Maisy's travels

[ksmattfish]

Some recent pics.

Maisy's first creek walk.

Camera: Ansco Titan 6x6 mf folder circa 1957
Film: Arista Pro 400 (repackaged Ilford HP5 ???)
1/200th sec @ f/16, handheld
scanned from 8"x10" Arista pearl RC

Swinging

Camera: Ansco Titan 6x6 mf folder circa 1957
Film: Arista EDU 200 (repackaged Forte ???)
1/200th sec @ f/8, handheld
scanned from 8"x10" Arista pearl RC

 

[Geronimo]

I really like the second one Matt. great composition.

 

[mrsid99]

I really like the second one Matt. great composition.

Yup!

 

[karissa]

Gosh... I never thought I would every say something I didn't like about one of your pictures but... On that first one.. I wish she would have turned toward you more so you could see the rest of her face. Something about her poise just bothers me. However, that second picture... Awesome!

 

[ksmattfish]

I wish she would have turned toward you more so you could see the rest of her face. Something about her poise just bothers me.

I have plenty of others from the same day that are more like a convential portrait, composed closer with her standing in the water.

I like this one because her body is facing the right direction for walking down the creek; I'm catching her in mid-wander. I was composing while she was facing away, and happened to get this as she suddenly turned (she has long ago given up any cooperation with Dad's picture taking). For me this is the documentary image that captures the story for this chapter of a particular day's history.

Her expression is sort of sour. That's because the harsh sunlight has darkened her eyes so much (no fill flash on the old Titan). Also I think that damn pacifier makes her look sinister (you ever seen someone with their eyebrows shaved off? that's what I think about babies and kids with pacifiers that block their mouth, oh well, it'll be gone for good soon). She's also probably fairly annoyed with Dad, because he won't let her go out into deep water, and he keeps fiddling with that silly old camera.

 

[craig]

I would say print them 16x20! Actually 15.75" x 15.75 on 16x20. You get the drift. Both shots are keepers. The Treeline in the river frame is perfectly composed.(grid on the focusing screen?) Swing scenes are always a great capture. In this instance that huge tree provides a fresh background. Your style is especially evident in both frames.

Technically. Motor drives are particularly handy in shooting kids on swings. I would have liked to see Maisy closer to the center of the frame. Mostly to fill up the shadow area a little more. The river frame may as well be flawless. I agree with your pacifier thought, but it barely bothers me.

I am going to guess that Maisy is not afraid of anything.

 

[ksmattfish]

I would say print them 16x20!

That's the plan with the "Creek Walk" print. A composition style that I personally really like is a very small child in the big, wide world. It's hard to see it when you're looking at an image as small as my post, but when it's enlarged to 16x20, the child comes across much stronger. I only use that kind of composition with MF and LF because it requires such a large print to be effective. Also, I can crop the image closer to the child if I want, because I have so much neg to work with.

 

[terri33 4]

They're both wonderful, Matt. I have similar compositions with Steve as a youngster.....similar expressions, too! Either Mom or Dad lurking in the background with cameras, all the while calling out "Don't go too far....no rocks in your mouth honey, that's nasty!" He would turn and we'd see that puckered brow. Very cute.

And my husband was also a fan of the "small child, big world" style of composition, using the Rollei, and they remain some of our favorites today, now that he's a hulking teenager. You're on the right track.

 

[Not Neve]

Very nice, Matt. I too, dislike the pacifier but she's not that old, yet. I've been here just about a year and she's definitely grown in that year. Look like a little person now, even though she's always be your baby!

I really like the swing photo. Were ya laying on the ground for that one?

 

[Jeff Canes]

I like the swing shot a lot, the only issue IMO (nit picking) is that the background is little cluttered on the lower left side, I think it’s the parked car in the background more that the bench

 

[ShutterBug4_4]

I like the swing shot a lot, it's so cute! I like the composition in both, nice job!

 

[photong]

i love both of them, well done

i dont mind that she's not facing the camera more. its one of those 'it adds to the emotions' type things.

 

[ksmattfish]

I really like the swing photo. Were ya laying on the ground for that one?

I pushed the swing, set the shutter, pushed the swing, set the aperture, pushed the swing, set the focus distance, pushed the swing, crouched and shot. Not really a lot of time even to look through the viewfinder, of course with the Titan it's not an accurate view anyway, but I'm getting pretty good at knowing what this camera sees.