Collection of Grace's Fall Photo Shoot + Description

Over Thanksgiving Break, I asked some family friends if I could do a photography shoot of their foster baby, Grace. Grace is 6 months old, and in general a happy and content baby. Her sister Ali helped me by playing with Grace while I took the photos. First I chose her outfit. She wore a long sleeve pink shirt, with flowered overalls, a corduroy vest, and a salmon pink hat. My main focus was her facial expression. the angles, and the contrast of colors. I was not able to take as many of the different shots as I had liked due to her short attention span and the chilly weather. We spent about half an hour at a park downtown.


Although the photos may seem quite similar it adds to the dynamic of the collection. Each photo was carefully edited and chosen. I also paid close attention to composition. I find photography of people more difficult than still objects, scenery, and nature, but a variety is important. I think that babies are easier to photograph than older children and adults. 


I had not done much research on Anne Geddes, but I read some tips on taking photos of babies. The lighting was slightly overcast, which was nice because it was bright enough but the sun wasn’t glaring. The following post has a collection of the photographs. I spent time editing them, cropping, adjusting colors, and tones. While taking them some of the scenes included Grace sitting, being held, crawling, laying on her stomach, playing with, and eating leaves. In one of them the effect of falling leaves is present. 


The family really liked the photos and had a photo scrapbook printed. I enjoyed taking pictures of Grace and the following posts have more photos, that are specifically grouped in type. I have gone into more detail on those posts. I also wrote a biography about the famous photographer Anne Geddes and selected three samples of her photos and a description on her techniques. 

Playing in the Leaves...

Piles of Leaves...

Falling Leaves...

Eating Leaves...

Laying in the Leaves...

Anne Geddes Report + 3 photos

Anne Geddes is a photographer, clothing designer, and businesswoman. She was born in Queensland, Australia, in 1956. She was a true country kid, and growing up she was an avid reader of National Geographic and Life, because of the strength and quality of their photographs. When she was 17 she took a job with a chain of tourist hotels in New Zealand, taking pictures of her day to day adventures. When she was 22, she opened a small clothing store, but was then hired as a secretary at a local television station in Brisbane, Australia. In 1983, she married Kel Geddes the station’s programming director. In 1984, their daughter Gemma was born. In 1988, a picture of her in a tutu became her first published photograph. Anne decided to specialize in children’s portraiture, working out of her own tiny studio. 

In 1990, she took one day a month to create images purely for herself. An outcome of this was her most recognized photographs of “Cabbage Kids”. In 1992, Kel left his career and became Anne’s business partner. She was became professionally recognized, and published a calendar.

Geddes believes that “emotional content is an image’s most important element”. She thinks people are drawn to her work because of its simplicity and personality. She prefers black and white photography to color photography. She says that a typical sitting takes place in the morning when the babies are well rested and lasts about half an hour. Geddes travels to the United States every year in search of black infants because New Zealand has a very small black population. 

In 1993, Anne and Kel took a leap of faith to publish her second calendar. They made over 40,000 copies. In 1996, Geddes published Down in the Garden. This is just one of her many published books. She has received many awards. In 2009, the Professional Photographers of American Honored Anne with it’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. She is an advocate for child abuse and neglect, as well has the health and wellbeing of both mother and child. Her images have been published in 83 countries. 

According to Anne Geddes, the "delicate, fragile, and yet fleeting beauty of flowers is so connected to the newborn. The synergy between the two is perfect." Geddes used to develop her pictures in a darkroom. However she now embraces technology to magnify her creativity. She works with photoshop experts, her role is to relay her visions to technical computer artists. For her baby portraits she uses a medium format digital camera that produce 110MB of image files. She prefers LED lighting rather than conventional heat radiating light. Her advise in making original pictures is to "shoot from the heart."

She gives the following tips:
from http://www.babycenter.com/0_20-tips-from-anne-geddes-for-taking-great-photos_10338944.bc

Do your own thing
Please don't try to replicate any of my images. They are created after hours of preparation and under careful controls in my studio, where I am supported by a team of talented professionals.

Be prepared
Keep your camera at the ready at all times. The more familiar your baby is with a camera, the more natural your photographs will be because your baby's curiosity won't be aroused by the camera. And with a camera at hand, you'll always be ready for those special spontaneous moments.

Consider the background
Keep your background simple to let your baby take "center stage" in the image.

