun! There was so much atmosphere from all the rain and humidity that the intense light seemed to bounce around without any gravitational pull.
It was as if the three of us knew the improbability of this moment and we just celebrated it like children dancing in the light. You really can’t tell in the photo, but my couple was SOAKED to the bone, and all of Michelle’s makeup had run straight down her face. Her fiance lovingly joked that she was “clowning out” because of how much the makeup had melted, so I knew that I only had a few minutes to wrap up the session because there was no coming back from this.
I snagged this shot as our grand finale — my golden goose — and then we promptly hailed a cab to dry off and call it a night!
Pound Ridge Proposal
Gear: Nikon d750, 50mm f/1.3 lens.
Exposure: 1/640sec, f/2.0, ISO 800, no flash
I spent this morning sitting in a bush on a cool autumn day in Pound Ridge trying to blend in with the foliage while texting Matt about his imminent proposal. Danielle was none the wiser, thinking they were just on a weekend getaway upstate. The proposal was stunning and I couldn’t help but share the joy that this couple felt after Danielle said “Yes!” We toasted with champagne and celebrated at this breathtaking AirBnb that they had rented.
We were lucky to have a big window in the living room that was pouring in the morning sun, so I could bum off of all that luxurious natural light. I love my flash setup for carpeted catering halls, but oh man am I a sucker for good natural light and this cabin had all the right ingredients for good exposures (white walls + light floors + high ceilings to bounce and fill).
I try to avoid posing like the plague because I believe that your couple will always remember the moment they were in when they see their image, and I would rather them remember a genuine connection than me awkwardly instructing them about where to put their arms. This couple made it easy because they were riding so high on their recent engagement that all I had to do was dial in my settings and be creative — such a dream for a photographer!
My favorite thing about these images is how authentic their connection was that morning and how lucky I felt to have been included in their day. It definitely made hiding in a bush all morning worth it!
Granite Ridge Barn Wedding
Gear: Nikon d750, 50mm f/1.4 lens
Exposure: 1/125sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250, no flash
This was one of those images that I was SO glad I pushed for, but I also knew that I only had a fleeting moment to grab it. I had already stolen my couple from their bustling dance floor for their golden hour portraits and the bride wasn’t feeling great — a reminder to photographers and brides alike to hydrate on wedding days!
Granite Ridge is situated on the top of a mountain in Maine and honestly, it is one of the few venues that doesn’t make me gag (I really, really hate wedding mills). We got some beautiful photos against the mountains and were all heading back into the barn for the party when I saw this image in my mind. I felt like I was living on borrowed time because I could sense that the couple was fried from formalities and just wanted to let loose with their guests.
Their experience and our hospitality is just as important as the actual photos for our brand, so when I made this one last request for this shot, I knew I had to nail it — and fast. Blue hour was already closing in and we had surprisingly little ambient light left over, so I took a chance on a 1/125th exposure (not recommended), held my breath, and somehow nailed the focus. I could have thrown a flash on them, but I wanted to balance out the temperature of the available light in the barn with their skin tones.
This was an image that I was particularly glad to have the ShootDotEdit team on because the SOOC was a bit wonky with balancing the blues of the sunset with the tungsten lighting inside the barn! I always shoot in Kelvin for this reason, but working with two very different light sources is much trickier than overriding the setting with flash. I think I only snapped four or five actual frames here because I was so concerned with getting the couple back to their reception, but I do remember looking at the back of the camera right after and thinking that-was-so-worth-it!
NYC Elopement
Gear: Nikon d750, 50mm f/1.4 lens
Exposure: 1/250sec, f/2.0, ISO 2500, no flash
I can still feel the little pelts of hail hitting my shoulders when I look at this picture! We planned a sunrise elopement in NYC in December and had weathered rain, hail, AND snow before the stock market even opened that day!
For anyone who thinks that adventure elopements are reserved for only mountaintops and deserts, think again! I was determined not to leave that niche market behind when we moved away from Colorado to New York and sure enough, if you build it, they will come. I have been so lucky to find down-to-earth urban explorers who are eager to celebrate their love in epic ways in this epic city.
This couple met as cruise ship performers and I swear that must have been part of their ability to turn it on for the camera and grin-and-smile even in the worst conditions. We were literally huddled together under an umbrella while it hailed when I noticed the headlights on the cars illuminating the subway steam that was billowing from underground.
I knew the lighting would be spectacular, moody, and ethereal but how do you ask a couple to stand in hail just for a picture? “You guys, I promise I’ll make it fast and I’ll make it worthwhile” I pledged, banking on a taxi’s headlights coming at the right place and the right time to backlight the smoke.
I almost never shoot rapid-fire, but I am pretty sure my finger barely came off the shutter for the entire 45 seconds that they endured the hail. I usually hate the old spray ‘n’ pray method, but I knew that between the moving cars behind them and the wind whipping the steam around in unforgiving patterns, this was my only option.
I remember looking through the RAWs when I got home and each picture sort of fell flat because of all the moving parts and unpredictable conditions, until all of a sudden — BOOM! There it was, this pic! One diamond in the rough, but it was such a showstopper that I immediately fell in love with this image (and the couple, for being so adventurous in the name of art)!
Thank you so much to Terrence and Heather Huie of Apollo Fields for their amazing photography insights. We’re so proud to call her a ShootDotEdit customer!
If you’d like to check out even more of what Apollo Fields has to offer, check them out on Facebook and give them a follow on Instagram. You won’t be disappointed.