Photo 52: A Play on Light

Week 32:  Exploring Daylight

Around noon the sunlight floods my son's room from the west, creating some amazing shadows.  On a particularly bright day this week (thank goodness spring has finally arrived!) I captured him playing with not only his toy cars, but trying to catch the sunbeams that were streaming through the window.  There were moments where he was so mesmerized by these beams that he didn't even notice me or the big lens encroaching in on his personal space.  My favorite sight however, at this particular time and in this particular room, is always the angelic halo that the sunlight creates as it lands on the hair of my little angel boy.   

 

 

Please continue along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's work for this week.  Next up is the sweet and talented Texan, Kim Dupree.   

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Week 31 - Exploring Morning Light

For the month of April our group decided to capture light at four different times a day: early morning, midday, evening and night.  This first week I ventured out in my West Harlem neighborhood at 6:45 a.m. when I knew the sun would be rising up and over 145th street.  This is the time of day with the least amount of traffic as well, so every time the street light turned red I would hustle out to the double yellow line and get on bended knee.  I used my wide angle zoom lens in order to get as much of the setting as possible in the frame.  What's not included however, is the handful of lovable lowlifes that were wrapping up their night on the streets.  The funny part to me is how quiet and serene the image appears and yet, at this particular time, I was dodging the harassment of a toothless, pantless (and truly harmless) female crackhead.  Oh for the love of the craft amongst New York City's colorful landscape!  

 

​Harlem sunrise

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Kelly Roth Patton of Brooklyn, New York.   

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Week 30: Photographer's Choice

Since there are five weeks in the month of March our blog circle decided to allow for personal freedom for this final week of "Artificial Light" study.  I must admit, it's been a nice breather from the more technical aspects of trying to conquer my speedlite.    

Our Harlem apartment has recently undergone a transformation in preparation for our new baby's arrival, most notably the installation of sliding doors.  One afternoon this past week, while I was sitting in the living room, my toddler began opening and closing the doors.  As I watched him take note of his shadows, I quickly grabbed my camera to capture him playing with them (yes, while eating a banana!) through the frosted glass.  It was a very playful part of our day - and yet, the photos retain an eery quality which I really like.    

 
 

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next in line is Erica Collins, extraordinary photographer, road tripper and mother of five beautiful children.    

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Artificial Light | Flash - Week 4

Due to a lingering winter and a very pregnant momma, my 2 year-old and I have been indoors more than usual this past month.  For this final week of artificial light, I used my speedlite to capture a tightly cropped portrait of him.  The grainy effect with its "film noir" feel appeals to me and how, because I was so close to him, the flash created an intense contrast between the foreground and background.  I think I'm also fond of this photo because I can envision how he will look as he grows older.  My little man.

 

​My little man

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Cheryl Sawyer, fellow New Yorker and photographer friend of mine.  

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Flash | Artificial Light - Week 3

For Christmas my husband gave me a macro lens which is most often used for close-up photography due to its higher magnification capabilities.  Using this lens and my flash unit I was able to turn a mundane radiator - a source of both love and hate in New York City's prewar buildings - into a subject of beauty.  Consider this my homage to Neo-Dadaism.

 

 

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Julie Mak, my newest dear friend and fellow New Yorker.    

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Flash | Artificial Light - Week 2

Since January my husband and I have been rearranging and redecorating our apartment to accommodate the arrival of our new baby this May.  Weekends have been dedicated to shopping trips, painting, drilling shelves into walls, putting together and moving around furniture, building a closet and transforming our living room into a bedroom for two boys to share.  This past week we FINALLY finished their room and I wanted to capture my son's first night in the new space soon to be shared with his baby brother.  All day he had been saying, "Nice room.  I like new room!"

I used my flash to add minimal fill light so my husband and son would be illuminated without having to increase my film speed too much (ISO), therefore introducing unwanted grain into this particular image.  I was forced to take several shots while dialing down the strength of my flash but overall I'm happy with the end result.  This final version is quite close to what I had envisioned even before starting to shoot.      

​First night in his new room

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Jessie Wixon, fellow New Yorker and friend of mine.    

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Flash | Artificial Light - Week 1

This month Photo 52 is tackling the use of flash, both on and off-camera, in our photography and let's just say it ain't the easiest thing to master.  In fact it's downright intimidating.  Our group has spent nearly the whole month of February gearing up (quite literally) for the month of March.  Online tutorials were swapped, reference books and strobes were purchased and those of us living in New York City even attended a 3-hour flash workshop at Adorama camera supply & learning center a couple of weeks ago.  Needless to say this group of natural light photographers still feels like we are swimming through the fog of this technique.  But the good news is we have each other's support as we take on this challenge, learning as we go along and most importantly from our mistakes.  Without question there will be times when it will be useful to know how to manipulate light from an external source to get the image we envision as artists.  This is what we will tackle in the weeks and months ahead.          

