Our Favourites from 2021
Well, folks, another year is in the books and we’d like to thank you for being with us this past year. To recap 2021, we have chosen our favourite photographic captures from six categories: portrait, wedding, graduation, maternity, studio and film and have shared them down below. We wonder which one is your favourite? Feel free to share with us your thoughts!
Portrait
Portrait photography is “capturing the personality of a person or group of people”. We chose the first picture not only because of the personality captured but also the joy of Christmas shown. Furthermore, the main light and fill light are beautifully balanced. It is a “high key” photo that embodies the Christmas style.
The second picture is taken on a summer afternoon under natural light. The blond hair and the texture of the skin pop up from an emerald background.
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Pic 1: 35mm ; 1/160 ; f/2.2
Pic 2: 35mm ; 1/1250 ; f/2
Wedding
We both have chosen candid shots as our favourites for the wedding categories. Both photos were taken during their dances, whilst the couples were enjoying their moment with each other. These candid shots captured their most natural emotions in their happiest moments.
We have used a large aperture as we wanted to put the focusing point on the couple amongst all the joyful guests, as well as allow more light in these low-light situations. Thanks to advanced technology, the photos are not very “grainy” even using a high iso!
Picture 4 was taken with a flash when the couple were having their first dance. The reason for editing it to black and white is to keep the photo simple. After the editing, the enjoyable atmosphere stands out from the black and white tone.
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Pic 3: 35mm ; 1/250 ; f/1.8
Pic 4: 35mm ; 1/60 ; f/2.5
Graduation
“The root of education is bitter, but the fruit is sweet”. We believe that every student wants to have gorgeous photos for their graduation. Our favourite photos are full of warmth and love.
We personally think that use of flare is part of our “J&A photography style”, which can highlight the hair and blur the subject, while keeping the photos cinematic. Both shots are taken with a zoom lens and backlights from behind form a beautiful sun flare.
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Pic 5: 80mm ; 1/250 ; f/3.5
Pic 6: 70mm ; 1/500 ; f/3.2
Maternity
Having maternity photos to look back on will be a standing reminder of that magical time when new life was gestating inside your belly. The two selected pictures also show the love from the mother and the gratitude to have a baby.
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Pic 7: 70mm ; 1/160 ; f/5.6
Pic 8: 104mm ; 1/160 ; f/3.2
Studio
Rembrandt light popped up in my mind when I was going to take photos with this gentleman, and I realised that I could use some fill light to brighten the first portrait photo. It worked well, highlighting the colour of his shirt, making him look confident and powerful.
For our second portrait photo, a beaming smile with a clear composition formed in a black and white tone. Simplicity, we love it.
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Pic 9: 75mm ; 1/160 ; f/7.1
Pic 10: 75mm ; 1/125 ; f/11
Film
As we have mentioned above, making use of flares is one of our “J&A photography styles”. In our first film photo choice, the small house stands out in the cliffs and hills. The backlight from the sunset matches with the leaves from the foreground and gives off warm vibes.
Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, “The picture is good or not from the moment it was caught in the camera.” I had been waiting for an hour to take this shot in our second film photo. Although time is spent and a couple of frames were wasted during the wait, the result comes out really stunning. We are not comparing it to any masterpieces from Cartier-Bresson, but it is worth it as the photo becomes our favourite.
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Pic 11: Nikon FM2 w/50mm f1.4 Fujifilm GPlus400 (expired)
Pic 12: Canon F1 w/35mm f2 Fujifilm Fujicolor 800 (expired)
Looking forward to 2022, we will keep up our good work as well as break new ground. Hoping to see you soon!
J&A Photography Studio
