Sunset silhouettes are some of my favorite portraits to shoot. When paired with the poise of a gymnast's pose you are able to create some truly magical photographs. There's something so elegant and yet mysterious about these type of images that completely draws me in. I am in complete awe of sunsets in general, but when paired with a silhouette, especially of a gymnast or dancer, I am completely mesmerized. After a session like this I find myself looking for any excuse to drive an hour+ to the beach or 3 1/2 hours to the lake to capture more stunning shots like this. To be quite honest, Ava, Yaya & the sunset did most of the work for me. I was just lucky enough to be the photographer chosen to help capture this perfection.
Ava's pose couldn't have been timed better. I remember seeing this composition in camera and with a lot of excitement in my voice telling Ava to not move an inch! I was so afraid she was going to shift her position and we would miss this magical shot. But she didn't move. She became a statue as I clicked my shutter 4 or 5 times to ensure success. I think the shot speaks for itself. It is almost 100% SOOC with the exception of removing a railing from the right side of the image. With Yaya, her pose is hard to hold for more than a few second but she absolutely rocked it. The finished product is exactly what I was hoping to capture: deep contrasts between the silhouette of her legs and the vibrant pinks of the sunset staining the clouds. Her legs look so strong and remind me of a skyscraper reaching up into the clouds. Absolutely breath taking.
Don't be fooled by the beauty & intensity of these shots, however. This shoot was anything but intense. The vibe on the dock was fun with pop music playing, family members looking on and Tristan (4 year-old brother) begging to have his shot taken doing his "gymnastics", and of course I obliged. Maybe I'll post some of his captures as a special treat for all of you one day on this blog. There are also a handful of shots of each girl but that I will share one day soon, but today, I think the above images of Ava & Yaya deserve their own spotlight.
My take away from this session: patience is key!