*Sigh*

It's just what I needed. A relief. A pleasure, really. I got to photograph F. and her new little L., today. She's just a month old, but look at all that hair. Thanks a bunch for a fun time making pictures, F.

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR Macro lens, f/8, 1/200s, ISO 100.

Technical stuff. We made this picture on the side while making portraits for the Portland Urgent Care clinic where F. works. Effectively, that means I had the lights setup in a specific manner that helps ensure the portraits are all similar, which means I couldn't easily move it to make a piece of art for mother and daughter. 

I had a black backdrop, a small octabox up front, and a barebulb strobe with a reflector in the back. Without changing my light settings, I brought F. a little closer to the octa to wrap her and baby in a softer light (the closer, the softer). We made several frames here, but this was my favorite, shot with me on a chair so I could see from a little above.

Jabberwocky

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro Lens, f/8, 1/15s, ISO 400, Nik Color
Efex Pro 4 with Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
  Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
  And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
  The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
  And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
  The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
  He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?

  Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
  He chortled in his joy.

Man, I had a great time this morning with the Portland PAC (find us on Facebook) at Tryon State Park in Lake Oswego. Being new in town, I'm still getting to know areas, so I suggested we get together and go shoot in the woods. Tryon creek is such a beautiful park, and right in the middle of town, too, so it's super convenient. 

My pal Megan found us some willing models (more or less willing, anyway). As the day drew nearer I got thinking that something like Robin Hood would be a fun story to show. Then as we were sorting through clothes, this image came together. I'm reminded of the Jabberwocky, which I memorized in Mrs. Tuggle's class at Air Academy. It's supposed to be a retelling of Beowulf, which is one of the oldest English stories preserved in writing. I think I like Jabberwocky better, however. I really like the picture, and I really appreciate everyone helping me make it come together. I have some other ideas for finishing it, and if I pull it off well, I'll share it with you. 

Let's talk technical stuff, cause this picture is super simple, and it's totally a lucky happenstance that it...happened. See, when working with flashes off the camera, it's best to make the picture look good without the flash, then add the flash in the right amount for the subject. So, while doing my test shots I bumped the tripod, and it made the picture a streak. After I got the final frame of my awesome model, I combined the two with a layer mask in Photoshop. Super simple! I think it makes a dreamy, imaginary effect. Nik Color Efex Pro 4 helped with the finishing touches.

Light is coming from a single speedlight off to the left shooting through a white umbrella, triggered with Nikon's built in CLS. It kinda feels like a beam of light in the woods. Just the thing to make a vorpal blade pop. 

I love making photographs in Lake Oswego!

Reminder: Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day this weekend, guys. Yeah, it's sneaks up on you. Here's a little something a couple of guys could give their lady love for the holiday.

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 Micro VR lens, f/20, 1/160s, ISO 100.

Twinkle Toes

This is A., and she was a riot to make pictures with. She's one of those kids who you can tell is really smart...and you kinda feel like she's pulling one over on you. She's got expressions and quirky ideas. 

And of course, she dances. I love when kids dance. Invariably they will smile a lot, and they will definitely spin around and get dizzy then fall over in a heap of laughs. I usually do these things with them. Mom's think I do it to make kids smile; little do they know I do it to make me smile!

Nikon D800, 105mm f/2.8 VR lens, f/8, 1/200s, ISO 100.

Cuteness

There's not much to say, really. She's cute. Adorable, even.

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 62mm, f/8, 1/250s, ISO 160.

This one is made with an SB-800 and an SB-900 fired through a five-in-one reflector with the cover removed, revealing the diffusion panel. The diffusion fabric enlarges the tiny speedlights and makes a very soft light. The fabric is just out of the frame on the right, and the two flashes are shining through on both ends. Also, this is black and white made in the camera using the red filter in the monochrome settings. Try it on your camera--I think you'll like it.

Madonna and Child

Nikon D800, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 36mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 640, Nik Color Efex 4.

Harbinger

If you look through this blog, you won't see newborn babies in pea pods dangling from a snagly branch over the raging surf during a beautiful sunset. It's not that I don't think that wouldn't be a beautiful (if insanely dangerous) picture...it's just not my style.