Change your perspective
For a more personal point of view, get down to your baby's eye level.

Get ready
Ensure that your baby is safe, well fed, happy, and comfortable and you can be guaranteed some lovely images.

Time it well
Choose the time of day when your baby is happiest. Every baby is different.

Let there be light
I love using natural light. It is always more flattering to use the soft directional light coming in a window than the flash on a camera.

Go early or late
If you are photographing outside, try to take advantage of the early morning or late afternoon light. The mid-day sun doesn't bring out the best in anyone, and it can be especially harsh on your baby's perfect skin!

Grace Series #1 and Summary Descriptions

These three photos where the family’s favorite. I altered the color to “antique”. Somehow the cropping didn’t turn out exactly how I would have liked. In the first two I wish that both her hands were in the photo. However, this was not possible because I had to crop out the person who was helping her stand up. In the third photo, I wish that less of her hat was cropped. The backgrounds of these are especially helpful because they are simple, and blurred. It adds to the fall effect of the photo shoot. 

These are a series of fall leaves shots, Grace was entertained by the leaves. All of the photos are mostly based on her facial expressions. In the first photo she is so intrigued. The first two pictures are taken at a low angle, to capture the crisp red and brown leaves. The third is taken from above, Her overalls match the leaves almost perfectly! The white blanket adds a contrast, but I think that it would have been a better shot without it. It would have been more of a representation of Gedde’s work. 

Grace Series #2 and Summary Descriptions

These were my favorite shots in black and white. They are a series, and particularly portray her expressions. In the first one she is weighted towards the left. and in the second two, more towards the middle. She is not looking at the camera in any of them. I wish the background was purely leaves, but I was not able to capture that angle. I especially like how her eyelashes are prominent in the last photo. The color was changed to black and white, and then the contrast deepened. Unfortunately the cropping in the second cut out her right hand. 

These are my favorite shots in Sepia. The first photo is Grace and her sister Ali, there is a vignette effect and it is cropped to highlight their faces. The second is taken at her level, and her expression is adorable! The setting is not as prominent, and it would have been a better shot without the blanket.The third is a busy photo, but the contrast is nice. She is not looking at the camera, but instead sticking her tongue and concentrating on the leaf in her hand. I had be way below her to capture this shot.   

“Photographing Friends and Family”

In the Kodak Library of Creative Photography, there is an edition regarding Photographing Friends and Family. This is not something I have done a lot of, and I decided to research some techniques. Pictures of people are said to have direct emotional impact, and the impression of having been snatched from life.

People at their best

Everything counts in photos of people; you must take into consideration hair, clothes, the way they are sitting or standing, and the entire setting. You must relax the subject; everyone seems to get camera shyness at some point. One of the best ways of putting people at ease is to divert their attention from the camera. Giving them something to do will help.

Composing the picture

Pay attention to where the edges of the frame cross the figure. If you include too much, the crop may appear to be an error. The best crops are likely to be at the waist, the hips, or above the knees. Cropping the picture can convey a sense of of dynamism even in an image that is relatively static. 

Ways of looking

People’s eyes are their most recognizable features. Nothing has more influence than the eyes on the particular mood and meaning of a portrait. On a technical level, you should watch the eyes because they move more rapidly than any other part of the face. Also if they appear to be in sharp focus, so will the rest of the face.

Capturing Smiles

Smiles are important, they bring pictures alive. 

Matching Light to Subject

Bright sun and blue sky is not a good condition for photographing people. Strong sunlight is too intense to show subtleties of of skin tones and texture, and from some angles the harsh light can turn fine lines of character into deep wrinkles. 

The weaker sunlight of morning, and evening is much better. You should try to place people so that light falls on their faces at an angle of about 45 degrees. 

If you want to use oblique directional daylight, thin clouds or haze will help to diffuse the sunlight and reveal some form. Overcast weather eases the technical problem of choosing an exposure to suit both highlight and shadow areas without losing detail. 

Backlight and Silhouettes

Backlighting changes our view of a person dramatically by emphasizing the outlines. Depending on the strength and source of light, and exposure, you can create very different effects with backlighting. 

When there is also some fontal lighting, you can retain some of the details in silhouettes. If the sun is not directly behind the subject, the result may be a silhouette ringed with light. This imparts warmth, which is ideal for romantic photos. 

