The Hipsher Boys

This was a fun photo shoot. In an incredibly supportive move by my boss (the one at my REAL job) he hired me to take some photos of his boys, Dom and J.D. We visited Pine Lake in Sammamish, WA which turned out to be more dynamic a background than I had originally anticipated. Between the playgrounds, fields, docks, and beach, we used this hour quite effectively. The boys were incredibly patient during that hour, but I think the cold weather eventually got to them. It was indeed VERY cold. I wasn’t well dressed for that.

Armed with two loving parents, and pockets full of fruit snack bribes, we began with some posed shots, but we soon found that spontaneity could work to our favor.  As the boys ran around and played, there were more opportunities to capture them being who they are, happy and curious little boys.

At times, they weren’t too sure of the bearded guy with the camera (me), but they indulged my presence which allowed for me to get sneaky, capturing them being themselves. This became easier toward the end of the shoot, when the boys could throw rocks in to the water.

The feel I went for in this shoot was different than my usual, more stylized shots. I typically use altered color tones and fading to covey mood, but as I started to try that for these photos it didn’t fit. There was something special in these photos… personality…innocence….something. It didn’t require heavy post processing to be interesting. I change my approach in favor of something more honest, colorful, bright, and something that highlights the spirit and innocent curiosity of boys. I felt pretty good about what we were able to do in an hour.

I think the youngest boy, J.D. was intrigued by the camera. He would give me a spry yet curious look. Like he was studying something.

Normally in these types of shoots, I’d provide some heavy direction in order to get the boys to play/laugh/etc. However their natural being, with a bit of prodding/encouragement from the parents, created something more than I could have directed on my own.

Another piece that was different about this shoot is that I took almost all photos with my fixed 50mm f1.2. for the close up photos, the goal was bokeh, and it was achieved in most of the shots. In others, selective focus was the goal. I think if you review the photos from this shoot, you’ll notice those two compositional themes throughout.

There are quite a few more online, but included within this post are some of my personal favorites, so far.

Remember, I’m booking sessions now at a flat rate of $100. 

If you’re interested, you can leave a comment or email.  Enjoy! and comments welcome.

 

 

 

-Elldub

A walk through the farmers market and experiments with a tilt shift lens

This weekend was the first in sometime without significant rainfall in Seattle. As a result, my buddy Steve and I hit the streets of Ballard (a neighborhood in Seattle, WA) to capture whatever struck our eyes. Steve recently purchased a Canon 5D Mark II, and was eager to hit the streets with it. So we set out to roam for the afternoon. During this time we began swapping lenses between our two cameras, like similarly-sized sorority sisters  do clothes. Fascinated with what I’ve seen people capture via tilt shift, I chose that lens first.

For those unfamiliar with a tilt shift, it allows the photog to adjust the focal point and the perspective of the shot. The lens slides up, down, left, and right to adjust virtually all compositional elements. The desired result is one where the image has areas of blur, and areas of crisp focus. It can look a little unnatural at times, but in other cases it can draw the viewer’s eye to a specific location.

 

 

In this case, you can clearly see that the brick wall on the left is blurry, likewise the far right side of the image, and the small glimpse of the sidewalk above the stairs is also a blur. However, the railing and side of the house are perfectly in focus, leading the viewer’s eyes slowly up the stairs.

 

 

 

This image was taken as part of an idea I had… a series of photos called “I was here.” The series would be shots of props/iconic items that are associated with characters (both real and fictional). For example, the title of this photo is “OJ Simpson was here.” I took a different shot with a feather titled “Forrest Gump was here.” You get the idea. The real reason I post this is to again illustrate the effects of the tilt shift. Note the areas of blur and those in focus.

 

The remainder of these photos were taken using my fixed 50mm f1.2. It’s a great lens. Enjoy!!

   

    

 

-Elldub

Phun with Phoster

 

Using a bunch of my favorite photos and a new app called “Phoster” I build a series of fun posters that I think highlight some of my photographic works. One of the below photos is from a trip to NYC for New Years Eve. More on that coming soon.

-Elldub