I want to write down the details of the photo shoot with my niece yesterday. For my straggler, blog-supporters---this might be boring or overly technical to follow. Whatever, read at your own risk! :) I want to remember what I struggled with, enjoyed, learned, and someday I will probably look back and be surprised at how dumb I was! ha!
All day I wondered about the weather with so many clouds in the sky. Here I was planning a sunset shoot with light playing off a pond and oats and hay-- and here were a plethora of grey clouds! I prayed a lot--I was asking God to give me insight for this shoot, and I also prayed to adjust my attitude. I had my hopes and my goals and visions-yet, things were unfolding differently and rather than being sad or disappointed (even for things like photography) I need to rest in His plan for me....His plan for my day, my hour, my minutes.
So, I was reconciling my attitude to the will of the Lord and waiting on Wellsford for my niece. The clouds broke apart with some really pretty light coming through. My niece arrived, and we headed in.
As I evaluate the shoot, I realize now the challenge in having a large geographical location for the shooting area. We lost time in traipsing around different potential sights. A smaller amount of choices would be beneficial for timing with limited light. Another thing: experience is not just helpful to know the mechanics of the photography, but experienced photographers are often familiar with the site. They know what the light will do on each part,what poses work well in each location because they have done it over and over. That experience would free me up to be more creative, more playful, more observant of other details on the subject.
My biggest goal of the day was to try to get that awesome light in the eyes. It's called a "catch light." The picture I posted of my children by the pond did not have a catch light in the eyes. The picture is still nice in many ways, but when you see a photograph with that life in the eyes- it grabs you. Those are the ones that make your heart catch. ( or at least that's what happens to me ;)) The thing is, you cannot get that light in the eyes without light being on the face. I have learned to wear a white top while shooting to help reflect light back onto the subject. I love these backlit photos with a field lit up or light coming in through the trees in the background, etc. However, that means the subject has their back to the light. I was so bent on trying to get some light onto her face by repositioning her, by using my reflector for the first time, and also trying to use a fill flash. Uggh! It's so hard! :) I have no assistant which will be pretty typical for me, I think. I don't have a reflector stand that can hold it in place for me, and under a thick cover of trees, it was an extra challenge to find a ray of light to reflect! Another challenge was me not getting so distracted and involved in the shoot that I would fall into the pond! :) At one point I used a fill flash to try to give light to the face. It was overly harsh. It's been a while since I studied my camera itself, so for a bit and with everything else going on, I couldn't remember how to turn down the level of output coming off the flash. I finally got it and it helped but still lots of good shots that were't quite right. I WISH I knew if it's because I need different equipment (like the nice, removable flash with the diffuser) or if it can be overcome without fancy equipment by good technique.
It was pretty humid out and all of our trekking around plus the sun, was causing my model to heat up. That's something else to consider in an outside shoot and we had not planned a place or time to freshen up.
I had planned out poses with location and printed some pose ideas. Seriously, it's so hard to think about all that and move around a huge location while thinking about all the mechanics of this stuff! There were several things I had planned to do and before I knew it, it was dark! What will it feel like to have the logistics down and be so skilled at some point that all I have to do is play and engage the subject! I don't know the tricks to making those legs look thinner, tummy flatter, etc. I know a few and tried to help arrange the poses to be flattering...it would have been a wild ride, I think, to be inside my brain for those 2 hours! This way, that way, upside down!!!
What else?? I will say, that at the end there it seemed like there was no hope for light. I kept bumping up the ISO and trying to use fill flash, have her face the direction of the sun going down, etc and just couldn't get enough light. At the last minute I changed out that new, zoom, portrait lens that I got recently and put on my 35mm/1.8 static lens. WOW! What a difference. I got that lens because it's rated to be quick with low light. I guess that lower aperture capability? Or maybe something additionally in the lens design- but all of a sudden I had the most perfect light on her under the apple tree. That was probably the only "WOW" moment I had of the evening. Wait until you see the apple tree pics! It's not that I think the photography is outstanding in them- there's just something that always draws me to this tree and those cute curved benches. (I'm talking as if you, the reader, know what I mean :)--- but you will when I post the pics.) We were out of time (we thought) due to lighting and I said, "Let's just go do a few under that tree, just for fun." I just love the drooping branches full of apples! In fact, at the beginning of the shoot we were walking by that tree and I said, "Look at that! Wanna just go under there and PLAY?!" It looked like the perfect fort/hideaway/ tell secrets/ or read a book place!!! Anyway, the tree, the light at the end of the shoot with that little lens, apples scattered on the ground, and my sweet niece in her country attire under that tree. I loved it. That's when I get a little frustrated at my slow learning in this process- because there was the moment and wouldn't it be awesome if I had the skill to capture it perfectly? **sigh* Another thing to talk to the Lord about, right? I can tell him these details of my delight and disappointment. And, I can ask for Him to work on me through it all. I can trust His will as it unfolds, rest in His timing, be thankful for His gifts.
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