Babies and Toddlers

All but the youngest children are acutely aware aware of the world around them, and even a one-month old baby’s eyes will follow an object moving above the crib. You should try to capture this attentiveness in your photos. Look for a simple background, such as a blanket. Try to arrange the picture so  that light falls on the baby from the side and from a window that is not in full sunlight. 

To get the best results you should plan the composition. Find a setting that will suit the child’s personality and set up the lighting. Pets are good to add in, to keep the child’s attention. 

“Take Better Pictures”

In researching photography, I read “Take Better Pictures” from The Kodak Library of Creative Photography. There were a handful of images that “any photographer would be proud to take”. This book was aimed to teach simple techniques and clear creative principles of photography.

I found that I knew a lot of these techniques, and I have applied them to my photographs but it is helpful to reiterate the aspects that make a good photo.

Seeing Pictures

It talked about training the eye to see images that will give pleasure when they are taken out of the complex, confused, and constantly shifting world and made into photographs isolated by their frames. They eye is works without our being consciously aware of the process, the brain controls the eye as it rapidly scans a scene to build up a complete picture. A camera can only focus on part of a scene; however the camera has certain powers that are beyond those of the eye.

Identifying the Subject

This is important because one situation usually offers a whole wide range of choices. You should look for a subject that will make a single strong point. If there are too many details in the viewfinder that do not support the main point, the picture will tend to look untidy. There was an example of a conventional panorama, a downward shot, and a close up.

Studied Images, fleeting moments

The camera’s ability to freeze moments of action is one of photography’s most remarkable attributes. An alert photographer can capture these crucial moments, and must learn to anticipate anything photo opportunity. The other approach requires patience, because even the simplest objects can be arranged to make an attractive picture. Light is one of the keys to success in photography, and even natural light can be controlled.

Experimentation

It is important to experiment and each good photographer eventually develops a way of taking pictures that is personal and distinctive.

Aperture

Aperture is adjusted I a series of click stops, each full stop doubling or halving the amount of light let ring in a coded numerical series called f numbers. At maximum aperture only the main focused subject is sharp. The foreground and background are blurred. At a medium aperture the depth of fiend is greater. Most of the background is sharp, but the foreground is still out of focus. At minimum aperture depth of field is so great that even the foreground is sharp.

Isolating what is important

When taking a candid portrait bright colors or strong shapes in the background or foreground may compete for attention with the subject. There are three ways of minimizing depth of field: using a wide aperture, a long focus lens, or a close viewpoint.

This photo is of a leaf with dew drops, and it is a plain and simple picture that contrasts with it’s background. It is particularly eye catching due to the deep pink color. It reminds me of a picture on a calendar. The dew drops, and the sharp borders of the leaf represent the crispness of fall.

This sunset is intense, the pink and purple sky is intensified by the computer, but it conveys the beauty of the sky. These conditions probably would have been ideal for taking portraits. I think that I could have angled the camera more appropriately, because this photo lacks some dynamic. The composition is not as well planned out as it could have been.

This silhouette of a horse was taken in the evening, the original photo had a dark blue skyline. I wish the horse’s head was more clearly outlined. The angle of the camera was very low, almost ground level to capture this photo. I altered the photo to sepia, to kind of match the following photo. The sunset intensifies the composition of this photo.

This photo has a vignette effect, it’s colors are also altered. I thought that the vignette added to the composition, adding balance to the photo. The picture has a balanced feeling as it is in an oval shape. The reflection is the best part, it is eye catching, and then the viewer will probably look to the horse, and then the sky, which matches the reflection. If I was able to re take this photo I would probably simplify the background.

This close up captures the horse’s expression. It is awkwardly positioned, and cropped. However, I believe that adds to the uniqueness. The background is not in focus and the black and white coloring creates a crisp and sharp image. The angle is interesting, and it was a challenge to have the horse’s ears standing up. When taking photos of horses it is always important for their ears to be forward!

This would be considered an action shot of a running horse, I like how he is in slightly more focus than his surroundings. He is weighted to the left of this photo, and I like how his hoofs are just off the ground. The clutter of the leaves contrasts well with the simplicity of his coat and mane. 

1.
This photo is layered in depth. There are the clouds, trees, the ground and fences, and the puddle. It is a busy photo, and there isn’t exactly one object of focus. However, the contrast of the layers and the vignette add to the composition dynamic. The reflection of the clouds and sky in the puddle make the viewer look at the top and the bottom of the photo. I think that it would look better without the distracting shadows in the lower right hand corner. 

