Many photographers feel that competition images should come from client sessions. While I usually agree, sometimes I have to invite someone in to be photographed. This is because, with a paying client, I cannot rely on all the right circumstances coming together to create an image I have conceived in my mind. This mom and daughter were so striking that we invited them to come to Walden’s for a portrait.
Posing
For the image on the facing page, Mom was posed facing the background, straddling a bench that was on a 45-degree angle to the camera. Her daughter was standing between her legs. After I had the basic pose in place, it was just a matter of modifying the details. This was something of a challenge because this little girl had an outgoing personality and was in constant motion; Mom had to remain very still while I communicated with her daughter.
Creating Impact
Creating impact is all about producing a strong composition with an unusual approach. I like the long, thin composition of this image, which provided the uniqueness that sets this apart from other mother-and-daughter portraits. This portrait also has strong diagonal lines. Mom dropping her chin gave me a beautiful diagonal line. The little girl’s right arm reaching up to her mother’s neck produced another wonderful strong diagonal—and her eye contact provided depth and a way to connect with the camera.
Texture
I added texture to the background in post-capture, giving it a mottled, grungy look. The added texture was a contrast to the smoothness of their skin. I am a real purist at heart; I believe that my photographs should stand on their technical excellence and emotional richness, coming as close to perfection as possible. I rarely add textures, but every once in a while I will experiment with one of those new-fangled applications.
Another image from the same session.
I believe that many photographers add software techniques to their images because they need to bring their work up to the next level and have not yet perfected the necessary technical skills to create an image that stands on its own straight out of the camera. I encourage everyone to work on their technical excellence first. Software effects can then be added to taste—like cooking with a spice. If you already have the substance, you can add something a little extra.
“I believe that my photographs should stand on their technical excellence and emotional richness.”