Friday, May 28, 2010

Tree Climbers


Luckau_selected_DSC3497_1.JPG, originally uploaded by preyingjaws.

Last Sunday morning I had the privilege to do a big family portrait session. I'm glad my friends showed up first to get me into the swing of things. I tried a few different poses with them. This tree climbing picture is one of my favorites of them.

Their clan began to filter in and for the next 2 - 3 hours I realized this is what I want to do. Take a look at the set and you will count over 30 individuals in the big family portrait. Yes, patience is a virtue. It can also be a fun curse. In the separate groupings the children were the most fun to work and create an image that incorporates each personality.

I learned a great deal in working with such a large group. The first is know the lighting. There is some speckling and shadows particularly with the big group set. Second, take more pictures then necessary. With such a large group not everyone will be looking at the camera. Third lesson is do not zoom in to closely. There are a few images where I chopped toes off.

As I processed the image I did include a wide white border know that some of the images will end up in picture frames. The white border will allow home printers not to use so much ink and will let them put the image into a frame without further chopping into the already close to frame images.

I know I am a beginner at family portraits. Each session or setting is a learning experience. I know that to become better I need to shoot more. I know that to shoot more I need people to focus on. As you are interested in getting an image taken please stop and see what I have to offer.

Thanks for stopping by.
Brian J

Friday, May 14, 2010

Trail Head A Head


Trailhead A Head, originally uploaded by preyingjaws.

I thought snow shoeing season was over. I am wrong. At the last minute I grabbed the hard-decks out of storage and I am glad I took them. I headed up to the White Pine area as part of my spring trekking rituals go. I do not go all the way to White Pine Lake itself as part of the approach crosses avalanche territory. The snow literally conditions literally changed with each step.

The weather recently is a photographer's dream come true with the myriad of clouds passing over. As for the skiers they say differently, particularly those in search of sugar snow conditions. This image is taken upon return to the trail head which is but 200 yards a head.