2.
This photo of flower makes the flower pop out. The background is out of focus, which directs the eye straight to the flower. The coloring of the flower is altered, it is lightened with some sepia effect. 

3.
The photo of the flower catches the eye because of the light shining down, and the angle at which it is taken. The colors also compliment each other nicely. The pink contrasts with the green leaves. The flower itself is important because it is in focus, whereas the trees in the background are not.

Taking photos of flowers:
There are varying types of flower photographs. Some are of flowers in vases, some in fields. Either way, there are certain techniques to use. First, sunlight is not wanted. It will shine off leaves and petals, which obscures the details of the flowers. It is ideal to take pictures of flowers in overcast weather. 

Sometimes there is too much material in the background. Using a low f-stop or wide aperture helps keep the flower in focus. Good flower pictures are of more than just a flower, they are taken at a good angle, and have interesting texture. 

Dorothea Lange was born on May 26^th, 1895. She was born of second generation German immigrants in New Jersey. Her name at birth was Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn. When she was twelve years old, her father abandoned the family. At age seven, she contracted polio which weakened her right leg and left her with a permanent limp. She said that, “It formed me, guided me, instructed me, helped me and humiliated me”.

Lange wasn’t very interested in academics. After high school she decided to pursue photography. She apprenticed for Arnold Genthe, one of the most successful portrait photographers. In New York, she apprenticed in several photography studios. In 1918, she moved to San Francisco, and by the following year she opened a successful portrait studio. She lived in Berkeley for the rest of her life, and in 1920 she married the noted western painter Maynard Dixon.

During the Great Depression, Lange used her camera on the streets. She studied unemployment and the homeless. Her work captured the attention of local photographers and she became employed with the Farm Security Administration. 

In 1935, she divorced Dixon and married Paul Schuster Taylor, who taught at UC Berkeley.  He taught her about social and political matters. From then until 1939, she showed the poor and forgotten. Although she began making most of her money by taking portraits of wealthy people, she liked the challenge of photographing the real human condition. 

In 1941, Lange was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for excellence in photography. After Pearl Harbor, she covered the rounding up of Japanese Americans. She was disgusted that the government would  lock people up just because they were Japanese. She was able to record the San Francisco shipyard workers, and took advantage of the need for ship builders to make their first real wages since the depression. Her insightful and compassionate photos have made an influence on the development of modern documentary photography.

For a short period of time Lange withdrew from photography. Her health was poor, and she had lingering effects from her polio. However, she briefly taught her methods at the California School of Fine Arts, By 1950, 

The Art Department of the Oakland Museum of California holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of the work of Dorothea Lange. Many of her photographs borrow techniques from the lexicon of modernism, which is dramatic angles and dynamic compositions. She wanted to produce startling images of her subjects. This never overpowered the subjects, but directed the viewer to see the photos in a distinct way. Her works proved that art is not exclusive, and her techniques also proved that modernist art didn’t only convey the artist’s feelings, but could also be used as popular journalism. Lange saw herself as a journalist, and then an artist. She wanted to effect social change by notifying the public of suffering.

Sam Abell was born in 1945 in Sylvania, Ohio. Sam Abell’s love of photography began from the influence of his father who was a geography teacher who ran a photography club. Abell Graduated from the University of Kentucky in Lexington where he majored in English, minored in Journalism, and was the editor of the Kentuckian Yearbook.

He is known for his frequent publication of photographs in National Geographic. He first worked for National Geographic in 1970, and is one of the more overly artistic photographers among his magazine peers. His style of photography is documentary, and his best work is known for its transcendent qualities. He has photographed more than 20 articles on various cultural and wilderness subjects. His job has taken him around the world, including the Galapagos Islands, and the Australian Outback.
            Abell has lectured on photography, and exhibited his images to audiences throughout the world. In 2002, the university of Virginia Art Museum organized a traveling exhibition of his work called: The Photographic Life. Abell has observed that equipment is not the major factor in success or failure of a photographer. He has used Nikons, Leica, Olympus, and Canon.
            Abell doesn’t use zooms, and thinks that short focal length zooms were dangerous because it is easy to distort perspectives. His goal is to capture an image that is so powerful that it will have to be published. He characterized his style as a layered style, and looked for elements that worked together to provide depth to the photo. His approach is to to first identify the background; afterwards you wait for the light and subject to complete the photo. Abell doesn’t use a flash; he favors early morning and late afternoon or evening light. For the first fifteen years of his career, he worked in black and white.

