Shutter Sisters Treasure Hunt

Shutter Sisters is a daily stop for me. I love the inspiration and the supportive community. Today Sarah posted about finding treasures in your old photos. Explore them. Play. See them with a different eye. Process them in a new way. A rainy day grey makes this a perfect challenge for me today.

I dug through old photos. I have a lot. Seriously.  I've been shooting digital since 2003. It was a lot of looking!

I found this image. I was at their wedding as a friend, and of course I took my camera. I've always loved this image. Not for its quality or anything technically wonderful, it lacks in many of "those" ways,  but for the moment it captures.  Just after they had exchanged vows on the beach of Kauai. The better description would be, in the beach, as the tide moved in as their ceremony proceeded. I love their expressions. I love that they are holding hands, and making their way, together, through the sand and waves. You can't see all of that. But I know it.

I opened it in Lightroom. Adjusted the white balance, blacks, contrast and clarity just a bit. I cropped it to eliminate a stray head. Used a Wow Vignette and Creative-Direct Positive Vignette presets. Adjusted saturation and vibrance just a tad. And here you have it. Not perfect. But real.

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And the original image. Shot in jpg, which limits how much I can play. I've learned some since they took their vows!

What treasures do you have buried on your hard drives?