My style is usually mom and dad with their little kiddo, brother and sister with the new sibling--these pictures I love, and I can interact with and make a more real picture. There's only so much emotion I can elicit from a crocheted owl touque.

But I do enjoy making pictures with meaningful objects, stuff from the family, stuff that might be with the kid for a while. Grandma's blanket, dad's christening clothes, mom's teddy bear, the blanket auntie made. These things have more meaning, and help tie an image to the past, to the family. I dig that.

And this little guy sure dug it, too, when we swaddled him in dad's high school football jersey. Something about all that old sweat and grass stains must be comforting.

Nikon D800, 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 98mm, f/5.6, 1/160s, ISO 640, Nik Color Efex Pro 4.

Bad Day, Good Pictures

Sometimes things just don't work out the way we hope. Sometimes there's traffic that makes you late, or frost on the windshield that takes too long to scrape off, or extra work that takes longer than expected. Or little boys with the flu on the day of their photo shoot. Things happen. Fortunately, it doesn't mean that the pictures will suffer because of it. Mom loves this image, and I think it's nice, too...

Beware

See, these boys are dangerous. 

Nikon D3s, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 122mm, f/9, 1/200s, ISO 1000, SB-600 through umbrella

Every time I see them they are building something or crafting a new method for launching arrows or other projectiles. They are becoming increasingly accurate and powerful. Plus, the oldest brother, E., is a thinker; you can hear the gears of his mind turning from across the neighborhood. Then he's got the next boy, B., to refine thoughts and act as sounding board and executer. K. is dangerous just because he's fearless--he can literally do anything. Watch for him break dancing--he'll be famous and you can claim to have known him when. And don't let that little guy's innocent look fool you: he'll be joining the brothers in mischief in no time--just as soon as he can sit up on his own...

They think they have mom and dad fooled, too, but S. and S. are in the know, managing the boys and directing the mayhem in a controlled manner. They know what they're doing.

Nikon D3s, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 300mm, f/9, 1/125s, ISO 640, SB-600 through umbrella

We had fun making pictures together. I see the boys finding ingenius ways to haul one another around the 'hood on a single bicycle. I'm glad that we made these pictures before they kill themselves.

Nikon D3s, 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens @ 150mm, f/9, 1/125, ISO 1000, SB-600 through umbrella.

Fortunate Meeting

I was just thinking to myself, "I need a baby to try this look on..." and low and behold, W. & W. were introduced to me with their little J. Sure had fun making pictures with them in a hurry this morning!

Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens @ 110mm, f/5.6, 1/250s, ISO 640.

New Mom

Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens @ 155mm, f/10, 1/250s, ISO 200.

Trust

Few people have had as large an influence in my life as my Grandfather. Everything from my wife-infuriating-Scotch-thriftiness to my meticulousness in coiling extension cords to my knowledge of tree pruning and bee keeping can be traced to my Grandfather. 

I hope you know your grandfather, and I hope you have as good a relationship as J and P. These two are best buddies, and it showed during our whole photo experience. In fact, when the ladies in the family came over to choose their favorite images, they left J and P on the porch with knives whittling sticks. It's good to be buddies with an older generation.

Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens @ 150mm, f/3.5, 1/500s, ISO 3200.

Remembering Summer

Don't hate me, but i really think it's going to be an early Autumn. Which is fine with me--I love Autumn; I just hope it's as long as last year's.

So, as K. and her family were getting ready to move to the East Coast this week she called and asked me to memorialize their summe here. See, E. spent her days playing at the park and throwing rocks in the creek, and K. wanted to remember that. Well, my brain started churning, and for  a week I had an image in my mind that would exemplify that feeling.

This was it for me, and it is exactly what K. wanted.

Nikon D700,  70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens @ 98mm, f/2.8, 1/1000s, ISO 500.

The days are cooler, and the grass is green, but the leaves may start turning shortly. Give me a call and we'll reserve your spot for Fall Family pictures. Talk to you soon. 435-535-1501

Feeling Down

T. was having a hard day. First of all, she had a rough time with mosquitos a few days before our shoot, so that wasn't fun for her. Then in the morning she just had a difficult time getting out of bed and moving. We've all been there, so that's totally understandable. Even after being awake for awhile she was still clingy and a bit groggy.

