DigaPixBlog

Some images give us joy the moment we see them.  This masterpiece has done that for me.  The moment I saw the fantastic subject and the extraordinary light my heart was lifted and I wanted to hear his music.

The single source light skims across the subject picking up key points of interest from his eye to his arm to the fingers.  The flute itself carries the light like an arrow along its shaft.  There is just enough subtle detail in the shadows so the viewer can peer deeply into the darkness. 

This image has captured my imagination.

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There are two things I am continually harping about and that is letting you image tell a story and eliminating extraneous information.  This photograph does both exceptionally well.  The viewer should note that there is nothing that could be removed from this photograph without altering the story.

When looking at this composition you can almost hear the mother whispering to the child; “What is that?”,  “Isn’t it pretty?”.  This image gives me a feeling of intimacy between these two humans, bonded together with love and shearing, a quiet moment.  This is a universal story of discovery and teaching that only a parent and child can shear.

The photo-artist has elected to use muted tones in this presentation.  This gives the photograph a quiet understated feeling.  The photographer could have elected to increase the saturation which would have altered the atmosphere of the scene a little.

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Photos of the kids growing up are some of the most important images you will ever take.  Yesterday while packing some things with my son and grandson we came across a group of old family photo albums.  In there were photos of myself at fifteen and another of my son at the same age.  My grandson who is now fifteen looks remarkably like the two of us when those photographs were taken.  Before seeing this I had no idea we were so much alike.

This young man’s image will be seen fifty years from now and he may reflect back on that camping trip as one of the best times of his life, a time with family without care or needs.  The photographer used a flash to capture this likens.  I like the natural un-staged expression.  The tee shirt graphic helps add to the story of this outing.

There is a suggestion the photographer may want to consider.  The flash was taken at night with a backdrop far enough away that none of the light was captured by the camera, leaving a solid black back ground.  This resulted in the loss of definition between the boy’s dark hair and the dark environment.  It would be nice to have a little separation between the two.  At the same time no light reflected off the stick holding the marshmallow which looks like it is floating in space.

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Capturing the personality of the subject in a formal portrait setting is the responsibility of the photographer or in some commercial situations the art director.  What is important is that the person behind the camera gets the subject to relax and feel comfortable with the unordinary situation of having a large glass eye pointed at them. 

This subject appears to be relaxed and comfortable in this studio shot.  The expression on the subjects face and look in the eyes asks the viewer to relate to the subject on an anthropomorphic level.  The pose with the foot over the prop demonstrates that the animal is alert while at the same time it is relaxed.  This pet is clean, healthy and well cared for.

The lighting appears to be a single source from the left with reflection form the right.  The selection for background hue blends nicely with the color of the dog’s coat.  I feel that the horizontal cropping was a good choice with just enough space between the subject and frame.

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The ability to alter a photograph for the purpose of creating a mood or feeling is the mark of a photo-artist.  They are taking the original shot and converting it to their own vision beyond what the camera can achieve.  They start with a good image and mold it to a new vision.

This image has been modified to give the effect of a hand tinted photograph which gives a soft low key effect.  I can see where this image could be used in the greeting card industry.  The viewer should take note that this photo-artiest started with a very good original with excellent subject, story and composting and only then altered the result to a slightly different vision.

The child has an interesting expression.  Very natural and engaging with a slight pout, a little bit of Shirley Temple.

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In a formal portrait setting the photographer is in charge of the situation.  They can control the environment, the lighting, the background, the props and they have to control their subject.  It is essential to direct and relate to the person, adult or child, which is being photographed so that the results the photographer envisions are achieved.

This photographer had complete control of the situation surrounding the creation of this image.  You will note how important the props are in telling the story of this little girl.  The layering of the flowers, wagon and teddy bear all contribute to telling us about a moment in a child’s life, perhaps a little idyllic but a wonderful fairy tale story.

I like the addition of the star bursts in post processing on the computer.  They add to the dream like quality of the composition.  The way the color green is used throughout the illustration acts as a unifying element.  This photographer has a wonderful imagination.

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Outdoor portraits are normally not formal.  They are more often than not taken on the spur of the moment with little planning.  What we call grab shots.  That does not mean they cannot be well done, but too many times the results are disappointing because the photographer is not paying attention to the background or lighting and gets an unflattering result.

