Challenging Week...

I don't want to take good pictures. I want to take great photographs that tell a story and set a mood. I have a lot to learn.

This week has been full of challenges.

Challenge #1: For one session, I had planned on take a large family outside for some family portraits, however, the rain made that impossible. If it were just a couple people, I would have given them umbrellas and worked with it. Since it was a large family, and since I don't think grandma would have been thrilled standing out in the rain, I was challenged to shoot a large family portrait indoors. With only two umbrella lights and glossy paint on the walls, the lighting was a terrible problem. Did I mention that I accidentally left the mount to my tripod at home (an hour away) and was stuck with a cheap, wobbly one? Could anything else go wrong? Lesson learned: 1.) check my checklist MULTIPLE TIMES before I leave for a shoot, and 2.) be better prepared for rain.

Challenge #2: I was asked to shoot some portraits of my friend's grandchildren, ages 17, 16, and 1. I checked my checklist several times before leaving for the shoot, made sure all my equipment was charged and working properly, and packed everything carefully. I knew I would be shooting indoors due to the cold weather and chance of rain. I arrived at the shoot a little early to check out some spots, but they were early too so I didn't get much time to look around. I started unpacking everything and went to put the battery in my camera only to find it is MIA. Called my father-in-law (where I stayed the night prior) and he found my battery on the floor where my bag had previously rested. SO EMBARRASSING! Fortunately, this was a friend for whom I was shooting and she was very understanding. My father-in-law (who was 45 minutes away) brought me the battery and the session resumed. During the session, I was challenged by a tired infant (wouldn't you be tired if you sat at a convention center for 45 minutes doing nothing?). I also had a difficult time with the colors of the portraits. My clients had on gray clothing the the walls of the convention center were white with fluorescent/window lighting. Lesson learned: #1.) Arrive at the sites 1 hour prior to check out lighting and photographic spots, #2) Tell my clients to wear dark grays/blacks or colored attire, especially when I am unsure of the lighting, #3) Get more batteries for my camera and keep a backup in the car, #4) infants/kids like props.