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Photo 52: A Play on Light {42}

Week four of directional light is something of a Hail Mary and I'm still not sure whether I came away with a touchdown or a disaster. But here goes nothing.

I didn't take a ton of images I felt worked well with our theme this week and had been debating what to use for today's post. Then, this afternoon, I found myself photographing an impromptu peewee football game in the sweltering heat and in one of the most challenging kinds of directional light: dappled. In the dreaded dappled light, you expose for the shade, and the sunlit patches are blown out. You expose for the bright spots and the rest of the image is extremely dark and there are harsh shadows on faces.  Added to my woes was my lens, a slower, longer focal length than I usually use, and an extremely fast, dirty and sweaty crew of much beloved children. Photography chaos, I tell you.

So, with that lengthy preface, here is a little glimpse into our afternoon in the park. But don't forget to continue on to my amazingly talented friend Jill Cassara when you're done!

Also, the priceless (and over-priced) group shot with a goat: 

Photo 52: A Play on Light {39}

Directional Light, Week One

I closed out last month with a portrait of our small guy, while bemoaning the chilly temperatures we were experiencing at the time. Apparently my displeasure was noted, because this week's similarly-composed portrait was taken in scorching 90F temperatures and pounding sun. Any chance we could just get a nice, comfortable 75F with a light breeze?

Directional light can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. I think of it as using a strong light source and shadows to accentuate a subject, but unlike our month on hard light, this is more about creating dimension or interest using the direction of a light source, so backlight or a softer side light would work as well. My fellow circle members are often a bit more articulate about the monthly description so I recommend taking a peek at what they have to say about it, in addition to their beautiful imagery.  

Here, my light source is midday sun and I loved the little "freckles" on his face created by the shadow of the hat, as well as the incredible light reflecting off the bright scene into his eyes. 

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Next, please check out the work of my dear and talented friend, Cheryl Sawyer. She has also been a hot child in the city this week, so please take a peek to see what she found to kick off this new month and continue around the circle!​

One {May}

I find that my "one" shot every month invariably is one that is close to my heart, as it should be. And this month, it is definitely one that makes me laugh, much like my dear friends who participate in this blog circle each month. The six of us had an exceedingly entertaining conversation the other evening and thinking about it still makes me chuckle.

​So for the month of May, allow me to introduce you to our subway superhero/Mexican wrestler/child who dresses himself. This mask was a gift from my aunt  and has been a tremendously fun accessory on the streets this past week. And apparently it also goes well with loafers.

Please continue around our short but sweet circle to see what other favorite shots my dear friends have found this month. Next up is my amazing friend Krista out in Washington, who still manages to pick up her camera despite her current status of graduate student/mom to two boys.​

Photo 52: A Play on Light {38}

Welcome to week 4 of Photo 52's month of diffuse light. The weather this Memorial Day weekend ran the gamut and on Saturday, we kicked off the weekend with a celebratory indoor barbecue in order to avoid the downpour outside. Because nothing says "summer is coming" like corn on the cob and 40 degree temperatures. However, the window light was quite lovely and the corn matched my sister's kitchen chairs most conveniently.

Please continue around the blog circle and see what other lovely light my friends have found this week, starting in Indiana with my talented friend and mother of five, Erica Collins. 

Photo 52: A Play on Light {37}

It's week 3 of diffuse light in the Photo 52 blog circle. And yes, it's more vacation photos from me. This time, Prague. Our weather there was a little less desirable than in Berlin, but rainy skies meant I had no shortage of diffuse light. 

​For anyone new to the blog circle, my introductory post can be found here. Please continue along to see what my fellow participants have found this week, beginning north of the border, with my friend Kennedy Tinsley. 

Photo 52: A Play on Light {36}

Allo from Berlin! We have had some beautifully warm, hazy Spring days on our trip so far, resulting in diffuse light galore. This has its pros and cons but on this particular afternoon we had fun playing in the flat light on our visit to the Berlin Dom. ​

Please continue around the blog circle, starting with my talented friend and fellow New Yorker, Sarah Davis. ​

Photo 52: A Play on Light {35}

It's a new month and a new topic for Photo 52. Throughout May we will be focusing on  diffuse light. The soft nature of diffuse light can make an image feel very flat, but it can also add texture and mood. This image was taken during a rainy, hazy night and the moisture in the atmosphere turned the harsher glare of the street lights into something resembling watercolors. 

Please continue around the blog circle starting with my dear friend Kami Chaudhery, who is all too familiar with diffuse light after a year under the grey skies of Seattle. ​

One {April}

April has been an oddly long month, despite it having flown by.  Some things have been wonderful: special time with family, a gradual but undeniable uptick in temperatures, laughter and lengthy dinner discussions led by our youngest, and increasingly very articulate, conversationalist. Other things have been less simple: health worries for dear friends and family, tragedy in the news and a burning desire for a crystal ball as we look to make the right decisions while we drag our feet into the great unknown future. I find myself spinning and stalling instead of propelling myself forward and am hopeful that a welcome upcoming change in scenery will help me shake off the proverbial cobwebs in so many regards. 

For April's installment of the One, this shot of small fry in his big hat simply makes me laugh. I caught focus on the brim of his hat instead of his eyes, but his mischievous expression represents who he is at this amazing time in his life. His impish dimples, plus the fun textures for conversion to black and white made this one a shot that stuck with me, and so here it belongs.

Please take a look at the lovely moment my dear friend Adele Humphries chose for her one shot this month, then continue on the short trip around our small but beloved circle. 

Photo 52: A Play on Light {34} - Night Light

In our final week of April, Photo 52 members are focusing on night light. I love shooting at night so for our focus week I decided to attempt it with a lens that I don't quite love. It's a little too slow and a little too long for me to shoot the way I normally do on the crowded streets. But it was fun to try and allowed me to focus in on the details. I'm guessing the irony was lost on this particular individual, but I found this visual amusing. 

Please continue around the circle to my friend Jill Cassara in Ann Arbor. She has undertaken a light study on a local sculpture and her images for morning, afternoon and evening have been ​very unique and beautiful. I can't wait to see what she has in store at night. 

Photo 52: A Play on Light {33} - Evening Light

Spring has finally come to New York and for this week's edition of Photo 52, I found the blooms of the cherry blossoms impossible to resist. Central Park is stunning right now, and my opportunity to photograph in evening light presented itself earlier this week as I took a walk through the park with some old friends who picked the perfect time to come through town. I tinkered with the processing in these images in an effort to try and match the visual textures to the feeling of the mild but gritty breeze blowing that evening. 

​Please continue around the blog circle to enjoy the evening hour with my fellow participants, starting with the incredibly talented Sarah Romer Davis up in Harlem. 

Photo 52: A Play on Light {32} - Midday Sun

In this month's P52 we are enjoying the longer hours of sunlight and exploring light at different times of day. This week is afternoon light. My shots were taken on one of the first nice days we've had this Spring and half of New York was out in Central park to enjoy it. 

Please continue around the circle to my extremely talented friend Justine Knight. She has been traveling to Australia so her post is sure to be both beautiful and jealousy-inducing. ​

Photo 52: A Play on Light {31} - Morning Light

For the month of April, we at Photo 52 are focusing on light at different times of day. First up - morning light. This was not the image I envisioned this week, but my plans to obtain it were thwarted by cloud-cover and a late night or two. This image was taken Easter morning - some pretty morning backlight and our little man in his suit. He was especially excited to be wearing a tie like daddy. 

Please continue ​through the blog circle, starting with my friend Linda Hooper, who I am happy to have back in NYC after her year in Geneva.