Photo 52: A Play on Light

Directional Light - Week 1

For the month of June we will be exploring directional light.  Just this morning and in the knick of time, I captured a post for this week of my oldest son voguing by the window. Initially he was watching his daddy move the car below and then decided to climb onto the table and strike a pose.  Voilá!

 

C'mon, vogue!

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Jill Cassara,  my dear friend and exceptionally talented lifestyle photographer.   

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Diffused Light - Week 4

It's not surprising how sentimental I've been this final week of my second pregnancy.  The photo below of my first born was taken just before bedtime with a diffuser attached to my flash unit.  He appears so big to me and I'm sure will only seem more so once there is a newborn in the house.  I like the evenness of the light that the flash diffuser was able to create as well as the innocence of his gaze.  And the bruises on his legs are a reminder that he is definitely an active boy growing up far far too quickly.     

 

Waiting for brother

Please take a spin to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Jill Cassara, one of the most talented lifestyle photographers I know.   

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Diffused Light - Week 3

As I mentioned in the first post of our diffused light study, one way to soften the light is by shooting through a gauzy, sheer material.  The photo below was not staged.  I promise.  Rather I was lying in bed when I saw my son playing behind our bedroom curtain and frantically raced for my camera.  With a playful moment so fleeting, I managed to capture the photograph for this week which has since become one of my favorites taken so far this year.  Sometimes in photography you are given a gift.     

 

Please take a spin through the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Erica Collins, a most talented photographer and midwest friend of mine.   

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Diffused Light - Week 2

For this week the car wash was my diffuser.  I've been meaning to take photographs while moving through the wash cycle and this month's theme was just the push needed.  The light was filtered through the car wash's side windows as well as the front window of our car.  It was so much fun to shoot through a surge of water, capturing all the droplets and soapy streaks without the interference of windshield wipers.  

 

 
 

Please take a spin through the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Kim Dupree, resident of Texas and talented senior photographer.   

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Diffused Light - Week 1

For the next four weeks Photo 52 will be tackling diffused light photography which occurs when soft light, with neither the intensity nor the glare of direct light, is used. The light is scattered and comes from all directions, thus seeming to wrap around objects.  Also shadows are less sharply-defined and have a lower contrast.

Shooting through windows or soft, gauzy material or in open shade can soften the light while clouds are an example of a natural diffuser when shooting outdoors.  Photographing subjects in light falling through trees is yet another example and was my experiment for this first week.    

This past weekend we spent the afternoon at the Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City, Queens.  My husband and I were seated on one of the wooden chaise lounge chairs shaded by a weeping willow tree while our son played along the waterfront.  Despite it being a rather bright afternoon, the willow's canopy provided the perfect diffusion in the series of photos seen below.  Though not typically my style - I usually opt for strong contrast and sharply-defined shadows - I actually ended up liking the images.  The contrast lies rather in the scenery itself -  tall grasses and the East River juxtaposed against Manhattan's skyline of tall buildings.

 

 

 

 

Please take a spin through the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is Linda Hooper, my friend and fellow New Yorker.   

"Boardwalk Empire" in Harlem

Yesterday we were beyond excited to find out that our favorite series, Boardwalk Empire, starring Steve Buschemi was filming down the block from our Harlem digs.  The show takes place in the 1920's during Prohibition so you can imagine the dozens of vintage cars that were lining the street and all the actors dazzling in their finest uptown threads.    

It was such a beautiful spring day in New York City, so my beloved husband and son, donning their best 1920s garb, went for a stroll along the set while I had my camera in tow.

We spotted some of the cast getting styled and even encountered the kindness of the production manager who allowed us to take photos within a cordoned off area.  It was a real thrill.  And if for some strange reason you haven't heard of Boardwalk Empire, click HERE to find out about this amazing show.  You'll be hooked.

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Week 34:  Exploring Night Light

It's the FINAL FOUR!  

This past Wednesday was exactly four weeks away from my scheduled C-section which will take place on the morning of May 22nd.  Our blog circle topic this week is "Night Light", but I find that when darkness falls, I greatly prefer being indoors and relaxed.  So instead I chose to take out the tripod and attempt a self-portrait that more accurately depicts my "night life" these days - feet propped and resting against a bounty of pillows.  Of course a marathon of "Law and Order: SVU" doesn't hurt either.  This is my life.  This is my life at night.  This is the Final Four.       

Please continue along to see the rest of Photo 52's images for this week.  Next up is my talented colleague and friend, Julie Kiernan. 

Photo 52: A Play on Light

Week 33 : Exploring Evening Light

This week I opted to play around with out-of-focus street photography in the early evening, having been inspired by Photo 52 member, Linda Hooper, who handles the technique exquisitely.  The two images below were taken in a moving car when it had just begun to lightly rain in New York City.  I'm most pleased with how much they look like paintings rather than photographs.  It was a fun, creative venture out of the box this week. 

 

 

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

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.