Below is my debut image which I chose because of the catchlights in his eyes.  I used a flash modifier and bounced the light off of the ceiling 45 degrees behind me to diffuse the strobe's intensity.  My goal was to add some fill light to an otherwise drab indoors shot.  This being one of my first flash shots I realize it could perhaps portray stronger shadows and contouring (the result of more thoughtful positioning) but I am reminded that this is only the beginning and Rome wasn't built in a day.    

 

​The Dandy Tooth Brusher

My "Dandy Tooth Brusher" was feeling a bit under the weather when this was taken and wanted to wear his porkpie hat all day long, even during the most mundane activities.  Who says you can't don a hat for all occasions?

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Kami Chaudhery, a Seattle resident and talented photographer who I was thrilled to finally meet in person this past month.  

 

 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Seeing Light in Black and White - Week 4

For this final week of seeing light in black and white I decided to attempt some street photography and thought it would be fun to include a dash of humor, and hopefully a little irony, of life in the Big Apple.  

 

 
 

 Please follow along the circle to view the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Stacey Vukelj, fellow New Yorker and street photographer extraordinaire.  

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Seeing Light in Black and White - Week 3 

Lately my husband has been taking over bath time responsibilities as I've become too pregnant to bear the brunt of the task.  This week I decided to sneak in and capture a moment I usually opt to process in color, but for this month's theme I envisioned the image in black and white.  In order to make it dynamic enough as a tonal image, I patiently waited for a strong composition of contrasting lines.  The result is an "X" made of limbs around a central, trusting gaze.     

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's work for this week.  Next up is Kami Chaudhery, who resides in Seattle with her husband and two adorable girls.   

 

"X's" and O's

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Seeing in Black and White - Week 2

This past weekend New York City was hit by "Nemo", the first blizzard of 2013, and our neighborhood of Harlem was blanketed by about a foot of snow overnight.  In the early morning hours, just after the sun came up, I decided to take a walk around the local streets before the wonderland was disturbed by shovels and trudging feet.  My intentions from the beginning were to create a black and white collection exhibiting mother nature's artistry upon the streets of my nabe.  I felt there was no greater opportunity for "seeing in black and white".

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's work for this week.  Next up is Erica Obenchain Collins, my friend, extraordinary mother to five beautiful children and a photographer with talent beyond measure.  Have fun cruising through the entire circle!     

 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Seeing Light in Black & White:  Week 1

This week kicks off a new theme for Photo 52.  Over the next four weeks we will be seeing light in black and white, envisioning our images in a range of tonal values before we even press the shutter button.  

Now that I am 24 weeks pregnant with my second son I've been desperately meaning to capture my first born kissing my belly which he loves to do, saying, "Mommy, kiss baby brother".  But lately I just didn't quite have the motivation to do everything that was required to get that image and frankly wasn't even sure if it was possible.  Then while in the midst of one of the most trying days of my pregnancy thus far, I decided to take out my tripod in the hopes that magic might transpire.  I set up the tripod, positioned myself where I would stand in order to get the proper settings on my camera and then called my son into the room to see if he'd be a willing participant.  Mind you, my vision was to capture a black and white image that I would cherish over the years where the reflection would be a main character in the composition.      

Below is the result of our endeavor and I can honestly say that this is my favorite photo I have taken.  Ever.  Somehow all things aligned between the moment I pressed the self-timer and the moment the flash went off which is not an easy task when working with a two year old!   But I will say, that coming away with this image, most certainly turned around what was otherwise a very crappy day.  

And I will always treasure this photograph and the memory of how we made it. 

 

 

 

baby brother

Please continue along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Linda Hooper, my friend and fellow photographer who, lucky for all of us, just returned to New York after living for some time abroad in Switzerland.  

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Natural Indoor Light - Week 4

When it's brutally cold outside and mommy is too tired to cook, there's nothing better than a happy meal with your daddy.  I presume there will be many moments like these shared amongst the men of the house. 

 

Fry guys

Please follow along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Stacey Vukelj, a fellow New Yorker, friend and photographer extraordinaire.  Seriously her work is simply amazing.  

 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Natural Light Indoors - Week 3

Lately my son won't go too far without his Fischer Price toy camera (the same one I had as a child in the late 70's) taking pictures of whatever is before him.  This past week he spent time "snapping photos" of the cars and busses on the street below the living room window.  Documenting this moment of his childhood with my own camera, I wanted to convey a sense of him taking a peek into what lies ahead, the great white expanse of his future, so bright and so infinite.  

​Budding photog

Please follow along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Erica Obenchain Collins, my friend and beautiful mother of five living in Indiana.  Her images are always so touching and rife with emotion.  

