Silhouettes and Smoke Bombs [Rf Photo of the Day]

Photo © Jane Iskra

It took several attempts for photographer Jane Iskra to get this engagement shot just right. The setup took place at the top of a hill not too far from Moscow, and the destination wedding photographer says that the wind acted as both a blessing and a curse—it added movement to the portrait, yet also carried the white smoke up and away before she could properly capture the moment.

To set the scene, Iskra and the couple, Vanya and Kate, drove to the top of the hill after the sun had set. Once there, the photographer parked the car behind the couple and used the headlights as a backlight to create the silhouette. The photographer used white smoke bombs to create the smoky effect but, she says, “It was a real challenge to make a successful portrait. As soon as we started to shoot, the wind blew all the smoke away.” Fortunately, she and the couple had enough smoke bombs and patience to pull off the shot and, Iskra says of the final frame, “The motion created by the wind is actually my favorite part.”

[Shot using a Canon 5D Mark III and a 35mm f/1.4 lens.]

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