Photo of the Day


Connecting With Backlight

April 11, 2018

By Stacey Goldberg

Photo © Will Khoury

When photographer Will Khoury was hired to document this couple’s 5-year wedding anniversary celebration, at Matanzas Creek Winery in Santa Rosa, California, he started the day early to get to know them better. “We were chatting about all the adventures they had been on since they met,” Khoury recalls, and meanwhile, the photographer couldn’t help but notice the beautiful backlighting that framed the couple.

“I wasn’t planning on taking any photos just yet, but I couldn’t pass up this moment.” He focused them and let his lens do the rest. “The bokeh here seems stronger than usual because the Sigma has what I call a sweet spot, where the subject is very sharp and the background drops off, creating an isolation between the two.”

All in all, Khoury says this final frame celebrates the couple’s union perfectly. “The photo shows a genuine connection between the couple, and that’s all that matters. The rest—the lighting, composition, posing, equipment—is all secondary.”

(Captured using a Canon 5D Mark IV and the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens.)

Photo © Will Khoury

Check out more Photos of the Day, and email submissions to rangefinder@emeraldexpo.com.