This shot was one that I was tempted to use for this week’s Photo Friday challenge, Morning, but as it was taken at 11 o’clock at night I decided that it wasn’t all that appropriate. It’s a shot of our youngest daughter (who’s currently almost 14 months old) and is part of an ongoing series of shots (some of which will make there way onto this site) that are my attempt to get the hang of single source lighting. In this instance I used a flash, bounced off the ceiling, and I’m quite pleased with the overall effect (and do realise that it would have been better if the inner corner of her eye had been in focus too ;-)
It’s also the start of what I hope will be a move towards some more ‘straight’ photography). I had a discussion with Mike Golding recently, and he made the point that much of my recent work is more akin to illustration than straight photography, and I suppose he’s right. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it is about time I did some other stuff too. So, with the onset of better weather and some decent light (many of my recent images are a direct consequence of not being able to produce interesting work in the miserable grey drabness of a Northern winter), I’ll hopefully be producing more ‘natural’ work over the coming months.
Incidentally, if you haven’t seen Mike’s site, it’s definitely worth a visit. Take a look at this shot and this one for a couple of beautiful examples of naturally lit work.
camera capture date aperture shutter speed shooting mode exposure bias metering mode ISO focal length image quality white balance optical filter
Canon G5
11.09pm on 19/3/04
f3.0
1/60
aperture priority
+0.0
evaluative
50
28.8mm
RAW
auto
B+W UV 010
comment byDeceptive at 12:39 AM (GMT) on 22 March, 2004
Very striking, if it were not for DOF being slightly off this would be extremely good. I would not get too hung up on doing any particular type off work, just take what catches your eye, keep it varied.
comment bymyla at 02:04 AM (GMT) on 22 March, 2004
Regardless, it's precious. And I agree with the above, do what makes you happy. You're super-talented at both (and since reading your commentary I've started playing with PhotoShop more and am finding more and new exciting elements to my photography by bumping things around a bit.) Well that's my 2 cents at any rate. Bottom line: I love this one!
comment by p23e at 02:36 AM (GMT) on 22 March, 2004
Very soft & sweet
Looks very innocent...
*RADIATES BEAUTY*
comment byrichard at 03:48 AM (GMT) on 22 March, 2004
Beautiful - agree about the corner of the eye is somewhat distracting but all in all this is a wonderful image. now you just have to move on to film cameras as well ;-)
comment byturnip at 06:23 AM (GMT) on 22 March, 2004
I can relate to your feeling of being stuck in a rut, but if this photo's any indication, you're well on your way out of it. Absolutely luminous!
comment byhitoshi at 08:37 AM (GMT) on 22 March, 2004
It's so beautiful!!
It made me wanna touch her!!
comment byMike Golding at 12:16 PM (GMT) on 22 March, 2004
A beautiful picture, nicely processed. Thanks for your comments and the link. I agree it's tough getting some half decent light, but so I'm told some of the best photographic conditions are to be had on overcast days.
i quite enjoy working in overcast conditions if i'm sure shooting portraits. i just find it more irritating if i'm spying on people on the move and can't get a fast shutter speed. still, i guess as british people it is our duty to complain about any time of weather we get (and even more since we take photos) - too dark to take photos, too sunny to take photos.. oh my.
agree on the lacking focus on the eye, but still, these things happen. i think it's a postcard image. :) beautifully soft and pastel.. it kind of looks abstract to me in that there's a vast space and tiny fluttering eyelashes. very impressive.
comment byMarc North at 11:56 PM (GMT) on 22 March, 2004
Keeping the focus on the lashes gives lightness and a sense of movement to the subject. I don't see any technical problems here at all. It's excellent work.
comment bykarenika at 12:17 AM (GMT) on 23 March, 2004
I truly enjoyed this photograph. the eylashes are so striking compared to the thin, more subdued eyebrow and it all feels so very real. i am amazed you didn't wake her up with the flash :)
comment by djn1 at 12:40 AM (GMT) on 23 March, 2004
Thanks - I really like this one too :-)
comment byHouser at 01:46 AM (GMT) on 23 March, 2004
I tried shooting you an email, but perhaps it got spam-filtered on your end.