Nevertheless, she's a generally happy child, so even being under the weather couldn't keep her down for long. With the help of the dolls and big sister we did eventually get her telling stories and ended up having a good time. 

Oh, and we made pictures while doing it.

"Carpe..." (Family Photography)

The pictures speak, ya know? Reminds me of that scene in Dead Poet's Society when Mr Keating is showing the boys pictures of previous students and reminding them that each of those pictures was a person, living his own life, thinking his own thoughts.

Sometimes as I ride my scooter around town I get to thinking that everybody on the street is living his life, everybody in a car is living her life, even the mailman is living his own life! Maybe you've already realized this, but there are millions of lives happening every second right here--in America! It's pretty stunning.

And every second a part of every person's life just went by. In photographs, I get to help capture that moment, record it a little bit like it was, and my record can potentially last forever. That means the moments  that I see in my lens maintain a small part of a story of a life. A tiny, itsy-bitsy portion of a life. And it's not that important.

Right now.

But how about in ten years, or fifty years when this mother's grandchildren look back at this image? Maybe the girl notices that she has her grandmother's red hair (I know, I know: it's black and white, but you still know she has red hair!) or the boy sees that his little brother looks just like his uncle. At some point this image may share the moment and it may make a connection to the past that shapes the future! Maybe the kid will see his potential and make some kind of decision to do choose to do something worthwhile in his life, to seize opportunity and make a life! Well, I'd like to think so, anyway.

Still, maybe he'll hear it whispering: Carpe...

Nikon D700,  70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens @ 98mm, f/5.0, 1/125s, ISO 500.

J. and Little S.

This is a quick peek at a fun session we had the other day. S. is just ten days old here.

Nikon D700, 85mm f/1.8 lens, f/5.6, 1/320s, ISO 400.

Life Goes On

M. and L. have been married a few years; they have a couple of darling little girls; they live a happy life. It reminds me of that Beatles song (this is where I'd normally include a link to the song, but the Beatles being what they are, those songs aren't available on the internet; you'll have to find "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" in your i-tunes and listen to the preview--but dont do it unless you're prepared to have it stuck in your head). 

And it's true, life does go on. See it from my perspective.

You start out--third grade maybe--tall kids in the back, short kids in the front, and you're finally glad that you're older than most of the kids in your class because you get to stand in the back and don't have to crowd in the front like Robbie; you get to do what ever you want in the picture because you are virtually invisible...so you think. Then Mom gets the print which she sacrificed going out to dinner in order to buy, and there you are with your eyes crossed on the back row, and you will never hear the end of it: every time a camera is on the scene, she announces that everyone has to watch and make sure your eyes are straight. Like that would make the picture better, everyone looking at you.

So it begins: portrait making is to be endured, yearly if you're lucky, more often if you're not.

Pretty soon mom's not the only one picking on you for the way you look in pictures: Polly just found your picture in the yearbook and is pointing out to everyone how squinty your eyes are--it's not your fault the picture guy blackouts the cafeteria every time his flash fires; one has to protect one's vision, after all. Your middle and high school years are now ruined, however. And the school actually sanctions this practice!

This is why everyone has a camera smile and camera eyes, as well. The smile usually resembles something like a man with super sized jowls on a motorcycle doing 85, and the eyes are...well, "saucers for eyes" is an understatement. If the eyes were wrist watches, they wouldn't be an attractive little piece with jewels...they'd be those enormous Fossil appliances that require pulley systems to lift the watch into view. Or something.

Fortunately, by the time you get married you've come to terms with pictures. All the exciting looking wedding photos you see on blogs everywhere get you thinking that if the photographer can make you look half as good as Betty and Ralf did in their wedding pictures, then there may be hope for you. You start praying to the wedding gods to make you look good on your wedding day. Your Fairy Godmother casts a spell and your wishes come true, and you love your wedding pictures. A real Christmas miracle.