This photographer has presented an example of what can be done with casual portraits.  This young man was photographed in the shade where the lighting would not cause unflattering shadows under the nose and chin.  Also the background is a solid green mass of grass giving a simple non-distracting backdrop.

I like the way the subject is relating to the camera looking over his shoulder out of the corner of his eyes.  This gives a casual feel to this informal outdoor portrait.  I also think the choice of a square format was a good one.

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Very often you can tell a much broader story by selecting detail rather than showing too much information.  The viewer’s imagination should never be under estimated.  Try letting them make up their own mind what is behind the image.  By just giving a compelling composition the photo-artist can set the imagination of the audience free to make up their own story, and it may not be the same tale for all viewers.

This view of just the young ladies stocking and shoes has a natural appeal to the eye.  By including the single hand the photographer has added that epiphany, that sudden realization that we want to know more about this subject. 

The photo-artist has done a clever thing by tilting the composition so that the horizon, the curb, is tilted at an exaggerated angle.  This throws the viewer off balance and adds drama to the layout. 

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Photos of friends and family are the ones we will look at years from now and remember with fondness.  They document our lives and give us a history of joy and regrets.  They the first thing we will take if our homes are threatened by fire of flood and yet they are of no value to the rest of the world.

The photographer has done a nice job of isolating the subject by eliminating the unnecessarily background.  The foaming water tells the the story of a day in the pool at the age of seven (?) when the best thing in the world on a summer day is to be in the water.  The expression on his face is natural and full of the joy of the day.  I like the nice soft light with natural flesh tones.

This photographer has not made the common mistake of placing the face of the subject squarely in the center of the composition.  The photo-artist might experiment with moving the boy even further off center.

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Often when we have one chance to get our shot the photographer has to live with the background that is there. While sometimes we get so enamored with our subject that we forget to see the background.  In either event the background can do a lot of damage to our composition.  Today thanks to computer software we can alter the photograph or drop in an entirely new background.

This little fellow does not know if he wants to be here on top of this mountain of a rock.  It’s a long way down and he is not quite sure and it looking for assurance or his rescuer.  The photographer has used a fill flash to offset the subject form the background.  This has worked well in filling in the shadows and taking down the background. 

There are two things the photo-artist could do to modify this image.  First the background has two primary distracting elements; the phone poles with lines and the white sky.  These can be reduced or eliminated with cropping and cloning.  The second thing we might consider is that the flash has done a nice job on the boy but the rock was also affected and has become over lit and a little fake looking, almost like a Hollywood rock.  By selecting the rock and playing with the levels and contrast this can be altered.

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What is meant by the term when wet say to a photographer “Great seeing”? We all see don’t we, yes and no.  Some people are able to see new ways of photographing the subject, clever ways to tell the story.  It may be best expressed using the old saw ‘thinking out of the box’. 

This is a clever portrait of the small child.  It not only frames the subject but tell the story that we are seeing this baby through the eyes of the parent or grandparent.  Note how by focusing through the lens of the glasses the subject is in sharp focus while the rest of the room is completely out of focus yet in context. 

I would like to suggest cropping in a little closer.  This will take the face of the subject of the center line while enlarging the center of our attention, the face of the child. 

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Candid photography often turns out as uninteresting snap shots, the stuff that only a relative could enjoy.  They are generally poorly composed, poorly lit shots of children at birthday parties or other holidays.  The stuff that if seriously edited would result in most being thrown away, except they remain in a box at the back of the closet.   It is rear that one means anything to the unbiased viewer.

This photograph is an exception to the candid shot rule.  This charming image of a child and his grandfather enjoying a day at the air show has a universal message, the wonder of a child’s imagination.  The grandfather also has that look of the young boy’s amazement and interest in this vintage aircraft.  This is a symmetrical composition with the primary subject standing in the center of the frame with the structure mirrored on both sides of him.  With both faces looking up our eye is drawn to the top of the frame.

I would like to suggest doing a little burning on the face of the child to take down the exposure about thirty to fifty percent.  Also the photographer may want to consider coming in a bit closer to the subject.  This could be done with a little cropping.

