Blog of photographer Kevin Ahronson

Engagement-shoot: High up in the trees

Occasionally a job comes along that makes me nervous.    

I don't do heights, I'm not good on ladders; so why did I agree to climbing up onto a small wooden platform, less than a metre square, on top of a glorified telegraph pole... to take engagement photos of two fearless people who are soon to be married ?

Leigh and Rowena are both keen outward-bound types, they'll have a go at anything that has a 'thrill' element to it.  For their engagement photos they chose the High Ashurst Outdoor Activity Centre at Boxhill in Surrey.  Not exactly your average engagement location of sun, sea and sand - but hey, I do like a challenge.

So we had this image in mind of Leigh and Rowena sitting on a highrise timber pole, drinking champagne. The idea had been inspired by that very famous 1932 image of American workmen having their lunch, whilst sat on a girder, hundreds of feet in the air, on top of a New York skyscaper.  
You can see from the photo above how it all looked from the ground.  Fortunately we had some very skilled climbers to help us make it happen safely and I had two of my assistants helping me who also captured the process on camera (Thank you Heather and Rebecca).  

Leigh (the bridegroom to be) also works with me as an assistant - but today he was in front of the camera for a change.

In the photo above, Leigh edged his way onto the pole having just cimbed up the ladder with picnic basket and large umbrella in hand (a feat in itself).  As I said, we originally planned to have them sitting on the pole drinkin champagne, but as is so often the case with shoots like this, the best shots can be the ones you don't plan.  I took a number of photos with them drinking... but it wasn't until Leigh produce a pack of playing cards that saw the winning image.

 

For me, climbing up the ladder, then off the ladder to climb up the pole, and then transferring from the pole to the tiny wooden platform was quite nerve-racking.  Sitting down on the platform, with nothing to hold onto was even worse.  I genuinely do not like heights, but once the camera was hauled up on a rope and we began shooting the nerves disappeared.

Heather taking photos of me.  You get some idea of the scale.  I gues it's not really that high, but it sure felt like it.  Next week, we're climbing to the top of the Shard!!

So here below is the final shot, the one I like the most.  Rowena ditched the brolly, they turned to face each other and began playing poker - 20 feet in the air!  I love this shot.  
Click on any of the photos to see large versions, but the picture below is extra large.  If you have any questions or want to leave a comment, use the comments section beneath this final image.

See more of my images at www.ahronson.com

 

 

Engagement Shoot - Laura & Niel

It was my great pleasure to photograph South African couple Laura and Niel recently.  This was a pre-wedding photo-shoot to give them images that their friends back home could could see prior to the wedding in October.

We deliberately picked the end of the day to take advantage of the low sun.  The hour before sunset (and also the hour after sunrise) is what photographers call the 'golden hour'.   The sun is at its most beautiful, casting a warm, soft glow over everthing it touches.

We caught the sun in most of the shots, and when it did pop behind a cloud, I used a wirelessly fired remote flash to replicate the sun's light.  The image of Laura leaning against the tree was photographed this way.  The light from the flash hits the couple from behind, highlighting Laura's hair.  The warm colours were replicated in post production using Photoshop.  To all intents and purposes, it looks like it was shot in sunlight, just like all the other images here.

Please click on any of the photographs for larger images.

You may leave comments or ask questions at the end.

Pre-Wedding Photos: Sally & Russ

Taking pre-wedding photos of any couple is a priviledge, but it is especially so when it's your own daughter and future son-in-law in the frame.

Sally and Russ live on the south coast, and despite the wettest summer in living memory we managed to find a few hours of sunshine to pop off a range of shots to celebrate their engagement.

No assistant with me on this occasion, so it became a family affair with my wife stepping forward to hold on to the lights and the occaional shoot-thru umbrella.

You'll notice that they are all in a 16:9 widescreen format.  I use this a lot now, it looks so much better on a widescreen TV or wide computer screen. 

Click on image to see larger version

Feel free to leave comments at the end of the photos.

Cameras used:
Canon 1D MkIV & Canon 5D MkII

Lenses:
Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L & Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS L

Flash
Canon 580 EX II Speedlites
PocketWizard Flex & Mini wireless flash triggers
Elinchrom stands and brollies 

Kate & Patrick engagement photos

Kate and Patrick met at university in Cambridge.  Friends at first, later to become a lot closer - and now engaged to be married.  I will be photographing their wedding at the end of July, but for now, here are a few of the photos that we took on their engagement shoot.  

It was a particularly special day for these guys, going back to the place where it all started for them three years earlier.  It tied in nicely with a reunion party that they were going to in the evening, hence you may notice a change of clothes.

Taking the photos at the end of the day produced a wonderful light with long shadows.  We were blessed with gorgeous weather, and Mary and I arrived late morning to spend most of the day exploring Cambridge centre - a beautiful place.

But it was the amazing light that made my day.  It just gave us extraordinary opportunities and produced an almost fairy-tale feel to some of the images.  Even in black and white, it looked fantastic!

Some of my personal favourites from the day are below - it really is worth clicking on the images to see the larger versions in their hi-res glory.

Please feel free to leave you comments at the end of the photos.

Engagement Shoot: Steve & Emma

I had great fun today with a really lovely couple on their engagement shoot.  Steve and Emma are getting married on Easter Monday, and today's shoot was something I like to do with all my wedding clients.  It's a great way to get to know each other in advance of the big day.

We went up to North London, to the place where Steve originally proposed to Emma.  I persuaded Steve to re-enact the moment for the camera, which they found most amusing.  Then Emma had a great idea..."What would have happened if she has said no?"  So we mocked up a shot of Steve screaming out in anguish as she walks away, rejecting him (see the first photo).  Hysterical!

Before leaving we also took an opportunity to return to Steve's parent's house to photograph the engagement and wedding rings.

Some of my favourite images of the day are below, [Click on the photos for larger images]

Please feel free to leave you comments at the end of the photos.

Photo info:
I only used two lenses for this shoot, the 70-200mm f2.8 and the 85mm f1.2.