Tag Archives: girl

Portrait

Sterling, CO | Documentary Portraits | Bye Bye Summer

Last night, we had our first frost of the season here in the Denver metro area. I thought I would take the opportunity to look back at some fun documentary portraits from the summer. These were photographed at my grandmother’s house in Sterling, CO. The girls wanted to go out and play in the sprinkler and I wanted to get some pictures of them, so it worked out for everybody.

As you can see, they had a great time and I really like the pictures we were able to make. This was a great location for the shoot because I remember doing the same thing in the same location when I was a kid. It has meaning for me, so it adds something special to the images.

We had nice late afternoon light that I was able to use to rim-light the girls and back-light the water droplets. This makes for really interesting light in the images – soft on the skin and faces, but nice and contrasty on the edges and in the background. Also, because I was shooting black and white film, I was able to retain detail in the bright highlights and in the sky. If these same pictures had been shot on a digital camera, there is a good chance all of the highlight detail would have been lost.

The setting, the light, the “props”, the “wardrobe”, it all screams summertime and fun. This is what I go for in my documentary portrait shoots. Capturing a great memory, not just what the kids looked like at a certain moment in time.

You can click on any of the images to see them larger. Enjoy…

Young sisters playing in the sprinkler
A six year old girl jumps over a sprinkler

Documentary portrait of a six year old girl
Documentary portrait of a six year old girl

Tech Info:
Nikon F100
Nikon 50mm f1.4
Legacy Pro 400 (AKA Fuji Neopan 400)
Ilford Ilfotec DD-X Developer (7min @ 20C)

Camera Scan
Sigma SD9
Sigma 50mm f2.8 Macro
Photosolve Xtend-a-Slide

Portrait

Northglenn, CO | Documentary Portraits | Playtime Pictures

Here are some fun documentary portraits from a trip with Molly to E.B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park in Northglenn, CO.  I really like these pictures because they feel authentic, with great expressions and an interesting environment that adds to the image. The pictures were captured using just the available light, with no posing necessary. I really prefer to work in this way, especially with kids. Interacting and moving around beats sitting and saying “cheese” every time.

To get kids looking at the camera, just wait until they have slowed down to focus on something (like playing the “piano” below) and then say their name. They will look over, and you can snap the picture before they realize what you are doing. Once they realize, they may put on the big fake smile, or look away. It depends on the kid… and the day.

You can click on any of the images to see them larger. Enjoy…

Three year old girl playing a
Three year old girl playing a

Three year old girl playing on the playground
Three year old girl playing on the playground

Tech Info:
Nikon D70s
Nikon 35mm f2
B&W conversion in Adobe Camera Raw 5

Portrait

Yuma, CO | Documentary Portrait Session | Toddler Shoes

When working on a documentary portrait shoot, I always like to keep an eye out for the little details that can add depth to the story and will work nicely with the more traditional images in a session album.

In this case, we have a picture of a little girl’s worn out patent leather Mary Jane’s. You can tell these shoes are well loved and were not jut put on for the portrait session. In other words, they are a real part of this little girl’s life; So even though they may not be pretty and perfect, they are important to document all the same.

Click on the image if you would like to view it larger. Enjoy…

Two year old girl's worn out shoes

Tech Info:
Mamiya 645AF
Mamiya 80mm f2.8 AF
Ilford HP5

Portrait

Yuma, CO | Portrait Of A Young Girl | The Eyes Have It

Portrait of a five year old girl standing against a brick wall. Photographed at a farmhouse in rural eastern Colorado, on a Mamiya 645AF using Ilford HP5 film.
This is what I would call a “quiet portrait”. Soft light, simple background, traditional clothing and hair – all of that simplicity works to reinforce the main point of the photo – the eyes. They really draw you in and hold your attention.

The simplicity also lends an air of timelessness to the picture. Aside from Emma’s ear rings and hair clips, this image could have been made any time in the last 80 years. Shallow depth of field and medium format black and white film also contribute to this feeling.

I really like this image because it is a very traditional portrait, but it doesn’t feel contrived like a studio portrait would.

Click on the image if you would like to see it larger. Enjoy…

Tech Info:
Mamiya 645AF
Mamiya 80mm f2.8 AF
Ilford HP5 film

Portrait

Westminster, CO | Haircut+Warm Spring Day=Park Photo Shoot

Back in the spring, my daughter Molly got a nifty new haircut. A warm spring day and a delivery of fresh film provided a great opportunity for a photo shoot. We just took a quick trip over to our local park – Nottingham Park in Westminster, CO – and shot all these pictures in about twenty minutes. There is a pretty short window of opportunity when working with a two year old, especially when it’s your own two year old.

There are a few things that I really like in these photos:

  1. Molly’s pixie cut
  2. The vertical bars on the playset vs. the horizontal stripes on Molly’s dress
  3. All of the different settings that we were able to incorporate into the images
  4. Molly’s interaction with her surroundings as well as with the camera

You can click on any of the pictures below to see them larger. Enjoy…

A two year old girl looks through a playhouse window on the playground at Nottingham Park in Westminster, CO. Photograph from a documentary portrait session using Fuji 400H film in a Nikon N90s camera.
A two year old girl sits for a quick portrait on the playground at Nottingham Park in Westminster, CO. Photograph from a documentary portrait session using Fuji 400H film in a Nikon N90s camera.

A two year old girl peers through bars on the playground at Nottingham Park in Westminster, CO. Photograph from a documentary portrait session using Fuji 400H film in a Nikon N90s camera.
A two year old girl looks through a telescope on the playground at Nottingham Park in Westminster, CO. Photograph from a documentary portrait session using Fuji 400H film in a Nikon N90s camera.

A two year old girl standing on the playground at Nottingham Park in Westminster, CO points in to the camera. Photograph from a documentary portrait session using Fuji 400H film in a Nikon N90s camera.
A two year old girl goes down the twisty slide on the playground at Nottingham Park in Westminster, CO. Photograph from a documentary portrait session using Fuji 400H film in a Nikon N90s camera.

Tech Info:
Nikon N90s
Nikon 50mm f1.8 lens
Fuji 400H film
Straight scans from Richard Photo Lab

Personal Work

Documentary Portrait – Mother and Children

A mother and children sitting on an airplane.

Here is a fun picture from our recent family vacation. The image has a lot of layers to pull you in. The obvious focal point is Molly’s face, but what is making her smile like that? Pull back just a bit, and you notice the puppet on Julie’s hand. If you look past Molly, you can see the boredom that usually accompanies air travel all over Emma’s face.

Finally, there is the light. You don’t usually associate airplanes with flattering light, but in this case the cabin lights were off and the strong back lighting from the windows gave me great rim light on the girls, and bounced around the cabin enough to fill in the shadows. Of course, the wide dynamic range of medium format black and white film was a major help.

Tech Info:
Fuji GS645S Medium Format Camera with a fixed 60mm f4 Fujinon Lens – Wide Open
Ilford HP5 Film