by Gary Gardiner | May 8, 2013
Baby crying in stroller at farmers market – My Final Photo for May 8, 2013
Wednesday beginning in spring means the Uptown Westerville Farmers Market where I spend several hours each week talking with farmers and their customers. Usually I come away with photos of the latest crops or someone inspecting fruits and vegetables or carrying their selections to their cars.
Today was different from the summer when I photographed the hands of farmers with their produce.
I heard the low volume cries of a baby in the stroller next to me at the last booth in the market. It was a cry just loud enough to be heard but not of such a volume that the baby sounded in distress.
The lower section of the stroller held an older child who was too involved eating the recently purchased cookie to care about her sibling crying just over her head in the second compartment. I couldn’t see the crier because the sun shield was folded over her.
Her mom, taking a break from deciding which breads to buy, folded down the shield to make sure everything was OK. It was, except the baby began to cry louder once she saw mom. Mom, recognizing the increased volume and intensity as a feined attempt at physical distress, went back to her shopping.
The tears, the expression, and her reaction when the baby saw mom intrigued me.
I got two frames before the oldest child, a sister holding a cookie and standing beside the stroller looked at me like the grenade boy by Diane Arbus, reached over and closed the shield. She then looked at me, tilted her as if to say “Go away! This is my sister and you’re not going to be taking pictures of her crying!”
She turned and walked away shoulders held high and the cookie slowly moving toward her grinning mouth.
The photo is ordinary but the story elevates it to My Final Photo for May 8, 2013.
by Gary Gardiner | May 7, 2013
Oldest worker and only beard on the asphalt crew – My Final Photo for May 7, 2013
He wasn’t the first man I saw working on the asphalt crew. But he was the one with the beard. The others were younger. Some so young they could have been his kids or perhaps a grandchild although that’s a stretch.
I knew right away I wanted a portrait of this man whose face and frame bore the burden of time and hard work at the end of the day.
At first, I received the normal glances and brief stares as everyone in the work crew wondered who is that man and why is he here with cameras? The best protocol is to stand offsite across the street for a few minutes. This gives the crew time to think about your presence and begin to think about how you might be received if approached.
It also gives me time to figure out who’s supervising, who is the newest member of the crew, what is their work flow, and who among them might make the best subject.
When I’ve discerned most of the series of studies the photo work begins.
I saved the portrait until the last moment after the heavy rain shower and until the crew finished most of the heavy work breaking away the old pavement and began to make repairs.
Earlier my subject briefly used the pick to begin the task of breaking up worn and cracked asphalt before turning it over to the youngest member of the group so I knew I had what the photo prop would be.
He retrieved it for me then stood in two different places as I found the best background with the walls of the Tai Chi house being the best. He is also facing the open parking lot where light from the overcast skies was brightest. Facing any other direction cast too dark a shadow on his eyes.
Shot for about three minutes standing on my tiptoes to get the best angle against the brick wall. I did use thePhotoshop Healing Brush to remove a sign from the background. This isn’t photojournalism and I’m fine with making a portrait look better using a myriad of tools. If I’d been on assignment for a publication it is unlikely I would have singled out a worker for a portrait unless it was part of the assignment. If it had been part of the assignment, the crew would have known and I would have brought a small lighting kit.
Like it so much I made it My Final Photo for the day. It was a tough choice between the asphalt crew worker and the two kids in the rain walking down the sidewalk in Uptown Westerville.
by Gary Gardiner | May 6, 2013
A friendly portrait is My Final Photo for May 7, 2013
Manual focus required
There is little to say about these two youngsters except they are the best of friends, almost inseparable in their affection for each other.
They are children of families where I tangential knowledge of the parents through people I work with and were at an event in the early evening that I attended.
The mother of the girls wanted a photo of them together and seemed slightly pained that I told her to wait until after the event so I could get them outside for what I knew would be much better than the two of them in a meeting room at the library.
The only camera I had with me was the D5000 with the 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm f1.8 lens that isn’t designed to autofocus with the D5000. That meant I would have to manual focus at f1.8 to get the photo I wanted and the photo her mother didn’t expect.
A friendly iPhone portrait of two girls
It is possible to manual focus with the D5000 even with the narrow depth of filed of an f1.8 lens. In the lower left corner is a circular indicator that flashes as you approach optimum focus and glows steady when you are in focus. It works best when you are set to single focus point, especially when your subject is a portrait and you want to focus on the eyes.
All Nikon cameras have this indicator so you can manually focus any lens. It is indispensable when you are shooting with a lens that requires the camera to have a focus drive motor. The 50mm f1.8 and 85mm f1.8 that I carry do not have the autofocus capability on the D5000 or D3100 I use. They do work on the D300 because it has the focus motor built into the camera.
These two lenses are very popular as a second lens purchase. However, make sure they work in autofocus on your camera or get ready to watch the flashing circle.
by Gary Gardiner | May 5, 2013
Cinco de Mayo at Cluckers – My Final Photo for May 5, 2013
Had a great weekend of photo fun.
On Saturday there were quilters at the Westerville Public Library followed by A lovely lady who allowed me to shoot her photo while she was having her hair done. I stayed around long enough to the finished look.
The day ended with students at Westerville Central and their families at Inniswood for the annual excursion of as many as 1,000 people into the park to create a photographic record of their prom.
Sunday was a lazy day although I stayed busy eating an omelette with homemade corn and black bean salsa to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in my house. Sorry, I ate it instead of taking a photo of it.
The highlight of my Sunday was the lovely barmaid/waitress/greeter at Cluckers in Uptown Westerville. Liked the photo so much I made it My Final Photo for the day. Also shot her with the iPhone.
Couldn’t leave the restaurant without another photo, of a chicken wing customer, also with the iPhone and the Tintype FilmPak for Hipstamatic.
Finished the day with photos of one of a group of Vineyard Church of Delaware students who spent the afternoon at a photo shoot for a youth magazine. Thanks to Leslie at Westerville Antiques for leaving her new theater seats outside for the weekend. It was perfect for photos of one of the students. Also had her with the iPhone.
Take a look at The Gardiner Collection for Saturday and Sunday for more photos.
by Gary Gardiner | May 4, 2013
Westerville Central students, their dates, and friends pose for prom photos at Inniswood – My Final Photo for May 4, 2013
Not a lot to say about today’s My Final Photo except how much fun it is to observe and record the joy of so many people.
