I really like this one of my folks - the feeling conveyed by the picture is one of the best I have ever captured of them.
You do not mess with Grandma. World class beauty!
My pops really has a great face for pictures; his expressions are second to none!
Another example of a great expression, though this one seems a lot creepier than the last - probably due to the almost blacked out eyes. Despite all said, I still think he looks wonderfully friendly.
These were taken with my the Bronica SQ-A and 80mm Zenzanon lens at f/5.6 and 1/500s on Kodak Portra 160NC. Off camera flash (Nikon SB 25) coming from camera right. If I were to go back and make an adjustment, I would put some kind of reflector on their lap to lift the shadows on their necks and eyes.
I have sung the heralds of Kodak Portra before, but I am a little sad to see the two varieties and two speeds (160NC, 400NC, 160VC and 400VC) bite the dust by being conglomerated into one Portra film with one speed (400). However, I have yet to test the two rolls of the new stock I recently purchased. There are a number of websites out there reviewing the stuff saying that it is a film that can be pushed and pulled like mad while still retaining insanely fine grain and color. So, we will see how I feel about it.
One of the great benefits of the Bronica is that the lenses house a leaf shutter that will let me sync them up to flash at any speed. This is so important when you want to control the ambient light. If I did not keep the shutter speed so high, the background would have been more exposed which could have detracted from my family's faces and personalities. This is still a feature of the camera that I need to explore more thoroughly along with the nature of flash photography, though I did pick up a new tool to help me on my journey.
This was the first time I was using my new light meter, the Sekonic L308s which proves to be quite accurate. I am quite happy with each exposure where I listened to the device. On a number of pictures I did not believe the settings, so I tried to figure it out with guide numbers and such, but I was left with woefully underexposed (yet slightly salvageable) images.
Nevermind all of the barely technical stuff above, what really makes the pictures are the subjects.
There is still a roll of cheapo 35mm that I have to make it through, so I will be posting some more photographs within the next few days.
Other personal news soon to develop.
flickr photos
:: I don't think the second one of your dad looks creepy. But I do agree the black and white gives a completely different tone from the color. The b&w almost makes him look more comical - like he's really laughing at something. The first one looks more serious - like he's contemplating the camera and has something to say about it.
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