In 2009, Abell received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Toledo. The books that he has published are deemed essential for any photographic book collector. I personally like Abell’s distinct style. His photographs capture the eye, they are artistic, bright, and dynamic.

Photo 1: This photo has two several layers of depth. First the two horses that are weighted to the lower left hand corner, the grass they are standing on, the fog, the hills, more fog, and the hills again. I think this photo is eye catching because of all the white plain fog, and the few colored objects. It horses definitely contrast, and the shadows on them make it seem eerie.

Photo 2: This is titled a Boab Tree. It has layers of depth, the grass, the tree, and the sky. Abell captures the contrasts well. The tree is the main subject, and yet the grass almost seems more forward. The coloring is rich, and the sky lighting adds to the overall composition. I think that Abell took this from a low angle, and it’s a good shot.

Photo 3: This is titled A Beautiful Pathway Lined with Trees and Azaleas. The road, the azaleas, and the trees all stand out. The lines of the road and trees are prominent, but the azaleas stand out in color. Altogether they trees create a discombobulated pattern. The depth of the end of the road is what the eye follows.

ANSEL EASTON ADAMS

Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist. He was best known for his black and white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite. He was born February 20^th, 1902, and lived until April 22^nd, 1984. Growing up, Adams was an only child. He grew up in an upper class family in San Francisco, California. Adams was a hyperactive child, and he was often sick and had few friends. His home and surroundings became his entertainment. In 1916, he first visit Yosemite National Park, and using a Kodak Brownie box camera, he took his first photographs. The following year, with better equipment he returned and took more pictures. He learned basic darkroom techniques in San Francisco working for a photo finisher. He also read photography magazines, attended club meetings, and went to photography and art exhibits. 

In 1927, Adams produced his first portfolio, Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras. He used his Korona view camera with glass plates and a dark red filter.  His first portfolio was a success, earning nearly $3,900 and he came to realize how important that his carefully crafter photos were reproduced to best effect. In the 1931 Adams was able to put on his first solo museum exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution, which featured 60 prints taken in the High Sierra. Adam continued to be very successful, and with Fred Archer, he developed the Zone System as a way to determine proper exposure and adjust the contrast of a final print. His photographs are widely distributed as calendars, posters, and in books.

This photo was taken in color, and the photo was edited to black and white. I also used a vignette setting, which darkened the outer corners. The light background contrasts with the dark borders. The photo was taken with no flash, and from a low angle. It was cropped so that there was no unnecessary lines or shadows. 

This photo was also taken in color. Then the contrast was adjusted, it was cropped, and the edges were blurred. It was also edited to black and white settings. The subjects face is the main focus, and it is a sharp contrast compared to the background. The picture was taken without a flash, and from an straight ahead angle. 

This photo has a strong background. The green is bright, and it contrasts with Aimee’s eyes.  It could have been cropped better at the elbow, but otherwise the cropping helps centralize Aimee’s face. The color was slightly adjusted to be brighter, but white shirt also helps make it stand out. The photo was taken from a low angle, and both the subject and the background appeal to the eye. 

This picture was taken at the Alhambra in Spain. The architecture, the shapes, and the bright colors make it appealing to the eye. The reflection on the water adds to the dynamic balance because they eyes is not attracted to one single part of the picture but the whole photograph itself. This picture could have been cropped better, and the shadows on the back wall could have been eliminated.

This picture was taken in Spain is of Antoni Gaudi’s work.  The depth, the angle, and the patterns in this picture stand out. It has three levels of depth, the mosaic benches, the castle-like building, and the city lines in the background. All angles of the photo are interesting to look at; however, it is a bit busy.  There is not a definite structure, but it does not have excess dead space.

This photo was taken on a rainy day through a moving bus window. It has a blurred effect, and the telephone wires are prominent lines. The building is weighted in the bottom right of the nine grid zone. It does not have bright colors, however the subtle details attract the eye. This is not a close up of any particular object, but it has dynamic balance because the eye is not attracted to one single part of the picture. In retrospect, I think the edges should have been cropped a bit.