Photo 52: Within the Frame

Photographer's Choice {Week 48}

It feels as if he's pushing right through the frame into the viewer's face.  An oddball shot with a warped feel and a silly, mushed face.  All reason enough for me to pick it as my image for this week.  

Click HERE to visit our collective blog site, Who We Become, and see all of our images in one place.  

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Classic Composition:  Golden Spiral {Week 47}

Our third week of classic compositional techniques involves the golden spiral, a tool based on Fibonacci’s Ratio and the golden rectangle.

In laymen's terms, a spiral is drawn from the series of squares and provides a way to guide the viewer’s eye to the area of focus in a photo. Spirals, often referred to as "divine proportions", appear frequently in nature — a Nautilus shell, flowers or pinecones.  Like its many uses in art and architecture, the golden spiral can add depth and a sense of balance to a photographic image.

Please click HERE to visit our collective blog site, Who We Become, and see all of our images in one place.  

Sweet Esme


Photo 52: Within the Frame

Classic Composition: Golden Triangle {Week 46}

Next up in our month-long study of the Rules of Composition: The Golden Triangle. This rule generally applies to photos with diagonal lines. It involves splitting your photo into three triangles, one large and two smaller ones. This is done first by dividing the frame into two equal triangles with a diagonal line and then further dividing any one of the triangles into two more 90 degree angles. When you place your diagonal elements in the frame, it makes for a perfect composition.  

Please click HERE to continue to our collective site, Who We Become, to see all of our images in one place.  

Father and son & summer

Pre-Season

Goalie

The family spent a beautiful Saturday morning at Riverbank State Park playing soccer, basketball and baseball.  The biggest highlight was this one-handed, four finger dunk (Daddy got the assist!) in front of the Holcombe Rucker tournament players.    

Four Finger Dunk

Letters to our sons | August

***I am so thankful to be a part of this blog circle "Letters to our Sons" with so many amazing photographers and moms. In honor of our love for our little boys, we are posting a monthly image(s) along with a corresponding, heartfelt letter. This is the twelfth letter in what has been a most fulfilling year-long project.  After reading my post, please click HERE to continue around the circle, starting with the talented Kelly Roth Patton. 

My english muffin...with golden nooks & crannies.

My toasted coconut.

My little Grey Grey,

There are so many things that have brought you joy this summer: crawling through the grass, finding that you can stand upright on your own for several moments, throwback jams dance parties and wiggling your toes in the breeze created by me racing the stroller down the sidewalk. And let's not forget - bucket swings!  

You've also started to engage in more imaginative play with your older brother and I have to say, nothing warms my heart more than to see the two of you make each other laugh. You guys will frequently sit in a pile of soft blocks and rather than try to build something, you'll just throw them around in a fit of giggles. Other times you will zip and zoom cars around each other and throughout the apartment, with all the accompanying sound effects.

That is why it came as no surprise how much you liked the antique toy cars at the Carvers house on Cape Cod where we vacationed this summer, particularly the tractor. Even though your little feet couldn't reach the pedals, you handled it like a pro.  

Do you have your license Grey? 
'Cause you sure drive like you do.

Truckstar

 

 

 

Another one of your favorite things is Bear Bear. Just like your brother's Monkey, you have a Bear. He's blue, super soft and with you when you sleep, when you are playing and of course, when you need a little comfort.

You LOVE to kiss him and the suction sound of your pucker continues to make me gasp. I really don't think there is anything cuter. With one arm (sometimes both) holding his head affectionately, you'll plant at least half a dozen big smooches on Bear Bear. On the Cape, I captured a series of photos of you two together in what can only be described as an adorable "Bear Hug".     

Even though you haven't said many words yet (your first and only remains "Mama"), I do believe that one of your next ones will be "Bear".  

