. prettymaybe .

7.11.2009

Dad [07-11-09]

I've never been that great at taking photos of people, but I'm trying to get better. The whites in the bottom-left corner of this photo are completely blown out beyond repair, which I don't appreciate, but I'm okay with the rest of it.

At first, it really bugged me that dad is in the upper-left corner, looking toward the upper-left corner. It just screamed bad design to me. But then I remembered that the reason I took this photo was because he was lifting up that pink glass vase to show to someone across the flea market. I thought "I have to catch this moment because it's SO dad."

But he should be looking INTO the photo, not OUT of it. It still bugs me now, but I realized that it still technically works on some level. We're not supposed to see who is just off camera, and the photo still feels natural, has some sense of balance, etc. It works for what I went there to do - take a picture of my dad at his antique booth.

Still, I will probably reshoot at another day to try to improve. I specifically want one where he's taking a puff of his cigarette, when the sun isn't so bright and with more of the colored glass in the foreground, because that's his favorite stuff.

6.25.2009

mt.hope mist [06-24-09]

mt.hope mist black and white study [06-24-09]

I tend to use black and white sparingly in my photography, because I don't want it to be a reason to keep "eh" photographs.

If a person finds themselves with so-so photograph, they can desaturate it and bump up the contrast, and almost instantly it will look more artsy and dramatic - but that doesn't help a person learn what makes a photograph good. If the balance and composition are strong and the choice of black and white emphasizes the story in the photograph, it's successful. Otherwise it's just masking a problem instead of solving it.

I think intent is important. I try to consider composition and color and mood while I'm taking a photograph, instead of clicking blindly and knowing I can crop and change the colors or make it black and white later. I decided while I was at Mt. Hope cemetery that I would try some black and white because I thought it might set the mood I was going for. I ended up liking the color ones better, so it was good that I didn't just make them black and white and call it a day.