Can you explain to me what "straight" photography is, as defined by you and Mike? I really love your work. I don't know exactly what it is about each image - the richness, crispness, etc - but it appears quite different from my work and each image makes me stop to admire it. I wonder what this 'straight' approach is and how that differs from what you do now.
This shot was one that I was tempted to use for this week’s Photo Friday challenge, Morning, but as it was taken at 11 o’clock at night I decided that it wasn’t all that appropriate. It’s a shot of our youngest daughter (who’s currently almost 14 months old) and is part of an ongoing series of shots (some of which will make there way onto this site) that are my attempt to get the hang of single source lighting. In this instance I used a flash, bounced off the ceiling, and I’m quite pleased with the overall effect (and do realise that it would have been better if the inner corner of her eye had been in focus too ;-)
It’s also the start of what I hope will be a move towards some more ‘straight’ photography). I had a discussion with Mike Golding recently, and he made the point that much of my recent work is more akin to illustration than straight photography, and I suppose he’s right. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it is about time I did some other stuff too. So, with the onset of better weather and some decent light (many of my recent images are a direct consequence of not being able to produce interesting work in the miserable grey drabness of a Northern winter), I’ll hopefully be producing more ‘natural’ work over the coming months.
Incidentally, if you haven’t seen Mike’s site, it’s definitely worth a visit. Take a look at this shot and this one for a couple of beautiful examples of naturally lit work.
capture date
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
focal length
image quality
white balance
optical filter
11.09pm on 19/3/04
f3.0
1/60
aperture priority
+0.0
evaluative
50
28.8mm
RAW
auto
B+W UV 010
Very striking, if it were not for DOF being slightly off this would be extremely good. I would not get too hung up on doing any particular type off work, just take what catches your eye, keep it varied.
Regardless, it's precious. And I agree with the above, do what makes you happy. You're super-talented at both (and since reading your commentary I've started playing with PhotoShop more and am finding more and new exciting elements to my photography by bumping things around a bit.) Well that's my 2 cents at any rate. Bottom line: I love this one!
Very soft & sweet
Looks very innocent...
*RADIATES BEAUTY*
Beautiful - agree about the corner of the eye is somewhat distracting but all in all this is a wonderful image. now you just have to move on to film cameras as well ;-)
I can relate to your feeling of being stuck in a rut, but if this photo's any indication, you're well on your way out of it. Absolutely luminous!
It's so beautiful!!
It made me wanna touch her!!
A beautiful picture, nicely processed. Thanks for your comments and the link. I agree it's tough getting some half decent light, but so I'm told some of the best photographic conditions are to be had on overcast days.
Nice, nice photo!
I like these illustrative photographs a lot.
i quite enjoy working in overcast conditions if i'm sure shooting portraits. i just find it more irritating if i'm spying on people on the move and can't get a fast shutter speed. still, i guess as british people it is our duty to complain about any time of weather we get (and even more since we take photos) - too dark to take photos, too sunny to take photos.. oh my.
agree on the lacking focus on the eye, but still, these things happen. i think it's a postcard image. :) beautifully soft and pastel.. it kind of looks abstract to me in that there's a vast space and tiny fluttering eyelashes. very impressive.
Keeping the focus on the lashes gives lightness and a sense of movement to the subject. I don't see any technical problems here at all. It's excellent work.
I truly enjoyed this photograph. the eylashes are so striking compared to the thin, more subdued eyebrow and it all feels so very real. i am amazed you didn't wake her up with the flash :)
Thanks - I really like this one too :-)
I tried shooting you an email, but perhaps it got spam-filtered on your end.
Can you explain to me what "straight" photography is, as defined by you and Mike? I really love your work. I don't know exactly what it is about each image - the richness, crispness, etc - but it appears quite different from my work and each image makes me stop to admire it. I wonder what this 'straight' approach is and how that differs from what you do now.
Beautiful.. very soft..
Beautiful capture, I love the skin tone and the line of the eyebrow.
Angelic...you have so captured the short lived innocence in the world.
Came across your site through photoblogs.com. I'm interested in your work. And this image is just beautiful! Very simplistic and artistic!