Love

Only two inches tall, this picture is a definitive favorite from my collection because of what I see in it: a woman in love. When we smile for a photograph far too often we concentrate too much on our smile. We try to consciously move our facial muscles into what we believe is the perfect position for a smile. Yet what normally results? A nice smile, but often something about it just seems unnatural. It just looks too posed. Some of the greatest pictures of people ever taken are of people in love with the photographer. Whether the person is male or female, it does not matter, when the person we love is taking our picture our smile is never forced, always perfect and has its own beautiful look to it. Just like the woman’s in this photograph. I think it is because we don’t think about the smile. It just happens. Sometimes the same thing happens when we are simply having outrageous amounts of fun. Perfect road trips or vacations can sometimes bring about these smiles too. While I’m not discounting pictures taken at times other than these I simply want to point out the special nature of a smile from someone in love. When it happens to you be sure to have your camera ready.

As you probably expected, I can’t just end the description of this picture with the smile. Although the smile is what “makes” this picture for me the photographer has also set the stage admirably. Once again the subject is lit with sunlight from the side (creating a sense of depth and three dimensionality), while also allowing her to look at her love without squinting (what would happen here if the sun were directly behind the photographer). The stone walls also contribute by adding texture, a balance of light and shadow, and lines crossing several planes. While the average photographer may be tempted to find a flat wall and place his or her subject in front of it (certainly a fine picture) perhaps an even better one is created by finding a place with more “levels.” Here the photographer has placed the subject on a wall with three levels of depth behind. Two vertical levels (on the far right and left) combine with the horizontal wall receding into the distance to give the scene a sense of depth and three dimensions. Yet even this great setting would still appear “flat” without the sunlight providing shadows on portions of the stone walls. Look at the wall on the far left without shadows. Now envision that brightness on all three walls. Can you see that if all three walls were just as bright (how it would appear if the sun were directly behind the photographer) the lack of shadows would make the walls appear as one wall, flat and without much depth?

So remember, look for scenes with “levels,” be sure the lighting of the scene gives you some shadows to bring the depth to life, and when you find yourself in love be sure to have your camera ready.

Grumpy Matt

Meet Matt. Thankfully for us his mom scrawled his name on the back of this photograph (probably still a good idea even in our digital age to aid our non-digital memories). Here Matt is not happy. His mom doesn’t look too thrilled about this whole picture taking thing either but lets forget about her for a second. Anyone who has ever taken a picture of a child knows that they are not always willing subjects. Yet we tend to fuss and fight with them until we get a smile, often giving us a picture for posterity with an awkward, forced smile that we aren't proud of anyway. While it is certainly important to have photos of our smiling children don’t overlook the value of pictures of unhappy, or even grumpy, children. Imagine flipping through the album your parents made of pictures of you as a child and seeing a few with those ridiculous scowls only children can make adorable. That would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it?

In addition to clicking the shutter when something other than a smile is showing there are also technical reasons why this is a good portrait. First, look at the background behind the subjects. Wood grain, such as an unpainted wood fence or wall always provides a great backdrop for portraits. The grain in the wood is visually stimulating, providing a sense of texture and adding light shadows which add detail. The visually complex nature of the wood also helps the more “simple” nature of human skin stand out. What you might hear referred to as “pop.” In other words people in front of such a surface appear to “pop” out of the background. Because pictures are by nature flat (two dimensional), creating a sense of depth (three dimensionality) in a photograph is one of the most important things a photographer can achieve. Taking advantage of settings which by their nature help to create depth is a great way to make your pictures stand out.

Second, look at how the background is framed by the lens. The photographer here mixes the vertical wood wall with a horizontal section of the house (another trick which helps to add a sense of depth). Additionally, the turned over bucket, like the half-included bike in the earlier picture of Pete, gives the work a sense of the moment and place. Finally, this image is a great example of placing the subjects not quite in the center. With Matt in the lower right-hand section of the image the viewer’s mind is caught off guard. While certainly not backed by any scientific studies, I’ve noticed that when a picture looks “normal,” i.e. the person or persons smack in the center, it’s like seeing an Oreo package in the store. We don’t really examine the package because at a quick glance our mind already “knows” what it looks like. When I see a picture with the people in the center and nothing out of the ordinary I tend to spend less time looking at it. However, when off center and placed against a background with lots of little details, such as this picture of Matt, my mind is instantly engaged. I spend more time looking over the entire image and considering it. That’s what I want from my photographs. I want people to be interested and engaged with them, spending time looking at the details. Don’t you?