Josh Lohff  

Sunshine by Josh Lohff

November 2024 - Sunshine

About the Image(s)

EQUIPMENT & EXIF
Canon R5 / EF 24-70 f/2.8L II USM & 1/640 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 640, 65 mm (shot free-hand)

IMAGE DESCRIPTION & INTENDED EFFECT
My wife and son on a chair swing ride at the fair that comes to Boise every year. I was trying to capture summer, and of course a fun, happy time that comes around once a year. Taking the image into the sun is something I enjoy doing, but don't often pull off, with the sun overwhelming the image. This is a rare exception that feels like it compliments rather than overwhelms though.

POST PROCESSING STEPS
Curiously... in going back and looking at what I did to this image, it was basically nothing (it almost looks like I forgot). I seemed to have dropped the blacks to -3, and that's it! No vignette, no crop, no other changes whatsoever, which makes me think the -3 on Blacks was an accident. Well, there you have it ;)

This round’s discussion is now closed!
7 comments posted

Mark Grech
Hi Josh. Lovely family photo and as you have mentioned it brings joy and happiness, irrespective of the technicalities that goes into photography. Going to an extreme - such an image could have been capture by a primitive pin-hole camera! Memories count.

I would try to reduce the highlight and add some contrast. Perhaps I would remove the flare on your wife's shoulder.   Posted: 11/08/2024 22:45:56
Josh Lohff   Josh Lohff
Hi Mark
Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad my intent translated ? Good catch on the lens flare on Holly's shoulder, that's why I love these critiques, seems I always miss something that's super obvious once pointed out, that I miss during the initial processing.
  Posted: 11/16/2024 19:35:58
Alan Kiecker   Alan Kiecker
This is a great photo of your family enjoying the day. Although shot from the back, we see enough of your wife's face to enjoy her huge smile. I'm not sure that I am a fan of shooting into the sun like this. The result is a loss of contrast, but the lack of contrast does tend to draw it all together.   Posted: 11/20/2024 12:55:32
Josh Lohff   Josh Lohff
Thanks for your thoughts Alan. About 1 in 20 I see it executed in a way that I like it. My challenge with it is that I usually find the sun to be the dominating focus of the image, which generally is not the point. Definitely had a little luck on my side when capturing this one!   Posted: 11/21/2024 12:13:13
David Kepley   David Kepley
Josh,
I agree with the other commenters. I love your wife's expression. Clearly she is having fun! It's very tough to get a good shot going right into the sun! The sky between your wife and son is blown out. You might have waited until the ride turned the corner.   Posted: 11/21/2024 22:10:17
Craig Callan   Craig Callan
Summertime and the living is easy! The flarey-glarey look just screams SUMMER! at the top of its lungs. Love your wife's expression and the streaming hair. As a matter of fact, I just remembered another song from my youth "Bring back, the lazy, hazy days of summer..."   Posted: 11/22/2024 01:03:21
Josh Lohff   Josh Lohff
Thanks for all the great feedback everyone - I sure do enjoy the dialogue! I've been thinking on the different points made here and my takeaway, particularly regarding the blown out section of the sky (and infractions like that in general), is to try and put more focus when looking at images on the art / mood / feeling of the image as a whole, and the feeling(s) it evokes.

Is the sky blown out? Sure! The question is, does it matter? I have a tendency to go straight to those types of things when evaluating other images, and probably don't put as much attention as I should to those art / mood / feeling points that most of the time anyway, are what the photographer is trying to convey.

OK, my lesson learned for this month is to try and see the forest through the trees moving forward, at least a little bit ? I hope you all (that are in the US and celebrating it) have a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving!   Posted: 11/22/2024 12:21:14