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When we all used film, way back in the old days, different brands and makes of films where know for their color and contrast characteristics; Kodachrome was true color, Ektachrome was on the yellow side and Fuji had hot reds and greens.  Today with digital cameras we no longer have variations, right? Wrong.  I find that different camera sensors differ in the way they record the image just like film used to do.  The final image can be altered to your taste on the computer but remember that other monitors will have their own bias.

The eyes of this child is a good concept for a composition.  I like the thin strip of background seen on the right hand border this helps to keep the image from becoming to flat and two dimensional.  The freckles across the nose add a little human interest and tells us something about the subject.  The shallow depth of field only has the eyes in sharp focus.

I would like to make a couple recommendations to the photographer.  The viewer can see the photographer reflected in the pupils. This gives them a non symmetrical shape.  You may want to try standing against a black background that is big enough so that the reflection is larger than the pupil and thus making them round and at the same time hiding the photographer in the shadow.  And a little ketch light would help.

Another thing the photo-artist may want to consider is the color and saturation.  The image appears to be a little washed out and lacking in contrast.  This can be worked on using the layers pallet on the computer.

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Environmental portraits are intended to convey something about the subject, too tell us who they are or what they do.  In this type of photography we don’t want to make the story shuttle or ambiguous.  The surroundings need to contribute too and elaborate the story about the person being photographed.

The woman being photographed here would make a fine subject with her strong features and colorful dress.  Her personality is so pronounce that it comes across in the most casual of settings.  The lighting is good but a little hot on her forehead.  The background is simple and muted, not conflicting in any way with our model, though it does have a difference in quality from the left side plant to the settee on the right.  For some reason there is a black line along the right edge of the frame, which could be cropped out without effecting the composition.

This appears to have been taken at a concert.  The microphone is the only prop in this image that carries that information.  I would suggest that the microphone in this composition has become a distraction rather than an environmental prop.  There is nothing else in the environment to reinforce this theme.  I assume she is playing some sort of instrument.  It may have helped if we would see what she has her hands on.

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Zydeco is the music of the French speaking Creoles of Louisiana which has evolved over the past 150 years, an amalgam music that has integrated all sorts of traditional and nontraditional forms of dance and folk tunes.  Today this lively music is played by hundreds of Zydeco bands in America and Europe; it even has its own category in the Grammy awards. 

This second photograph of the Cajun singer is a little different in tone than the first.  Here she is not singing but rather more introspective.  She appears to be concentrating on her singing.  In this image I particularly like the angle of the instrument and the turn of her head which captures and conveys movement.  This shot is cropped tighter than the first which reduces the amount of background we have to contend with. 

Her facial expression is interesting, almost defiant, unusual for a shot of a performing musician.  There is one thing that bothers me.  The skull and cross bones on the accordion keeps drawing my attention away from the subject.  I know it was there and is part of her persona  Perhaps it is just me but I find it a little distracting.

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Public performances are a good place to get interesting photographs of singers, dancer or actors.  Often pictures are hampered by the restrictions of predetermined seating arrangements which restrict the public’s access to the stage.  But outside open air events afford the photographer the opportunity to get up close to the stage during the performance without interfering with other peoples enjoyment of the entertainment.

This image was taken at the Simi Valley Cajun Music Festival.  The performer is a Zydeco entertainer that had the place rocking.  The photographer captured her portrait while she was performing with her accordion.  The focus of the image is just right, concentrating on her face and the microphone.  Her instrument in the foreground is soft and out of focus but distinct enough to lead us into the image.  The shot is taken at such an angle that the background is the simple white tent that covered the venue.  This eliminated the clutter of the rest of the stage.

The color appears to have shifted a little to the orange side but this does not hurt the image.  This tight composition shows only what is necessary to tell the story of the singer and at the same time captures a moment of her exciting performance of what has been called bluegrass with a French accent.

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Children can make wonderful subjects but too often we only photograph them on the spur of the moment or in posed positions and end up with snap shots or stilted images.  Like any subject the photo-artist has to find the simplest and most natural way to capture the image.  This is most often accomplished by having patience and waiting for that perfect moment when their attention is not focused on the photographer.  From there we can work with the subject to capture moments, personalities and beauty.

