Normally, my oldest daughter, Heather, doesn't want anything to do with my photo making activities, especially if she's the target. That is, until I offered to do some portraits of her in the garb of her new obsession, fencing.
She got interested in fencing in her first year at Appalachian State University, and has turned out to be pretty good at it for a beginner. She joined the school's fencing club, and participated in several tournaments during the school year, even scoring a few victories. As with photography, there's an entire culture that surrounds fencing, with a lot of lingo and tradition that I don't always understand, but I'm learning. For example, in the photo above, it appears that her weapon is bent. However, it's supposed to have that "bend" in it so the "blade" only flexes one way when she makes contact with her opponent.
I made these portraits in my "studio" down in my basement. A plain, white sheet was the background. I learned several years ago from one of celebrity photographer Gary Bernstein's books how to let the light falloff from your main light render a white sheet a neutral gray. Simple, and it works. Having never photographed a fencer before, I had to research online for some posing ideas. The session went very smoothly, and both of us were very pleased with the results. Of course, it helps to have a cooperative subject. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
My wife and I are proud of our daughter, and glad that she has found a healthy, competitive activity outside of the classroom. To some, her new found interest seems a little obsessive at times, but she has a Dad that understands obsessive interests!
Normally, my oldest daughter, Heather, doesn't want anything to do with my photo making activities, especially if she's the target. That is, until I offered to do some portraits of her in the garb of her new obsession, fencing.
She got interested in fencing in her first year at Appalachian State University, and has turned out to be pretty good at it for a beginner. She joined the school's fencing club, and participated in several tournaments during the school year, even scoring a few victories. As with photography, there's an entire culture that surrounds fencing, with a lot of lingo and tradition that I don't always understand, but I'm learning. For example, in the photo above, it appears that her weapon is bent. However, it's supposed to have that "bend" in it so the "blade" only flexes one way when she makes contact with her opponent.
I made these portraits in my "studio" down in my basement. A plain, white sheet was the background. I learned several years ago from one of celebrity photographer Gary Bernstein's books how to let the light falloff from your main light render a white sheet a neutral gray. Simple, and it works. Having never photographed a fencer before, I had to research online for some posing ideas. The session went very smoothly, and both of us were very pleased with the results. Of course, it helps to have a cooperative subject. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
My wife and I are proud of our daughter, and glad that she has found a healthy, competitive activity outside of the classroom. To some, her new found interest seems a little obsessive at times, but she has a Dad that understands obsessive interests!
2 comments:
And they turned out great! I bet she loved them!
What are you using as a light source for these? I have a very wimpy set of compact fluorescent bulbs with umbrellas but don't want to invest anything else until I take my second photography class this summer. It focuses more on off camera lighting.
I appreciate your taking the time to get to know the sport you are photographing. Smart!
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