  

 

The other close buddy of yours is Daddy. Whenever he enters the room you go into a complete frenzy, first crawling toward him and then putting out your arms as a signal for him to pick you up. Daddy is convinced it's because he is the tallest member of the family and you get a birds eye view of all the action happening below. However, I'm convinced it's because it's Daddy - the most caring, loving and playful man any of us know.   

 

"Grey Grey, are you gonna start walking today?  Is today the day?"  This is what Cash and I ask you each morning when you wake up. You're close. Super close. You'll stand upright, fully balanced, for long periods of time until you want to move somewhere else and then you'll plop down on the floor and cruise like a cockroach. At 15 months old you're quite the beefcake and must be close to 30 pounds by now. Your older brother, who turns four next month, is only about six or seven pounds more than you which, frankly, says it all. If you only knew the number of these comments I hear from strangers:

 Whatta a BIG boy!

Such a CHUBBY baby!

Oh my! Look at those legs!  

 

And I haven't even mentioned your strength yet. Don't tell your brother this, but I once saw him have to use both hands to pull a toy from your one hand. It was rather amazing, but then again you have always been really strong. Sometimes Daddy and I have to work together: One of us holds down your limbs while the other changes your diaper or puts on a new shirt. I wonder if maybe some of this incredible strength comes from all those damn blueberries you've been eating this summer? Heck, I think you've eaten a whole pint once or thrice.  Blueberries and strawberries and cantaloupe - pretty much anything that's ripe, delicious and in season. 

It's been such a fun summer with you Grey Grey. I love your giggles, babbles and squeaks; the tan lines around your chubby creases and the cat sounds you make when you're in your room by yourself.  At times I just wanna squish you and smush you - because I can't believe how much I love you.

Always & forever,

Mom 

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Classic Composition:  Centered {Week 45}

Centering the subject has often been seen as a beginner technique, because the resulting composition is not viewed as being as dynamic compared to other compositions (for example, last week's Rule of Thirds). However, if you are deliberate with your composition, having a balanced frame with the subject at the center can be a very effective compositional technique.

The center of attention below is my superhero.  He seems perfectly placed for fighting crime, flanked by a gritty New York City background.  One morning this past week my son asked if he could put on his superhero costume.  He wanted to wear it outside, taking along his sock monkey as his sidekick.  Numerous smiles and comments resulted, particularly from older men most likely reminded of their own boyhood days dressing up as their favorite crime fighter.  Sadly though my son felt like people were laughing at him and asked me to take off his costume.  I assured him that people weren't laughing at him, but he insisted.  And with that, Super Cash 2.0 transformed into his street clothes and went on about his day.

Click HERE to continue to our collective site, Who We Become, to see all of our images in one place.

Super Cash 2.0

One week with a disposable

Recently my photography friends and I decided to shoot with a disposable camera for one week and see what we could come up with.  For me, the real challenge was looking through a teeny tiny plastic viewfinder box while remaining as still as possible.  The tinny sound of the shutter button didn't generate much confidence and after my prints came back I'll admit, I felt like tossing most of them in the garbage.  But I found a few of them to be interesting enough to post below.  I especially like the grainy quality of the film.  And just playing around with something different.  


  

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Classic Compositon: Rule of Thirds {Week 44}

Our August topic is Classic Rules of Composition. The Rule of Thirds is a traditional guideline for composing an image which divides the canvas into nine equal parts. In composing your image, placing a point of interest on an intersection point which measures one third from the side edge of the canvas or from the top or bottom edges, results in a more visually interesting image than with an alternate placement.

Below is a photo of my oldest son, still very much an amateur swimmer.  But security comes in all forms.  Sometimes it's as simple as an inflatable fish boat and a couple of water wings.

Happy Summer!

Click HERE to visit our collective blog site, Who We Become, and see all of our images in one place.  

Afloat



Photo 52: Within the Frame

Creative Complexity:  Layering Within the Frame {Week 43}

This week we continue to study Creative Complexity through Layering.  Layering is a compositional technique that involves using a foreground, middle ground (subject) and background in order to lead the viewer's eye through the frame and help tell a visual story.

