I wanted to get this shot due to the dappled sunlight that filtered through the trees and I wanted to create depth in the background. It was daylight so it was little tough to get that effect without overexposing the subject. I did not have a flash nor an ND filter.
I carefully balanced the exposure to avoid overexposing the highlights while retaining detail in the shadows.
The next challenge was to create depth in the background without overexposing the subject. A wide aperture helped create a shallow depth of field, blurring the background slightly to emphasize the subject while maintaining enough detail to show the rich environment.
A bit of editing afterward helped balance the light and colors, making the image pop even more.