So, I have to say…I procrastinated…oops. I had this lesson in my head all week and kept saying, “I have to make sure to catch that sunset tomorrow” it ended up being tonight. Seeing as I will be out of town tomorrow, I wanted to get this posted tonight so I wouldn’t miss the deadline. See, I WAS thinking a little bit!
Ok, this week was challenging to me. I know light, at least I thought I did. But you got me thinking on a whole new level. When my fiance’ walked outside and saw me turning in a circle, he laughed and said, “what are you doing?” he smiled when I told him I was looking for the light. He understands me!
A little warning, I like my photos a bit on the warm side. I tried my best for natural reflectors, but out here on the ranch…it’s difficult. All photos were taken with my Canon 7D and 50mm 1.8.
So, here is what I came up with~
Side Light
I had my fiance’ hold up my small reflector on my son’s right side to illuminate the shadows. Compared to the shot before I had him do this, it’s a GREAT improvement!
Settings- f/4 @ 50 mm, 1/800, ISO 400
Glow
We had JUST missed the sun behind the hill, and by the time we would have opened gates to chase it further, it would have been gone. I wanted this to be my flare, but it ended up being my glow. Working with a toddler, you take what you can get, lol. Being a Mother, I love this shot, as it shows my son’s crazy personality.
Settings- f/4 @ 50 mm, 1/640, ISO 400
Flare
Now, I shot this before the class started. This was early morning and there was fog all around the hay meadows. I really do love this shot, it just feels like home.
Settings- f/4 @ 50 mm, 1/1600, ISO 400
Front Light
Ah, my puppers. He HATES to get his photo taken, seriously. I have had a camera in his face his whole life, so he tends to run from me when he sees the camera. Today was an exception, maybe he just wanted some attention.
Settings- f/4 @ 50 mm, 1/3200, ISO 400
Silhouette
This shot warms my heart. I really do love silhouette shots. Ideally, his legs wouldn’t have been cut off by the hill behind him, but this is what I had to work with. Plus, it was hard enough to get my fiance’ to agree to be in a photo!!
Settings- f/4 @ 50 mm, 1/5000, ISO 400
Looking forward to hearing what you have to say, Rachel!! I know I have a lot to work on, and am open to anything you can do to give me some pointers!!
Kyleen! You did awesome! I am so so so glad it got you thinking about light in a different way! I get the 'crazy' thing too, but a lot of the time, the clients actually figure it out and say, 'oh! she's checking the light' or something and then I have a sudden urge to give them a hug. 😉 Once you start noticing light, it never stops..not even at the check out stand in Wal-Mart. 🙂
I LOVE warm photos. I LOVE that first photo of your son! I would blow that baby up for my kitchen! The side light is subtle enough, but you could 'play' and make it dramatic. That's the best thing about side light. I think it give you more 'freedom' to go either way for a great turn out.
Your 'glow' shot is great. It's harder to tell on short hair/boys but you can see the light wrapping around and showing on both sides of his face. So, it works! Your next shoot, try to purposely get a 'glow' shot. I love 'accidental' shots, but I love shots on purpose, even more. 🙂 As a side note, I totally understand the mom thing and loving the personality. My favorite pictures of my daughter are the most unpremeditated shots. 🙂
Your flare image is great. It immediately made me think home, so it's funny you mentioned that. It's kind of a slight mix of flare and haze. If you were to raise your aperture (smaller opening) even just a few..say, F/7 or F/9, you probably would have been able to see some strong sun ray's over that bale!! A shot like that would be fun to play with your white balance too. Now, I want to go find some hay.
Your dog is adorable! Perfect model for some front light. Front light can be hard, because a lot of people think that means, facing the front AKA blinding your subjects. You showed it perfectly here that, that is not the case. Light is coming from the front (behind you) even with your subject turned. I think front light can be especially tricky, in that same sense, if you're not careful, it can look like a 'snap shot'. With a wide open aperture like you have, it helps avoid that. I think you could have gone even wider, and even moved in closer to your pup and had some super crazy(er) bokeh, and that would help add more of a personal 'feel' to the picture.
I LOVE your silhouette. You already mentioned what my one 'critique' would be: about the hill…BUT, even as is, this is another I wouldn't hesitate to frame in my home. Your subjects are pitch black, but I can just 'see' the excitement and joy on your little boy's face!
Great job Kyleen!!! Can't wait to see your post next week!