Storytelling is such a vital part of photography. Every single image tells a story. The way we tell the story is what can be the difference between an average image and a spectacular one. The details we highlight, the composition we choose, the lighting and colors we use--all these decisions we make as the photographer impact the story we are telling.
I thoroughly enjoyed the stories you've been telling this month! What fun it was to look through all your images and learn how you decided to tell your stories! Here are a handful of my favorites.
xo Angie Mahlke
Gear: Nikon D810, Sigma 35mm 1.4
Settings: F2, 1/320 ISO160
The Shot: We wnet to the Royal Air Force Museum and my little was loved touching all the small planes. I saw the plane in the picture and I liked the light and the big plane in the background so I told my little one about that small plane knowing he would touch it.
Post Processing: I basic adjustments in lightroom to reduce the highlights, increase contrast and added clarity. I also brightened my little one increasing the exposure, highlights and shadows as he was too dark.
Gear: iPhone 12
Settings: f2, 1/123, ISO 25
The Shot: Took my dog outside to play for a few minutes. My littlest one can’t stand when I’m not with her (pandemic baby!) and her sisters will do absolutely anything for her. So imagine my surprise when I turned to see them both playing with my strainers.
Post Processing: Adjusted vibrancy, warmth, exposure and black point from iPhone.
Gear: Fuji XT3 with fuji 16-80mm lens
Settings: 16mm, iso 6400, f8, 1/250
The Shot: My daughter was wanting to make popcorn for a film night and she was reaching up into the cupboard to get the packet. I shot through a pullout cupboard to get layers.
Post Processing: Edited in LR with Elena Blair indoor preset as a base, added texture, reduced the grain and increased exposure.
Gear: Nikon D5500 with Tamron 17-50 f2.8
Settings: 22mm ISO 800 f5 1/200
The Shot: I was dying my hair and as I looked at the chaos about me, I thought about Linsey Davis’ words in her storytelling lesson about how still life can tell a story. I went to fetch my camera mid rinsing (& have the red dye drips on the bathroom floor to prove it!) I shot down to capture the details of the scene and moved the hair dye box into shot so you didn’t all think it was a more sinister story!
Post Processing: Edited in LR. Base homemade preset with some added texture. Exposure increased a little. Also a little desaturated with the reds brought back up.
Gear: Canon 5d mark iii, Sigma 35m
Settings: ISO 500, 1.8, 1/320
The Shot: Used artificial light from the arcade machines.
Post Processing: Hand edits in LR and PS.
Gear: Google Pixel 4a
Settings: Portrait mode
The Shot: My daughter decided to start cleaning the storm door and my son wanted to taste what a clean door tastes like #crazyboy
Post Processing: Edited in LR mobile. Global adjustments to exp, shadows, highlights, contrast. Applied an inverted gradient around my son to bring attention to him . Also desaturated greens and reduce the luminosity in yellows for in the grass.
Gear: Nikon D750, 50mm Nikon lens
Settings: f3.2, 1/250, ISO 500
The Shot: I found that my daughter had set up a tea party with her teddies, so I grabbed my camera and laid in her doorway. The window is behind her and was soft overcast light.
Post Processing: Edit wise, I warmed the temperature up a little, added a little exposure to the whole picture, deepened the shadows (-10), added blacks and vibrance. I also then added a radial filter over her hair to lighten it a little more as it was in shadow and then added some texture. Then added a vignette.
Gear: Canon 5DIV, Sigma 35 mm f/1.4
Settings: F/1.8, ISO 1250, 1/250
The Shot: I wanted to document one of our first trips to the library post-Covid. I used the library shelves as leading lines and waited for my daughter to walk by. As luck would have it, she had lots of books in hand.
Post Processing: I straightened, cropped, increased contrast, used a radial filter on my daughter to increase exposure all in Lightroom. In Photoshop I spent a while removing colour casts from internal lights and materials. I slightly changed her dress colour.
Gear: Nikon D7000
Settings: ISO 100 f2.8 1/3200
The Shot: I loved how strong my daughter’s reflection was in a pool of water on the beach. She was absorbed in collecting and cleaning a shell when I captured this.
Post Processing: Edited in LR, flipped the photo, reduced highlights, increased texture and clarity.
Gear: Nikon d750, 35mm
Settings: ISO 100, f3.2, 1/2500
The Shot: My nephews stopped to play with the bike rack at the start of our trail head. At first I took a few shots of their faces, but then I noticed how their shadows told the story of their play as well, and composed my shot to include them!
Post Processing: Edited in Lightroom. Brightened slightly and warmed it up! Increased contrast to make the shadows pop!
Gear: Canon EOS R6, Canon RF 24-105mm 4-7.1 at 35mm
Settings: 1/320 sec, f5.6 ISO 3200
The Shot: Watching rhythmic gymnastics, my 4 year old got inspired by the routines. She found a ball and a started doing her own version and I grabbed my camera because it was cracking me up. I included the TV in the frame because it was important part of the story and I closed my aperture enough so that everything was in focus.
Post Processing: Edited in LR to adjust exposure. Increased texture and clarity. Opened in PS and dodged my daughter so the highlights on her were brighter. Added a custom vignette to draw more attention to my daughter and the falling ball.