The photographer has cropped this image very nicely, placing the subject off center and removing unnecessary details, leaving only the child’s face and the flower background.  The child appears to be relaxed, about to say something.  The picture was shot at mid day and the photographer used a fill flash to lighten up the shadows and reduce the contrast.  The flash has left us with nice catch lights in her eyes.

I would like the photographer to consider a couple items.  The fill flash has left the child’s face a little over exposed and pasty looking.  If the flash were set about a half stop lower she would have better skin tones.  The selected background works very well, it is simple, colorful and appropriate for the subject.  However there is a large area of soil exposed that could be covered with flowers using a little cloning.  This would fill in that area and give us a consistent background.

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There are some composition rules that you can’t explain that just work and the rule of odd numbers is one of them.  For some reasons when photographing subjects three makes a better composition then two and five makes a more pleasing arrangement than four or six.  This rule too may be broken but more often than not we are attracted to odd numbered layouts.

This photographer met these monks in Yosemite and asked them to pose for him.  They agreed and he set them up so that the cross light illuminated their faces and gave texture to their saffron robes.  It also brought out the quality of the rock surface he used as a back drop.  The fabric and colors in this image are outstanding.  The photo-artist arranged the subjects very nicely so that they are all at different levels.  One common mistake in group photographs is having all the heads at the same level.  This makes for a boring composition, but this photographer avoided that error, also having some standing and some sitting makes for a relaxed and natural pose.

There are one or two suggestions I would like to make.  Down in the lower left hand corner there is a small fragment of rock protruding into the frame.  It is a little thing but it does distract from the smooth graph of the border and is one distraction that can be eliminated.  The monk on the left has some of the most interesting texture in his fabric but his also looks thence with his hands at this side and the expression on his face.  He is separate from the other subject and could be cropped out to give us a composition of five.

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Formal group photographs present the problem of getting all the subjects to look their best at exactly the same time.  The larger the group the more chances someone will have their eyes closed or exhibited an unappealing posture.  So when shooting three or more people in a formal setting I would suggest that you take multiple exposures because you won’t see the problems until the image is blown up.

This group of three men is arranged in a very imaginative way.  One of the foreground subjects overlaps the man at the far wall giving them a physical connection even though there is a separation by depth.  By placing one of the subjects at the distant wall it not only gives depth to the composition but a bit story to the photograph.  The fellow on the left is separate and alone looking off in a different direction from the other two men.  The use of the gold background behind the primary subject draws our attention to him.

There are a couple of observations I would like to make.  The two subjects on the right, while in posed positions look comfortable and relaxed while the person on the left comes across as uncomfortable and a little out of place in the way he is standing with his hands at his side.  The photographer was standing below the subjects and this caused the columns, particularly the one on the right, to keystone and appears to be leaning into the scene.  One final thing I would like to make the photographer aware of.  The image appears to be out of focus.  This could be a softening filter but it would be more acceptable if the image were sharper.

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Exploring a technique is an important tool in learning photography or any other form of art.  Like painters we go through our periods of discovery and innovation.  However we should never get so satisfied that we stop exploring other areas of interest and discovery.  This will allow us to continue to grow.

This photographer is taking the water drop to new plateaus of technique.  The photograph displayed here has added an element of humor and fascination by showing a portion of the model’s profile in the composition while allowing us to see her face inverted in a number of the droplets.  These miniature looking glass spheres display multiple universes inhabited by the subject.

Graphically the stream of drops is situated off center; bringing our attention to the right side of the composition.  The human eye which would normally be our focal point is so out of focus that it is not until we study the reflections that we become fully aware of its significance.  This is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when a photo-artist develops a technique.

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When photographing people in a studio there are four basic lights that can be used to illuminate; main, fill, kick and background.  The main light, as the name indicates, is used to do the general lighting of the subject.  The fill light(s) is either a lower power setting or set back further from the subject and they fill in the shadows (this can also be done with a reflector).  Kick lights, or sometimes called hair lights are used to separate the subject from the background and are normally placed behind the individual.  And finally the background light adds texture to the backdrop.

The young lady being photographed here is illuminated by only two light sources, the main light and fill.  It looks to me as if a fill card was used to fill in the shadows.  The subject is posed looking up and away from the camera; this gives her a dreamy faraway look.  Shooting at a low angle adds a strong determined feeling to the pose.

