The Attempt

This photographic effort is my attempt to illustrate what I wrote about on the "Thoughts" page. Working with the model in the pictures is a lot of fun. She and I discussed the elements of what we were trying to capture. She is also a good photographer as well. The day we did this shoot presented many challenges. Some shots were inside while others were outside. It started out cloudy and then the sun almost overwhelmed some of the shots. This attempt helped me understand more about the camera, how to better set up scenes, and work with light. I made many mistakes, but that's how you learn. Don't forget to left click on each picture to obtain a larger image.

This was taken outside.The background is low key with a hint of shadows on her face. Her hair, even though dark, shows nicely. The hat was essential in this photograph. The blouse with its creases and folds blended nicely. I shot without a flash using an ISO of 500, 1/60 Exposure. f/5.56 and WB set to cloudy. Her facial expression and the way she had turned enhanced the shot. It's my favorite picture of my long time friend. 

Same girl, different year and date. When we worked together shooting pictures she could come up with more expressions and poses than I could imagine. I had to pay attention and shoot fast. We did this take in North Little Rock in the area up from the Old Mill. It has a clubhouse and an artificial lake. I know I snapped 300+ pictures that day all while talking and laughing. It was one of life's better moments. 

I won't let them make an ass of of me!

No Reason To Worry

The two faux mules hark back to the days when they were essential to working the cotton fields. If you've ever been around mules they can be taciturn and just plain stubborn. They have unique personalities and need someone to be in charge. I think the look on my friends face tells you who might be in charge had this been a real scene. The way she tilted her head and her stance shows a confidence needed to handle the situation. I took numerous shots of this scene and liked these two poses the best. I used settings of f4.5, exposure 1/200, ISO 100 and WB set to cloudy.

The final picture in this series is set by a now defunct cotton bailing machine. It was serious business and hard work.  The wood in the background has a nice texture and adds to the scene. The angular position of her arm on the rope and the white sleeve provide a nice contrast. But what of her expression? She's casting a rather serous look in my direction calling to the fact that the task was dangerous and is showing concern. Had this been real, her long hair would be tightly placed under a hat. Manual camera settings ~ ISO 400, f4.5, Exposure 1/60, and a WB of cloudy.