Image Focus

Suddenly it started to rain. It is never possible to predict whether the bride and groom will agree to soak their beautiful outfits and walk in the rain for a bit, but this was a great opportunity to get a unique picture. Unfortunately, you can’t order the weather, so we – photographers – use what nature gives us as best as we can.

Fortunately, this couple trusted me and were willing to go on an adventure on their special day. We walked around on the wet grass until we found the best angle, background, and all-important pose. So, even though the picture shows an umbrella, the couple were in fact very wet and cold. That’s the joy of photography – there’s always more to a picture than meets the eye.

I shot this image with the Sony Alpha 7R IV and the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lens. I work with this camera most of the time and for weddings, it is just perfect. It has a 60 megapixel sensor that allows me to create large prints that are full of detail, without losing the quality. At weddings, everything happens fast meaning I have to react quickly. Sometimes, this means that my framing isn’t always perfect. So, as and when I need to crop an image when editing, the Alpha 7R IV provides a high enough resolution to allow me to get the ideal composition.

On this particular afternoon, the rain was quite intense, which would have made it difficult for any other camera to focus. But with Sony’s Eye AF feature, I had no problem getting the couple in focus, leaving the raindrops to form a beautiful, blurry background.

I set the lens aperture to f/14. It wouldn’t have been possible to take this shot with a wide-angle lens. Shooting with the 70-200mm lens at this aperture gives a greater depth of field and a more dramatic effect. In this case, it enhances the impact of the presence of rain. That is exactly what I wanted to achieve in this picture – the feeling that the viewer not only sees the rain but also feels it. And if I, as a photographer, manage to convey not only information but also feelings to people with the help of a picture, then I know that I have done my job well.

The value of the image is not only in the picture itself but also in the fact that it allows the couple to remember different nuances of the wedding day, such as the weather, the miraculous rain, and the soaking of their shoes. Over the years, such details are usually forgotten, but pictures help to remind us of these memories, feelings, and the taste for adventure to stay alive long after.

To me, this picture symbolises the essence of falling in love – that nothing in this world is more important than another person, and the world can even turn upside down, but we still enjoy the moment and feel happy, as long as we are together.