Learning to see ONLY what the camera sees...

...isn't as simple as it sounds. I am find it challenging to take my brain out of the way, to let my eyes do the work without interpretation.

My youngest daughter decided that she'd rather spend her summer wages on new clothes than on a photographer, so she asked me to try taking her senior pictures for her. We packed up and headed out to the city park, she with a couple changes of outfits, and me with ALL my camera toys... lenses, tripod, and I even bought a real photographer's reflector for the occasion. I had so much fun! (You might notice we really liked the shiny gold light bounce, though I think the soft white made for better pictures. Still learning!)

I am pleased with what I did for the most part, but I still have a tendency to miss key lighting issues. This first portrait would have been perfect if I hadn't let it get so backlit. Sigh...






This one is my favorite, up to and including that little cowlick that got away from us. It's so HER.









If ONLY I had used a white light bounce for this one it would be so much better. I still love the way the light on her hair halos her face.




















Another favorite of mine, but she doesn't like it so much.




















Everything came together just right in this one. Now, if I could only learn to do it like this EVERY time, LOL!






It helps to have such a pretty girl as a subject too.