Asher
thank you! The third is an 8 year old boy he is so pretty you would think he was a girl almost- Asher it's Parker and Peyton at the top and Buddy one of their little friends in the middle-I didn't do anything to my camera maybe I am learning something more-I certainly hope so-
these were especially hard to capture because they run all over trying to decorate the tree but I just waited and shot and waited and shot- the crop hopefully I am doing better with- that has always been a bit hard for me-thank you again for the help and coming into my thread-
Well, Charlotte,
You did a great job, tracked them down and aced the shots. I must say I'd been rereading all of the camera focus woes that Rachel had since she fell on some slippery rocks taking her river pictures, that your sharp pictures somehow made me think she's repaired the camera. I think in terms of the pictures and work backwards to the person.
This ongoing series of photographs provides a composite, almost live portrait of the children's excitement. We see the expectation and innocence of children. They're approaching a great time with surprises, good food and lots of relatives and friends to enjoy. The preparing, giving and receiving of presents is, in fact, a most important cement for everything we seek to do. It promotes trust and that's the basis for love, partnership, finding consensus, leadership and doing commerce and trade.
Your pictures give us a boost in valuing each other and being light hearted.
I'd like to comment on your choice of B&W. To me, it's unlikely that random combinations of synthetic colors of clothes and background furniture and walls will be agreeable. Unless we are photographing nature of a couple in evening clothes in a library with leather chairs and antique wooden shelves, the colors often call attention to themselves. I call this razmatazz!
Photo © Charlotte Thompson 2008
Here, however, in B&W, one cannot so easily get away with highlights that blot out details in highlights, dark objects and shadows. You're pictures show fine definition in hair and the white fur hat. It's also good to try out images with a full range of deep blacks and mid tones so one has a large palette of nuances to use in showing structure, dimensionality and form. Here, the black and shadowed areas of the feathers (?) should have detail too.
I'm betting you're developing a stronger foundation in the physicality of what you photograph. Then, to bring back agreeable color*, can provide an extraordinary emotional finish.
Asher
*Of course, one can work exclusively in color and be successful. Most folk do. But then it's likely that buttressing the colors, underneath all the decisions, the physical aesthetics are addressed well.
Maybe its the Fog in SF and the Turkey that got to him.