Unfortunately, you know that you only get one such intervention in your life time, and your pictures will never look good again. 

At least, that's what it seems like everyone thinks. The fact is, you do look good in pictures--even if your eyes are crossed (granted, if you're halfway through a blink, you still look pretty terrible, but otherwise...). The important thing is to not look at your picture and criticize the way you look. When I'm talking with you, I never think to myself, "Geez, I bet he has a double chin in pictures." Pictures are not reality. They are an interpretation of a split second in time hat doesn't even exist anymore. Don't sweat it.

And certainly don't put on your bright eyes and toothy grimace.

That was really my favorite thing about working with M. and L.'s little family (well, besides making pictures of good looking people): they never told little S. to smile, and they were relaxed. Well, they were willing to relax, at least. After I helped them relax and showed them some pretty good looking images on the back of the camera they fell right into the groove and showed some pretty confident looks to the lens.

In fact, the relaxation showed in their whole bodies. Eventually, even when they knew the camera was watching, they interacted genuinely.

So, they got wedding pictures a few years ago, and now we've just had another fun time making pictures. S. hasn't been scarred by Mom's shattered hopes for the class portrait, and at this rate that will never happen. Break the cycle! It's just a picture. Let life go on.

Let it go on, and look back at it frequently, and remember that the glass is half full. Be in lots of pictures so you can look back at when they were taken and think to yourself not, "My, I'm so fat-bald-dopey looking-fill in the blank," but rather think, "oh, that was right after I had my darling little Mike, " or oh, that was right after graduation when we were getting started together," or "That was that time I drove seventy over through a school zone." (do they let you keep mug shots? they should--it would prevent a lot of crime if people frequently saw how bad they look in those photos.) 

If you let it happen this way, then you'll score karma with your Photo Fairy and she will bless you with good looking pictures for the rest of your life...

A Little Family Action

This little family was in the Studio a little while ago and I never got the chance to share these with you. The little guy is just a couple of months old, and barely holding his own melon up, but he sure was fun to have in the shop.

Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens @ 70mm, f/5.6, 1/125s, ISO 400.

Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens @ 190mm, f/4.0, 1/250s, ISO 400.

My Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This...

Do you ever have days when nothing seems to come together? When things are not running smoothly? When you can't seem to get on top of things? When the internet fails, and it takes two days to make a single blog post?

When you can't even get a three year old to smile?

Nikon D700, 85mm f/1.8 lens, f/2.8, 1/250s, ISO 400.

Nikon D700, 85mm f/1.8 lens, f/3.5, 1/100s, ISO 400.

Fortunately, that last one didn't come to pass!

Nikon D700, 85mm f/1.8 lens, f/3.5, 1/125s, ISO 400.

High Contrast

Contrast means comparing to emphasize a difference. We can show this in pictures, and examples are all over the place if you look. Hard and soft. Big and small. Light and dark. Young and old. Black and white pictures percolate things down to contrasts, removing the distractions, the mid tones, the colors. This little gal's turquoise shirt is super cute, and melds nicely with Dad's undershirt of the same color. However, in this image the colors were too complicated and distracting. I shot this in black white to show only the relationship between father and daughter--she just climbed up on the sill with dad's help, she's glad to be sitting by her pops, and his steady hand gives support, while his other hand is ready to catch her if she falls. Experienced and inexperienced, strong and vulnerable, knowing and innocent. What contrasts do you see around you? What do you see in relationships? Often with people, it's the differences that make the strongest bonds.

Nikon D700, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens @ 70mm, f/2.8, 1/320s, ISO 800.

Making this sort of picture takes some thought. See, your camera sees two thirds of the frame as a bright white blob, and it thinks, "Gotta darken this waaaaaay down." But, if that happens you end up with black silhouettes in front of a dead lawn, and a field, and the back of the sandwich shop.... while the silhouettes might be interesting, the rest of the backdrop isn't so hot. I prefer the detail of the faces on the high key window. To get this you have to tell your camera to over expose compared to what the light meter is telling you. Crank it up, blow out the world outside, and enjoy the relationship of the subjects. Oh, and do it fast because these moments are fleeting.