Below is a photo of my dear friend's son, Zaiv, during our recent vacation to Cape Cod.  The lines of the bumpy house windows are not only the layers sandwiching little Zaiv, but also help to guide one's gaze in two directions through space.

Please click HERE to visit our collective blog site, Who We Become, and see all of our images in one place. 

Bumpy House in Hyannis, MA

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Creative Complexity: Subject Separation {Week 42}

This week Photo 52 is exploring different ways of emphasizing the subjects of our images, making sure that they stand out sufficiently from the background to communicate our intention to the viewer.  One effective technique is physical separation between the subject and other people or objects, making sure that there is space between the background elements as well. Such layering in a composition adds not only dimension but opens the door for a bit of visual storytelling. 

Below is a photo of my son getting his first haircut at the famous Denny Moe's Superstar Barbershop in Harlem.  The man getting a straight razor shave in the background is just as important as my son, the subject in the foreground.  In fact, they quite nearly mirror each other on opposite edges of the frame. The end result, using space separation as a compositional technique, is a tangible experience of the barbershop "buzz" inside Denny Moe's.  

Please click HERE to visit our collective blog, Who We Become, and see all of our images in one place.

The Barbershop

Letters to our sons | July

***I am so thankful to be a part of this blog circle "Letters to our Sons" with so many amazing photographers and moms.  In honor of our love for our little boys, we are posting a monthly image(s) along with a corresponding, heartfelt letter.  After reading my post, please click HERE to continue around the circle, starting with the talented Jill Cassara. 

My dearest Cash,

You are a native New Yorker.  A Harlem boy who loves the city, its pulse and its subway.  But you also love the opportunity to get away which you and I had recently, this time by rail.  Early Saturday morning Daddy and Grey dropped us off at Penn Station to catch the 7:15 train upstate to Woodstock.  We were going to spend the weekend with my college friend who recently moved back east and her four year-old son, Maceo.  The weekend forecast called for 80 degree and sunny with zero humidity - perfect weather for our adventure.  

Riding the "big" Amtrak train set you on cloud nine and lucky for us, a kind stranger seated nearby told us which side would offer the best view of the Hudson River.  After propping up the foot rest to use as your seat, you quickly pulled out your toy trains.  We rode through upper Manhattan into the Bronx and eventually into the countryside.  "Look Mom! Look!," you'd say, eyes wide open with amazement each time you saw another bridge, a boat on the river or a freight train passing by on the other side of it.  Even the woman seated next to us took note, leaning in to whisper, "I remember when my son took his first Amtrak ride.  It was so exciting."

Meghan and Maceo picked us up from the train station, and naturally the first thing we did was head to the swimming hole.  I've been to this same swimming hole many times with Meghan throughout our long friendship, but this was the first time we were there with our sons.

In all honesty, I wasn't sure how you would feel about getting into the water Cash.  You are my city boy who, for the most part, doesn't like to get dirty or wet or sandy or slimy.  But to my surprise you grabbed your new friend by the hand and headed down from the road to the swimming hole.  You took your shirt off and your shoes and joined Maceo in what all boys love to do - throw rocks. 

It wasn't long before you got your feet wet.  Maceo, the consummate aquaphile, was first to get in the chilly water and you soon followed.  Down to your striped skivvies (before eventually changing into your bathing suit) you were splashing and laughing with your new friend.  It was a joy to watch you ease into your environment: filling up buckets with rocks, drawing shapes in the mud with sticks and scavenging for bugs along the fallen tree trunks.  Meghan and I sat close by in our lawn chairs, our toes wiggling in the water, listening to the sounds of life with boys.

