Day 316 - The mistake that pays off

An exercise in lighting. This photograph of my sister and brother-in-law opening their wedding gift is special to me not just for the occasion but also for the ridiculously stark contrast between light and dark. To be honest, this shot was a mistake. The flash on the Olympus failed to go off. I have other pictures that are just like this where the flash did, in fact, flash but they are just bland compared to this one. This photograph emphasizes the shapes in the image, the body positioning, the way the people's postures speak to us about how they are feeling.

In this case, my brother-in-law is relaxed and happy, the shrug of his shoulders and the jaunty bend to his knee showing his comfort. My sister, meanwhile, appears just as relaxed but the bend of her head suggests concentration, focus on the card she is reading. If the flash had gone off, your attention would be drawn perhaps to the clothes they are wearing, the details of their faces, over even the business of the background, instead of the mood and emotion of the moment. In this case, a mistake turned out to be the best shot of the event.