Smooth | Lucky

[the photo that is, but the same can be said about the couple!]

I don’t normally do this.  This is my limousine confession.  I did not bring my flash for the ride to the reception.  I actually pared down my gear to the minimum needed, since I knew it would be crowded, and I assumed it would be bright enough in there to shoot with a wide aperture, a fairly high ISO, and be okay (I know I lost some of you there, but hopefully a few of you might still be paying attention to this gibberish!).  I had my 24-70mm f/2.8 on my camera, and figured that would be the most versatile lens in the car.  We’d get out a couple times for some shots downtown, and I wouldn’t overshoot the party in the limo. My flash was already on its way to the reception site with my assistant.  Actually, I still don’t know how I feel about firing a flash in such close quarters, but hang in there, I do have a point…

I had to get this shot.  So, it was time to see what my camera could do, kind of like putting the pedal to the floor of your… limo.  I was in a desperate situation, technically speaking, and to make matters worse, I had to manually focus quickly in a dark, backlit area, because the AF was hunting and I didn’t want to waste any more time and force them to reenact a real moment!  So here’s what my settings were (eek):

55mm

f/2.8

1/50 sec.

ISO 5000

My post-process was an adjustment to levels, automatic black and white conversion in Lightroom3 and about a 2/3 noise reduction right in Lightroom. You can’t get simpler.

So Katie and Chad get a pretty picture, a truly classic image that I didn’t want to miss, but for you photographers reading, you might know how rarely you shoot at ISO 5000 – in fact, I don’t think I ever had before! I thought I was doomed.  This picture was against all odds, and it is one of my favorites from yesterday’s wedding.  Thank you Katie and Chad, Canon, Adobe, and Jesus!