 

{Click on images below to view full scale} 

Afterwards we went into the town of Woodstock for some ice-cream.  You ordered your favorite: vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.  It was your second one since the first one you dropped face down on the floor.  But who cares; it was summer and we were having fun.  After you and Maceo finished, you guys went looking for more bugs in the tall grasses.  Maceo managed to get a ladybug onto his finger and I think you were quite impressed by the whole thing.  With your propensity to squash insects and bugs with brute force in the city, I was actually amazed by your forbearance.  I think on some level you knew this was a special sighting (they do say ladybugs bring good luck), transforming into a most docile, studious observer.    

Though the highlights of our weekend getaway were many, these were some of my favorites:

* You and Maceo running down the streets of Woodstock with balloons, chasing your shadows and laughing hysterically.

* The two of you taking a piss in the great outdoors (your first!) and yes, more than once.

* Waking you up to see dozens of fireflies lighting up the backyard.

There is no doubt this was our special trip upstate together. You got dirty, went barefoot most of the time, and played with Maceo with wild abandon - what could be better than that? 

So my dear son, my wish is that in your lifetime you continue to be inspired, to test the waters chilly as they may be, find the beauty in nature around you, get (uncomfortably) slimy and grimy - and most importantly, do it with that brilliant smile of yours!

I love you, always & forever,  

Mom

 

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Creative Complexity: Filling the Frame {Week 41}

While the setting is often important in a photograph, sometimes our artistic intention is to draw full attention to our subject. Filling the frame edge to edge with our subject(s) by moving closer, zooming in, or cropping the image in post-processing eliminates background distractions and forces the viewer to examine the subject in close detail. For a portrait —particularly close-ups of the face— one's personality and mood can be captured in a way that would get lost at more of a distance.  The image below is of my youngest son, his rolls and chubby cheeks most certainly filling the frame.

Please click HERE to visit our collective site, Who We Become, and see all of our images in one place. 

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Depth of Field {Week 40}

Depth of field is a fundamental technical concept in photography. It refers to the amount of the field of view that is in sharp focus, and results from three factors: the lens aperture, the length of the lens, and the distance from camera to subject.  In this week’s post, we go beyond the basic understanding of depth of field that is typically gained in an introductory photography course and use depth of field as a creative compositional element.  

In my image below, the leading lines of the fence and the sidewalk lead the viewer's eye back in space, almost three dimensionally.  With a narrower aperture, the field of view remains in focus as you follow the boys of summer chasing their balloons.  

Please click HERE to visit our collective site, Who We Become, and see all of our images in one place. 

balloon chasers

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Classic Portraiture: Photographer's Choice {Week 39}

Our collective love of portraiture and our passion for capturing the lives of our families is the spark that brought us together here at Photo 52.  After four weeks of exploring the diverse aspects of portrait photography, we are excited to share some of our personal favorites during this final week of our current theme.  

Over the past few months I have enjoyed taking photos of our youngest, especially in filtered window light.  His translucent yellow/blue eyes - the polar opposite of our older son's deep brown eyes - reflect light so intensely that his gaze is nothing short of spellbinding.  Or at least I think so.

Please click HERE to visit our collective site, Who We Become, and see all of our images in one place.   

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Classic Portraiture:  Groupings {Week 38}

A lifestyle approach to group portraiture is similar to street and travel photography (and other types of photography that recall a photojournalistic style) in that it is more candid and seemingly spontaneous than a carefully posed portrait. Using this approach, a photographer must often exert deliberate patience in order to capture what Cartier-Bresson famously called “the decisive moment". The effective use of depth and subject separation in the candid style of group portraiture, which I have always preferred, often creates a very powerful image. Although the photo below captures a silly moment between my mother and son, I find the strangers in the background just as significant, adding not only balance but a bit of intrigue.

Please click HERE to see our gallery of images for this week.     

Letters to our sons | June

***I am so thankful to be a part of this blog circle "Letters to our Sons" with so many amazing photographers and moms.  In honor of our love for our little boys, we are posting a monthly image(s) along with a corresponding, heartfelt letter.  After reading my post, please click HERE to continue around the circle, starting with the ultra talented Jill Cassara. 