 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Natural Indoor Light - Week 2

This past week we went to see Ann Hamilton's "The Event of a Thread" installation at the Park Avenue Armory here in New York City.  The exhibit included 42 large swings that moved a gigantic billowing white curtain when used.  My favorite sounds were those of gleeful children and my favorite sights were shadows cast on the floor in various pockets of the room.  Captured below is a little bit of both - a joyful young boy and his amazing shadow.

Taking flight

Please follow along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Jessie Wixon, my talented friend and fellow New Yorker whose ethereal and dreamy images are spectacular!  

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Natural Indoor Light - Week 1

Well it's now January of 2013, and because it's a winter month for most of us our photography group decided that Natural Indoor Light would be an appropriate theme to challenge us to find available and interesting light in our hibernation.  

For Christmas this year Santa put a Lensbaby in my stocking and I have been spending time striving to master its capabilities.  (A Lensbaby is a special effects lens that creates an area of focus in your image surrounded by beautiful blur).  For this month's debut image I chose to capture my son at play near the window which was getting some diffuse afternoon light.  My vision was to show the detail of some of his hair while the rest of it faded into a blurry mane and the Lensbaby helped me achieve it.  Below is my little Lion King.  

Lion King

Please follow along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Jill Cassara, my photographer friend who is insanely talented at capturing the daily life of her family, particularly her two adorable children.  

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Holiday Edition - Week 5

Every Christmas we stay with my sister and her family in Chicago and this year we signed up for the holiday trolley tour around the city.  One of our first stops was to see the lights at the Lincoln Park Zoo.  As I traveled through the show of lights snapping photos, I found the moon aglow in the sky just as spectacular.  It was the perfect accent in my final photo for this month's theme.  Happy New Year to all!

Please follow along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Julie Kiernan, a talented photographer and friend I am grateful to have come to know well in 2012.  

 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Holiday Edition - Week 4

This Christmas Eve I wanted my holiday edition image to have a dash of merry, a sprinkle of joy and a pinch of humor.  Wishing you all a very happy Christmas full of good tidings and cheer...and may all your obsessions come true!

Please follow along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Justine Knight, my friend and fellow New Yorker.  Her street photography as well as the tender captures of her family are truly inspirational.  

 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Holiday Edition - Week 3

I recently read in one of the local papers that Matt Lauer, the host of the Today Show, loves Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree in the early morning when the plaza is empty.  "It gets so busy later, but when I get to the studio at 4:45 a.m., and the tree is lit, it’s actually stunning because you have the place to yourself.”

I thought this was a brilliant idea so one (very) early morning this past week I took the downtown train after a rainstorm had passed through.  I was the only person in Rockefeller Center besides a handful of security guards and a few men setting up a stage down in the ice skating rink.  It turned out to be the most peaceful time to take photographs of what is normally a chaotic tourist destination during the month of December.  It was just me, the majestic tree and the angels that morning after everything had been washed clean by the rain.  

{In light of the tragic loss of so many innocent children at Sandy Hook Elementary School this past Friday, I wish to dedicate this image to their memory.  May their souls rest in peace with the angels above.} 

Angels of Rockefeller

Please follow along the blog circle beginning with the talented Cheryl Sawyer, another fellow New Yorker and friend of mine, and continue through to see the rest of Photo 52's holiday captures for this week.

 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

The Holiday Edition - Week 2

This was the first year that my little one helped decorate our small Christmas tree.  Though we always travel to Chicago to spend Christmas with family we still have a small tree in our apartment through the holiday season.  The magic of the lights and his joy while hanging the ornaments on the tree was the subject of my installation for this week.  I created a diptych to showcase a sort of split screen, highlighting both the small Christmas tree down the hallway and his up close and personal reaction to hanging the family ornament.  

Small tree, little boy wonder

Please follow along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Kelly Roth Patton, my fellow New Yorker and dear friend whose skills for capturing alluring and romantic images are astounding.  

 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

The Holiday Edition - Week 1

This month our group has decided on a broad, yet seemingly appropriate theme.  Since the holidays are upon us, we will be capturing a festival of lights over the next four weeks, allowing ourselves to be creative with our concepts and images.  We have been looking forward to taking a break from the more technical study of light to using our cameras most freely to capture the season's lights both bold and bright, lovely Christmas bokeh, and perhaps an occasional miracle along the way.  

My photograph for this week was taken during the first snowfall after Thanksgiving.  I opened up my aperture as wide as possible and used manual focus to create a blurred, painterly effect.   My hope was to add to the wintery mood of that late November day.      

Harlem lights

Please follow along the circle to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Kennedy Tinsley, a friend and colleague of mine as well as a very talented photographer in her own right.