I particularly like the repeating patter of dots we see in hear dress, beads and ear rings.  Her makeup is impeccable and gives her a look of casual sophistication.  The clear bright color in her eyes with the sharp highlights gives sparkle to this portrait.

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If you are going to photograph people you need a tool that you can’t purchase and no one can teach you.  You must to be able to relate to people.  They need to feel comfortable around you and your camera.  To get people to relax and just be their selves is an essential talent few have that shoot candied and posed portraits. 

This portrait of the man and his pet show the art of relating to the subject and the subject relating to the camera.  This man is showing off but at the same time is as relaxed and natural as can be expected.  And his snake is just as comfortable with the camera as the man.

You will note that the photographer did not try to show anymore of the subject or the surrounding environment than necessaries.   The composition consists of only the necessary elements.  The fact that the reptile is covering one of the person’s eyes adds humer to the scene while the man’s Mona Lisa smile adds to the sly wit.  It is interesting that his iris is the same tint as his shirt and cap; the man’s iris that is.

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When photographing formal portraits in bright sunlight the photographer needs to watch the shadows particularly in and around the face.  The human eye can compensate for these high contrast areas but the camera has much less latitude.  One way to see what you can expect in the final image is to squint with your eyes as tight as you can and still see the subject.  This will reduce the light entering the eye and you will see the dark tones as the camera see them.

These two models are lovely to look at; fresh, alive and relating to the photographer.  The composition is nice with their heads tilted to the right. You can tell it is a windy day by the movement of their hair, also to the right.  The background selected adds to this feeling of movement and has and interesting canvas texture.

I would like to make a few observations the photo-artist may wish to consider.  It appears that the photographer elected to replace the original background with a computer generated pattern.  I like the pattern but there are two areas that could be modified.  When making selections for replacement we need to be careful that we get an edge that appears natural.  In this illustration I can detect a few edge lines that appear to be out of place.  The second thing about the background is how to place the subjects against the hues of the pattern.  In this case the darkest background area is behind the models black hair and does not give a clear separation.

The final observation is the dark shadows on the face of the woman in blue.  The person in white has good lighting but the other model is in deep shadow.

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The way you photograph a portrait can affect the way we intemperate the personality of the person being portrayed.  As an example have you ever noticed how photographs of politicians giving speeches are often take from a low angle as if the photographer is looking up at the subject?  The reason is that this is intended to convey power and strength.

The semi-formal portrait of this model is a good example of this principle.  The low angle has given her a personality of anything but shy or demur.  She is portrayed as a powerful and strong woman.  This would make a good photograph of a business executive, a decision maker.  The lighting is decent for this type of personality; strong without any softness.

There are a couple of things I might recommend.  The focus in on the eye which is good but it falls off every rapidly in both directions.  Perhaps a little more depth of field would be desirable.  You can see what appears to be her hand behind her head.  It is difficult to be sure because of the focus, it looks a little out of place.

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Experimenting and trying new things is one of the joys of photography.  Too often we find our comfort zone and stick to it.  Our friends tell us that they love our night photography or our horse shots or what ever and from then on out that’s all we do.  We have found one thing that people like so we keep on doing it.  That is not a photograph style it’s a rut.  Get out there, see other people’s work and try new things, experiment.  It won’t always work but you will be expanding your pallet and learning, and I hope having fun.

This photograph was shot two ways.  The normal shot is ordinary and lifeless but the presented image is alive with action and movement.  This image appears to use the slow sync flash technique to stop some of the action while preserving movement in the mask and ribbons.  The movement gives this subject more of a party atmosphere, a Mardi Gras mood.

You will note that the composition does not show the full view of the subject and is taken from a low angle.  This leaves us with a feeling of spontaneity and informality.  I would have liked to see the model less somber.    

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Formal portrait photography takes more than good technical skills.  Most photographers are capable of taking a good portrait image on occasion.  But there are some photographers that have that something extra, the ability to relate to the subject and have the subject relate to the camera.  They are able to bond with the subject and get their trust and cooperation that leads to a natural composition.  Getting your subject to relax is the first step in a good portrait.

