This Sweet Valentine’s Day Elopement Was Shot On An iPhone XR And The Photos Are Incredible

"I wanted both an intimate but open portrait of Marie, displaying more of her posture as we spent some time in this architecture studio in downtown Portland," Wager explains. "I usually reach for a wider lens in these cases so the XR's camera right into my usual shooting style with and portrait mode capabilities." "It was a dark and foggy day, but this one window coupled with the XR's great low light capabilities made this portrait with Derek possible, especially with all the dark wood in this eclectic home," Wagner shares. "Here I used portrait mode with the natural addition of soft light and haze from the XR's lens," Wagner explains. "With it being February and coastal weather always a bit temperamental, it was important to stay close and warm as the wind cut through us!" "I used portrait mode here to apply depth of field and separate Marie & Derek from the background, capturing their expressions as they enjoyed each other's company in a place that has become doubly important (where they got engaged and where they decided to get married)," Wagner says. "What's interesting is the XR only needed half a face to detect and apply said depth of field." "Here I used portrait mode again with  in-camera studio lighting to add a bit of light to Derek's face," Wagner says. "I love this candid shot of him rocking the dino socks, finishing off his champagne, and enjoying the wind in his hair." "This shot is a great example of how well the X's Smart HDR handles its dynamic range between the brightest and darkest parts of the image," Wagner explains. "As the water moves in, Marie & Derek escape the rocks to enjoy the last bit of sunlight." "Marie knew she was going to get her beautiful Truvelle dress dirty during our time together but at this moment the ocean snuck up on them for one more attempt," Wagner says. "Capturing Marie's split-second expression here with a fast shutter was priceless!" "This is a favourite moment with Marie & Derek as I had them balance on slippery rocks while throwing the bouquet to one another," Wagner says. "Timing these kinds of action shots is pretty challenging (not just for the right composition but to have everything in focus) so having a fast shutter certainly helped in this situation." "While photographers normally use a wide angle lens when shooting landscapes, I decided to use the XR's digital zoom so that the sheer scale of the environment didn't take complete precedence over the couple," Wagner shares.