Cory and Bethany : Joshua Tree
Here it is! Part two of Cory and Bethany’s session in the Sand Dunes and Joshua Tree. JT is my all-time happy place. It’s weird, it’s huge, and it’s filled with awesome. It was so rad to be able to head out there to shoot and camp for a few nights! Public service announcement: If you all aren’t already following these two on Instagram, you may want to do your feed a favor. They create like nobody’s business and it’s always inspiring.
Published in Rangefinder Magazine and Green Wedding Shoes
tip:
Joshua Tree is desert. AKA the epitome of harsh light. If you follow my work, you know I'm crazy about soft light so when I'm shooting in an environment like this, I typically spend the first 45 minutes going from shady spot to shady spot before the sun finally drops just at or below the horizon so I can shoot those wider shots in the light I love. Lucky, JT is filled with towering boulders and rock piles which means that I was able to shoot on the shady side of them to get that gorgeous soft light that I love even though the light everywhere else was still so stark.
Very beautiful and sensual photos
Stunning! I read a post you wrote about directing (https://bensasso.com/shoot-tips-dont-pose-direct/). Can I apply this with couples? If so, how? When working with couples who aren’t professional models, how do I create an atmosphere where they aren’t waiting on me to pose?
Thanks Courtney! You can absolutely apply this with couples. I direct couples in the same way but with a bit less of a “story.” Instead, I’ll say things like, pretend its cold out here and you need to wrap her up to keep her warm, etc.