The photograph of this young woman is almost there.  The model has a pleasing expression; a nice natural smile without being forced.  Her posture is relaxed.  The first step in the process was accomplished.  It is my understanding that this was shot outdoors in the sunlight and the background was dropped in later.   It looks like a painted studio back drop; I feel it was a good selection. 

There are a few things that I could suggest.  The photo-artist selected to make this a horizontal image.  A vertical would eliminate some of the unnecessary background and bring the viewer closer to the subject.  When the background was dropped in it would have been nice to have more of the light tan behind her hair, the separation is adequate but the tan would have made her hair standout more.

A couple details you might consider next time.  Take a look at all the details on and about the model.  Her clothes are perfect but at the time of the shoot you could have moved the medallion around her neck more to the center if you prefer.  Also because this was shot out doors in bright sunlight, I would guess about noon, you could have used a scrim (a translucent panel) between her and the light source to cut down on the harsh shadows, particularly under her nose.  In the studio you will find that photographers often use a large light box to defuse the light for fromal portraits.

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Light comes in different colors caused by the wave length of the source of the illumination.  Day light produces a light in the 5200 Kenvin range, what we see as blue light.  Tungsten bulbs produce orange light at about 3500 Kemvin. And you will find that most florescent  bulbs emit a green hue.  When working with a mixed lighting situation you often have to adjust for one type of light or the other to get a natural looking exposure.  This is called finding the white point in digital photography.

The subject in this image is a Navaho woman that has posed for photographers in Monument Valley for the over sixty years, she is now 98 years old.  This is one of the best images of this subject I have ever seen.  You will note the two types of light used in this photograph.  From the front the light source is a tungsten bulb casting an orange hue and at the same time there is sunlight coming through the door of the hogan which makes the white strands of yarn look natural.  This blue light also adds nice highlights to her hair and shoulders.   The light falling on her face is harsh which accentuates the natural texture, at the same time this light falls away as it gets closer to the bottom of the frame giving us marvelous patters of red and black in her costume. 

Her hand movement has been blurred due to the use of a relatively long exposure this has added life and motion to the composition while at the same time her face and upper torso are perfectly in focus. 

This is truly a stunning environmental portrait.

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Photographing portraits in mid day sunlight is hard, hard, hard.  The overhead light works against you; deep shadows and bright highlights.  If this is the only time and place your can shoot your portrait subject you should have a reflector of some type, white board or aluminum foil, to bounce light back into the shadows.  Sometimes a fill flash will work but I like the reflector better.

The Charlie Chaplin impersonator in this photograph appears to be participating in some sort of contest or Hollywood pageant.  I like the way the photo-artist has distorted the background to make his subject standout.  There are nice ketch lights in the eyes though they appear to be coming from two different light sources.  Under the circumstance the photographer has probably gotten the best exposure they could.

The over head light has cast a shadow across the subject’s face giving them a raccoon appearance.  A reflector or fill flash might reduce this situation but it would not completely eliminate it.  I think it would be nice if the hat did not have the sticker, it is a bit distracting.

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Do you remember going to the beach and your mom yelling at you “Get the sand out of your shows before you get in the car”.  And no matter how much you shook or pounded your shows there was always a little more sand in side.  Like your shows were sand magnets.

Well that’s the story being told here.  Two brothers trying their best to get the sand out.  This is a wonderful human moment.  One we have all experienced in Southern California.  If it wasn’t us as kids it was us doing the yelling ‘Get the sand out of your shows”.  This is what I mean when I hound you to tell a story.

The only recommendation I have for the photographer is to take another look at the saturation.  It looks to me as if it could come down 10 to 15 percent to keep the wood from becoming to brassy.

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Exposure for a silhouette can be easy.  Generally all you have to do is meter on the light source and shoot.  I would recommend bracketing the exposure if possible to make sure the final illustration has all the tones you want.

This is a very nice example of a silhouette.  The subjects have no detail and the lighted areas are dramatically exposed.  There are two wonderful details that add to the story of this photograph.  The first is the aura of light around the heads of the subjects.  This tells us that this is a magical moment.  The second is the small dog.  You will note he has some lighting on him that sets it apart from the silhouettes and adds an additional dimension to image.

There is one detail I would like to call to the photographer’s attention.  The horizon line is not straight; it’s off by about one degree.  Not much, but noticeable.

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