This was a candid shot of a friend during a picnic outing. We were inside a “Skoolie”—a school bus converted into an RV. It was a bright day, with lovely reflected light streaming in from both side windows. She was adjusting her hat when I spotted the perfect composition and blurted out, “Freeze and smile!” I took a few quick shots and got exactly what I was hoping for.
Sometimes, a spontaneous photo can capture more energy, personality, and character than the most carefully planned, staged shot. For that reason, this one became my third and final submission.
I took this with my favorite classic Nikon DSLR, the D700, paired with the Samyang 135mm f/2 lens (Image shot at f/2)—my go-to for portraits. I’ve captured more keeper shots with this lens than any other. It just goes to show that you don’t need expensive gear to capture beautiful moments.
The only edits were a conversion to black and white to isolate the subject from the colorful background, and a slight adjustment for underexposure. I made a small tweak to the levels and sharpened the eyes to draw attention, and that was it.