Black & White Beauty

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I was waiting to catch my limo to take me away from my daughter for 5 days. And I needed an updated photo of her to show off to my colleagues and to look at while the plane took off (since having her I fear take-off and landing terribly). So I took five minutes to sit her on the ledge of our bay window and snapped for as long as she would let me. I made a quick bw print to take with me. But while surfing ThePioneerWoman.com website, I found her photoshop actions and decided to try to make a new black and white today that would really bring out her eyes. I used Black and White Beauty and Boost. I really loved how the light from the window sculpted her face: since she was so close to the window, the side farther away from the window is a little in shadow, which gives the portrait dimension. If she was further away from the window, her face would have a more even tone from left to right. I used a medium telephoto setting combined with an F5.6 in aperture priority mode. That was enough to blur out the patio furniture that was visible outside the window.

Gotta Love A Big Window

Love this photo of my niece. She’s so sweet and I just want to kiss that face. Seated in a restaurant on an overcast day, soft light poured in the large window to the right. As she conversed with her mom and dad, I shot at a wide F/3.5 aperture setting with the vibration compensation turned on to accommodate the slow 1/25th sec shutter speed. Only when her face was turned slightly towards the window did I get that twinkle in her eyes. Tip: Look for north facing window and position your subject’s cheek toward the window. You’ll get nice side lighting that gives dimension to the face and highlights in the eyes.