Photographer Takes You Behind The Scenes To Show How Professional Portraits Are Made

Professional portraits, like the kind of you see on Instagram, look amazing–particularly to us non-professionals who still can’t get their dang phone camera out of portrait mode. But they’re even more impressive once you know how they were made. Often, a photo that looks like it was taken in an fairytale dreamscape was actually shot in a vacant lot near a freeway. That’s how good professional photographers are.

And we have one professional photographer to thank for showing us the truth–Brazilian wedding photographer Gilmar Silva. For years he’s been peeling back the curtain on how professional photographs are taken with a photo series called Lugar X Foto, literally meaning “place and photo.” In each post, Silva shows the “working environment” where the photo was taken, along with the final result. And often, the two photos look nothing alike.

Scroll down and check out his behind-the-scenes shots, (via Bored Panda.) You’ll gain a newfound respect for photographers, both for their skill and for the lengths they’ll go to get the perfect shot. And if you like Silva’s work, make sure you check out his Instagram!