Family Day

I have found there is a fine line between being a father and being a photographer when we go on family outings. I want to capture the moments, but I also want to be involved. I almost always have my camera with me, but I have really started to put it away more when we go out to do things together. I usually only pull it out when we first get there and if the girls are doing something that I think they would like to have a picture of. In the past I would take pictures of almost everything and 80% of the shots ended up being throw aways. So, by being more selective of the shots I take allows me to save time on the post processing, but more importantly it allows me to be a part of the memory instead of the guy capturing that memory.

We went to Snead's farm yesterday with my beautiful nieces. Love seeing them and my girls play... hurts me that they live so far away.

Anyone else think the little beauty on the left looks a bit like Calvin from Calvin Hobbes in the first picture?

 

 

Outtakes...

Thought I would post a few outtakes from the project... didn't really take the time to edit these fully, just wanted to post them...

And... Now I Am Done...

This is it... I want to thank everyone for supporting my project... it was MUCH easier than I thought it would be.

So Many Shots... So Little Time...

Needed four shots to finish my 30 and had two lined up for today... which then turned into 11! Like I've said over and over... I work with awesome people. Here are a few from today... I will finish the rest tomorrow...

The Amazing Angle Trick

The other day... yesterday I think... I had mentioned something about how shooting from a different angle can make a huge difference in how your subject will appear in a photo. I am not talking a huge difference in angles, just something as simple as getting up slightly and shooting down instead of shooting straight on. I had my boy Jeff pose for me and I took a shot standing up one step on a step stool and one from straight on... the difference is jaw dropping...

Okay, he may have over done it bit on the straight on shot, but you can still see a difference. In the picture on the left, which was shot from the higher angle, he looks like a normal human being. The shot on the right is straight on and makes him look like that dwarf from Lord of the Rings... as a matter of fact...

Well, what do you know, he is a dwarf...

Anyway, shoot from a higher angle if you are shooting anyone but Brad Pitt or George Clooney...

Two More Makes 26

Knocked out two more today and have a couple lined up for tomorrow, so I am getting close. Today was a good one for me... got to take picture of my BFF on his birthday.He's the old guy...

 

Oh, since it was his birthday I let him take my picture, but it doesn't count towards the 30...

What I Have Learned So Far

In the very short time I have done this project I feel like I have actually learned a lot. The most important being that backlighting is the absolute key to making a portrait pop. I guess I probably knew this, but knowing it and actually taking the time to stop and make sure my lighting is set up properly are two different things. The first few shots I took for the project were done in the shade and I do like those, but once I started using the sun for a backlight I really noticed a significant difference in the overall impact of the shot. The depth added by the additional light can make the difference between a snapshot and a portrait, so make sure you take the time to set up if you have the ability to do so.

 

I don’t have two separate shots to compare, but if you look at this shot you will see how her hair is highlighted from the sun giving it separation from the background. Imagine if that light wasn’t there… her hair would blend right in with the background which would significantly change the depth and overall quality of the picture.

So... if you are out shooting portraits and you are have a flash I would suggest having your subject turn their back to the sun and using the flash to light the face. Aside from giving depth to the shot it will also reduce the squinting that is usually caused by staring directly into a giant ball of fire.

And The Rest....

Here are the last four I took today at lunch, so I am up to 24. Should be a pretty easy sprint to the finish... hopefully tomorrow.

I left the glasses on one because I loved the reflection. I have one without that I will post in my "outtakes", but I wanted to leave this one in because it kind of matches his Krazee personality...

And These Four Make 20

Here are four of the ones I shot at lunch today... I will try to post the others this evening...

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this flash. I just love how it draws out the eyes. The third picture down of the Marine... those are his eyes... no digital enhancement other than the overall exposure adjustment of the image.

Eight More at Lunch

Just took eight more shots today at lunch to bring my count to 24. Like I said before, I work with some awesome people.

In an effort to make this a possible learning blog I wanted to try something a little different today. I have been using a step stool to get a slightly higher, more flattering, angle in all of my previous shots. I still did that today, but on a few of them I shot from an elevated angle and then from straight on. I wanted to show how big a difference a minor shift in lens angle can make in the way the subject of the shot looks. The difference can be significant in a lot of cases. After I process a few I will give some examples.

Anyhow, I hope to post a few tonight…

Thanks again to those who shot with me today…

Over Half Way There...

Shockingly, I am already over half way to my goal of 30 people. I work with some awesome people, but I didn't expect to get this far so fast. I have about eight or nine people set up for Monday, so I will be close to my goal with essentially only shooting for three days.

I do very much enjoy shooting with the ring flash, but I think in the future I won't limit myself to a specific lighting setup. I like having a little more freedom.

Here are 13-16... and yes, I do work with a pirate...