Illuminated Passion

April 01, 2011 — Dallas-based wedding photographer Kevin Jairaj has a passion for creating distinctive, edgy images for his high-end U.S. and international clients.

He captured “Illuminated Passion” during a wedding reception in Portland, OR. “I walked around and found an old cigar shack in the back with a single light bulb inside giving off a red-orange colorcast,” recalls Kevin. “I thought it would be the perfect place for a sexy shot with my bride and groom, so I approached them, and they were more than willing to give it their all.”

Once he had them in the position he wanted, Kevin had his second photographer hold a Lowel ID video light to illuminate their faces. Then he captured this handheld shot with his Canon EOS 5D, using a Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L USM lens. In post, he used Photoshop to saturate the colors then added a slight textured layer and a diffused glow to enhance the skin tones. Kevin sent the image file to his pro lab, White House Custom Colour, where it was printed on fine art velvet paper.

What was the most challenging aspect of creating this image? According to Kevin it was neither coming up with an exotic lighting effect (using the video light and single light bulb of the cigar shack) nor finding a distinctive location—that old shack was a unique find by any measure. The trickiest part was getting the bride and groom into the most flattering pose for the shot. “We kept trying different angles and placements. Then I had the groom kiss the bride’s neck while the bride looked up into the light, making sure the bride’s hands looked natural on his neck, and finally it all came together the way we wanted,” he says.

This edgy wedding image fits snugly within Kevin’s body of work. He explains, “This image is right up my alley, as far as my style goes, in that I always try to add a sexy, high-fashion edge to my images.” 

To see more of Kevin Jairaj’s work, including the seven images that have taken first place in WPPI competitions in recent years, visit www.kjimages.com.