A Backyard Playdate
I visited this lovely family for the third time recently. Watching their girls grow and change has been such a pleasure. This time around, we were all so relaxed. It was truly like a morning spent hanging out with old friends. The dad said something about making ribs in the smoker next time around. All I can say is -- um, I'm on board with that idea ;) I love at home sessions...where we just play. Eat homemade popsicles. Show me all their tricks on the swing....you know. Typical kid stuff. For me...this is how we create unique portraits...not the same old same old. The ones that show your future self who you were in this moment.
~ Dana
Boy Cave
Often times in my conversations with other photographers I hear things like 'I never shoot above ISO ________(fill in the blank)'. It seems that everyone has heard these rules that you are supposed to follow to create the perfect image. If you shoot above a certain ISO you'll get too much grain to create a good print. It will be too hard to catch focus. And other such nonsense. I think sometimes that these rules were created a long time ago and we have held on to them as a collective. The funny thing is--most photographers now a days are self taught...so I wonder where the heck they got these ideas. I mean with every new generation of cameras, the ability to photograph something in darker and darker situations gets better and better. The ISO capability of most modern day cameras is unreal. So, if it's there, why not use it?
One thing I have learned for sure is the only way to get a great image is to take some risks. If you do things the way everyone else is doing them, I guarantee that no one will take a second look at your work. Especially in an age where people are inundated with visual imagery. It's true that sometimes when I take risks, they REALLY don't pay off. But, then there are other times when magic happens. And, it doesn't often happen at ISO 100 ;)
These were shot at dusk...after our session was finished really and I was just goofing around with the boys. They were showing me their incredible treehouse that their granddad built them. I had brought the lantern. I had planned something else, but this was a much better use of it.
Be brave. Take risks. Explore the limits of your gear. You never know what you might create.
~ Dana
Twins
I did their newborn photographs. True story. And now they are two of the sweetest, gentlest little three year olds around. The second vertical image--the one of just the two of them looking down--ya, sometimes I feel like I had a session to take one certain image. That's the image for this session. It just gets me where it counts.
A little sneak peek since I can't seem to muster up a whole blog post amongst the craziness that is the end of summer.
One of my 'families' ... love watching them grow.
~ Dana