Rocio dressed as a Catrina against a graffitied wall of an abandoned building
This year when I got together with my very talented friend, Mexican artist Fryda Fernandez, to create some Catrina pictures for the “El Dia de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) theme, she did not disappoint with her makeup creations and styling.
Fryda at the abandoned building with her own sugar skull makeup and styling.. Also at an abandoned building
This year we decided to take it outdoors on location.
Arianna in Aztec dance costume spinning in late evening fading light at Tios Tacos restaurant. Original? Probably not, Aztec dancers have been photographed over and over again. My ‘spin’ on this was just asking Arianna to spin during the exposure and timing it so her face was lit by my Speedlites.
I prefer a face or a person to a landscape.
Whenever I post a landscape or a scenic, which is kind of a rare occurrence, too often I’m asked, “So…where is this place?” It would be polite to at least say something about the picture before you ask where I took it. (I’m not fishing for a compliment, just saying it’s being courteous)
While we like to always have a clean uncluttered background in our pictures, sometimes all we can do is use the longest focal length lens we have. At times, that isn’t enough to minimize the distractions. Then it’s time to see if we can isolate by moving around. Ideally we want a vantage point where our subject is lit but not our background.
As photographers we have to simplify because as powerful as photoshop is, we can’t always eliminate in post production
So in our world, our canvas has to be protected from erroneous objects that distract from our subjects.
But before we can decide what is distracting, we have to be absolutely clear about what’s our primary subject is.
Faces are important–Waiting for the right moment when his face is visible made all the difference in the world.Don’t you agree? Compare this to the picture below when I first happened on the scene.When I first arrived. Of course, i was excited and started shooting but I was also aware of the composition and decided it could be stronger. Both pictures were shot full frame no cropping.
Regardless of your skill level, all these are relevant.
So here are my suggestions for improving your photography
Seek out positive mentors. There are so many out there but not all are compatible with your way of thinking
Having your camera with you increases the odds you will use it or you will come across something interesting or unexpected. Phones are ok but often they respond too slowly
Bring your camera with you everywhere. You’re dropped a fortune on it already, it doesn’t cost you anything to tote it everywhere, use it
Break down pictures you like, specifically ask yourself what was used to take the picture. You may be surprised with the workarounds that exist that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Read more about how I made this picture of water polo player Nicholas.
Keeping his cool– Despite the frigid water temperature, Nicholas was a good sport. My main light, a Canon 600-EX-RT Speedlite at camera right, was triggered by Yongnuo YN-600-EX transmitter. Canon 40D with 17-35mm lens. ISO 400 1/250 f8