Dearest Cash,

This past Sunday was 75 degrees, sunny and without a cloud in the bright, blue sky.  It was the perfect day to take you to your first baseball game at Yankee Stadium.  I surprised you and Dad with tickets to the 1:00 game against the Minnesota Twins for Father's Day and I'm not sure who was more excited.  Since Derek Jeter, one of the greatest MLB shortstops and Yankees heroes of all time is retiring after this season, Dad wanted to make sure you were both properly outfitted and ordered two matching #2 final season commemorative logo t-shirts, one big and one small.

The morning of the game the first thing you did was put on your Yankees hat (you were already wearing your t-shirt since you wanted to sleep in it the night before) and run around the apartment saying, "I'm going to my first Yankees game today!"  

"Can I hold my own ticket Mom?"

"Can I bring my baseball glove?"

"You should bring your binoculars?" I said back.

Bronx Bomber

Even though we live close enough to the stadium that we could have walked there if we wanted, we rode the D train two quick stops to 161st Street.  You were thrilled (as usual) to be taking the subway and even more so to be heading uptown for a change to the Boogie Down Bronx!

When we got to our seats in section 316 of the terrace and to the right of home plate, the baseball diamond was being groomed and players were in the outfield stretching and warming up.  You and I had fun watching all of this while Dad went to wait in the (long) line for cheeseburgers, french fries and soda. No doubt we had to have some good 'ole stadium grub.  That's the whole fun of it.  

Your binoculars came in handy, especially when Derek Jeter was up to bat. And when you weren't using them, Dad had fun teaching you the ins and outs of the game. You were so excited every time there was a strike against a Minnesota player and cheered wildly with the crowd whenever a Yankee got a hit.  But in all honesty there came a point where all you cared about was getting some ice cream in a Yankees batting helmet bowl.

Dad disappeared to get the goods, and that's when the game's biggest action happened.  First, Derek Jeter had a huge hit into the outfield, making it all the way to second base.  Then the next two batters helped bring in the Yankees only two runs of the game and the crowd went absolutely crazy. But poor Dad!  He came back with the ice cream having missed it all.  

 

As the innings wore on, your three year-old attention span started to wane and you became antsy in your seat. At one point you were sitting on Dad's lap having a laugh with him when I captured this image with my camera phone.  I love this photo because you can see how happy Dad is being at a Yankees game with his son. He often tells me that despite growing up in New York, his father never took him to a Yankees game when he was a young boy.  Because of this, he made a promise that if he ever had a son he would take him to Yankee Stadium in the summer to watch baseball and eat hot dogs and ice-cream.

Even though around the 6th inning you were a complete goof-off and the Twins blew out the Yankees after getting six runs in the 9th inning, Dad was just happy to be with you at the game on such a beautiful day.  I have no doubt there will be many more Yankees games for the two of you in the future, and most likely your little brother too.  But this was the first.  I mean, how cool is that?!    

We left just before the ninth inning was over to beat the crowd and took the D train home.  For you, taking the subway to the stadium and back were the bookend highlights to a wonderful day with your Dad.  I was so grateful to be able to spend the afternoon with you both, sharing in the "firstness" of it, and of course, to take photos that we can look back on as time passes.

I love you son, my little Bronx Bomber, always & forever.

Mom 

Photo 52: Within the Frame

Classic Portraiture: Full Body {Week 37}

As we continue to explore classic portraiture, this week we are delving into composition for full body portraits. Like the half-body and three-quarter portraits we explored last week, full body composition offers clues and context about the subject being portrayed.  This kind of shot is excellent for storytelling, although the photographer must take care to ensure the subject is well-composed within the frame so they do not get lost in a busy background.  In other cases, a photographer may direct their subject to get into a variety of body positions (sitting, kneeling, or lying down) in order to achieve an intimate portrait while still offering a narrative glimpse into the subject’s life.

The photo below is of my son in a rare moment without his hat.  But not without his shades. 

Please click HERE to visit our gallery.