School daze

It is hard to believe back-to-school is already here again. It seems they are still in disbelief as well, but once they get back in the swing of learning, I'm sure they'll forget all about having fun on the beach and no homework… (right!).

As tricky as it is most of the time, I am beginning to enjoy discovering new places to photograph people in locations both new to me and way too familiar. At first I couldn't find any interesting spots, then I began to see interesting lines, textured surfaces, or "frames within the frame" (like this one), and the possibilities began to multiply.

As disconnected as it once seemed, the more I learn about lighting, the easier the background-hunting is becoming. Knowing just one way to light (or none, as was the case not too long ago), severely limits where an interesting-to-me photo can be taken. Too dark or too light - and the photo is gone. But learning how to deal with and balance for the different amounts and qualities of available natural light in a given spot opens up more and more choices.

In a way, I'm just as excited as they appear for summer "vacation" to end and to get back to my own learning process.

Strobist info: The key light is an SB-800 with a 1/4 CTO gel in a shoot-thru umbrella high to camera left, zoomed to 35mm, and fired at full power. The dappled sunlight coming through trees from back camera right, creating the pattern on the background is underexposed ~2 stops. The rim light illuminating the camera right sides of their faces is sunlight reflecting off the white moulding behind them.

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