Senior pictures

Mike McCarty · 09-23-2003, 10:26 PM

My daughter is now a senior in high school and it's time for senior pictures. The school she attends requires all seniors to have their picture taken through one assigned photography studio.

The final tally is not yet in but at last count the cost was up to about $1.4 million for my end. This is with me passing on the silk tapestry of her likeness.

Knowing the objective of these types of photographs I asked my daughter if she could ask her photographer to take a photo without the fill flash.

This is not a bad image, I like the thought given to the background composition. You may notice that both the wall and her hair are giving some assistance on the shadowed side.

Mike McCarty · 09-23-2003, 10:28 PM

detail ...

Mike McCarty · 09-23-2003, 10:32 PM

This is one of the many that were taken with fill flash.

Mike McCarty · 09-24-2003, 11:47 AM

Talking about seniors, as our sons and daughters get ready to leave us, I just can't resist showing my daughter's best friend and my buddy, Hil M.

Hil is a star field hockey player and one of the captains of the team. She reminds me of a combination Pete Rose and Jimmy Conners, she leaves everything she has on the field. She wants to play field hockey for Stanford.

Two years ago Hill had open heart surgery and one year ago she had a tumor removed from her brain. This picture was taken last Saturday as she was making a shot on goal. You go Hil!

Patricia Joyce · 09-24-2003, 03:12 PM

Mike,
Your daughter is beautiful!! I don't understand the direct lighting for "stale" studio shots (no matter how elaborate the props/setting/wardrobe can get), they look so...ordinary and she is such an extraordinarilly beautiful girl. When my sons were seniors I took them to a local photographer also, but still had to have the "studio shot" for the yearbook.

I sense some angst about your nest-emptying a bit next year! Is she your first to fly? Good luck. I just shipped my youngest off three years ago (JUST!)

Ah, we parent and we love at such cost...

Pat

Mike McCarty · 09-24-2003, 04:33 PM

Patricia,

I think the fill flash takes much less thought than natural light. With natual light you can get harsh shadows which are not very flattering. The fill flash gives an even homogeneous look to the features which are already understood by those looking at the photos. Most people are wowed with the dramatic back drops and it's just much safer for their purpose. They will get many more acceptable shots using fill.

Quote:

Is she your first to fly?

She is my first, my last, and my only.

Patricia Joyce · 09-24-2003, 04:47 PM

Well, Mike, you have a BIG school year ahead of you, then. I wish you all the luck. It goes by in a flash so enjoy every bit of it!!

I would guess then, that the photographer really enjoyed photographing your daughter with natural light, as he must get bored always using the same formula if he does allot of senior-pic stuff. It is a beautiful photograph. You must be itching to begin the painting!!

Pat

Mike McCarty · 09-24-2003, 05:29 PM

As someone once said: there's something wrong with the mouth (she's actually very well behaved and never mouths off.)

I don't like the way her mouth reads, I think I will have to find a different reference. Maybe her mouth.

You would think that after paying the $1.4 million for the "A" package with wallets minus the tapestry, that I would have all rights to the image. I'm pretty sure I will have to get permission to use it.

There is also a bit of a tickle in my throat about using it anyway. Kind of an ego thing about not having authored it from the start. I may be able to work through that with counseling.