Equipment: Canon R5 w/ RF 70-200mm F/2.8
Shot Specs: 1/400" - f/2.8 - ISO 640
Backstory: taken near Mt. Adams in Washington. The day before the wedding was crystal clear and gorgeous. The clients value nature and really wanted shots of them in front of this beautiful mountain. Unfortunately, a forest fire popped up overnight and turned the sky to ash completely wrecking all visuals of the mountain... but we didn't let this turn of events ruin the beauty still around us. After their intimate ceremony, we headed into the woods for some photos in the ferns and meadows. By sheer dumb luck we had a break in the trees while driving around and this gorgeous beam of light came blasting through.
Posing: We had only a moment to play here: it was getting dark and it was obvious the beam of light wouldn't last long. I knew that I needed to have some energy in their pose to contrast the stillness of the forest yet complement the mystery of the smoke's red glow. My mind kind of froze (probably out of the giddy excitement of what we were seeing) and all I could think of was "DIP HER AND KISS HER LIKE YOU'VE NEVER KISSED HER BEFORE!!!!" That's all I remember.
Post processing: This photo required very little work. I made basic adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop - some color adjustments primarily. The only thing that was digitally removed was a tiny sign peaking out of the trees over the curve in the road. Other than that, it is quite natural.