Holly Jolly Practicing
Happy New Year everyone.
I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone here - share some photo thoughts with you all and share Christmas photos with my family. You'll notice right away that, while there are some nice pictures in mix here, there are also plenty of pretty average pictures. One instructive thing you can take away from a presentation like this, where strong and not-so-strong pictures appear together, is that storytelling does not require that every photo be a contest winner. The idea is to present variety, minimize repetition and capture the spirit of the event you are presenting.
Now, for the post....
I do a lot of practicing and experimenting on my family. So, good thing I'm not a mad scientist...just a mad photographer (and clearly not a comedian).
Anyhoo...as with any family gathering, I did a lot of camera clicking over the holidays. My brother's family spent their first Christmas with us here in Colorado and we had a blast. Sledding, ice skating, family gatherings and, of course, the requisite Tearing Open of the Christmas Presents.
In the past, I've photographed Christmas morning madness using just available light. That normally requires a pretty high ISO, so quality can get a bit rough. Also, if there's any light streaming through the windows, that pretty much nukes anything it touches, turning it pure white.
This year, I got all fancy and set up a couple of Canon Speedlites on wireless remotes. I put the strobes up on a couple of cabinets on opposite sides of the room and bounced them into the ceiling. This was not about creating beautiful directional light, it was about giving me a flood of light that allowed me to move at will and not worry about high ISOs or nuclear light beams.
I'm happy to report it was a screaming success. And, no one complained about going blind from having a flash firing in their face for an hour.
The collage here is a collection of photos from the four days my brother Scott and his family were with us. I like presenting pictures in this format. It's fun and a great way to tell a story in a limited space. Hope you enjoy it.
Well, that was our Christmas - come and gone too fast...again!