I'm always dragging a camera around but I'm so investing in being in conversations that I don't put it up to my eye and use it nearly enough. Yesterday I was visiting my parents. The occasion was my father's 85th birthday (he is hale and healthy, thank you!). I was sitting on a couch across from my mom and I liked the way the light was coming through the window so I brought the camera up to my eye and shot. I took five or six shots and I got the shot of my mother that matches the way I think about her: Sharp, in charge and ready to discuss anything with a ready command of the facts of the moment.
I was carrying the a850 around with me and I used an 85mm lens.
The visit to San Antonio was good. We caught up on the family news and had a great dinner. It was nice to take a day away from the office and the phone. I should use my camera more and argue less. Seems to work out well.
11 comments:
Everything you have said about your mom shines through in your photograph of her.
Charming picture! And happy birthday to your dad, too. Funny coincidence, my dad just turned 85 last week (and lives in Texas, though not near San Antonio).
Love the shot, and she does look like a sharp one.
Lovely. Did you use any additional lighting?
Thanks John and Dennis. To answer Dennis' question: Nope. That's just window light coming in from over my right shoulder.
I don't think that not bringing the camera up to your eye, and instead being engaged in conversation, is a bad thing. On a recent family trip I made a decision to keep my camera in its bag most of the time. I still got lots of photos and video clips, but I made sure I spent most of the trip enjoying doing things with my family. That made the trip very satisfying to me.
That said, however, I do agree with previous posters - that is a very fine photo of your mother. I'm sure that she is very proud of your work.
Lovely portrait...
Wonderful photo Kirk - and you see the family resemblance. Happy belated birthday to your dad as well. Mine will turn 80 later this year.
You are so lucky to still have both your mom and dad, Kirk. Enjoy these days. As a photographer friend said to me recently "We are now our grandparents !". Where did those years go ? You do look like your mom. Take all the photos you can...
Lovely. The link below is a very informal portrait of my mother.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1153821/Scan-121011-0008.jpg
She said she looks tired and old and I should burn it. I think she looks tired. She is caring for my father who is a moderate stage of Alzheimers. That's a big tiring job. I like this photo a lot. I need to do a wet print of it, but haven't got then put together yet.
It's scanned from an HP5+ 35mm negative. The camera was a Canon P rangefinder from about 1960, and the lens was a Canon 50mm/2.0 from about the same vintage as the body.
I always enjoy VSL!
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