The Fine Art of Childhood

Effects of Contrast

Varying the degree of contrast will affect the mood of the image and it’s important to be aware of that when thinking about the overall feeling that you want to convey. Above is an example of medium contrast with the background darker than the foreground, the softness of the boy’s face in relation to his white shirt and then the charcoal sweater against his body and the rock he’s sitting on. Also, with a bit of shadow on his face this shows the contour of his face. This is taken without a flash, if a flash is used his face would have no contours unless you knew how to decrease the power of the flash.

The following photograph is considered higher contrast. The girl’s face and her mother’s fingers pop against her dark hair and clothes. By looking towards the sky the twinkle in her eyes is important because otherwise her eyes would not reveal her inner light. The sky also creates a glow and the shadows on the bottom half of her face bring out the contour, especially showing the beauty of her jaw and chin.

Ingrid Kannel
413-341-3405
ikannel60@gmail.com

http://photographybyingrid.com

20 Hampton Court, Suite 315
Northampton MA 01060

Hello,

My name is Ingrid Kannel, and I have been a professional children’s photographer since 1984. This blog is designed to share with you what I have learned over the 27 years that I have been photographing children. You’ll learn how to have more fun and more control over how you would like them to be portrayed. You’ll learn how to take serious pictures that portrays their character as well as their beautiful smiles. You’ll learn how to make better use of your camera.

First let me first give you some idea about my background. After completing a full time program at New England School of Photography in Boston in 1983 I opened my first studio in my Newton home in 1984. After establishing a substantial photography business, I decided to open a much larger studio in Boston. In 1991, I opened my Wellesley studio where I had several large windows facing a busy street with good exposure for my work. I became well known as the best children’s photographer west of Boston.

I do a great deal of work with people of all ages as well as children, photographing in my studio and many other locations including the beaches of Nantucket and Cape Cod. There is nothing more satisfying to me than creating realistic images of the many facets of their special beauty inside and out.

Among my commercial work my images have been seen on the cover pages of New York Times Magazine, The Boston Globe Magazine, The Boston Parent’s Paper, as well as for authors’ book jackets. My business grew and I was awarded as “The Best Children’s Photographer” by the readers of the Boston Parent’s Paper.

Now that I am living in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts, I am looking to establish my work here and providing the best in authentic and fine photography, as well as to share what I’ve learned with you.

I welcome your feedback and requests at ikannel60@gmail.com, by commenting on this blog, or via http://www.facebook.com/ingrid.kannel .

Here is what we’ll share in our first lessons. I will assume that you know how to use an automatic camera including a camera phone. So, here are some of the topics that we’ll visit in coming days.

• Working with Contrast
• Picking the best places for best results
• Clothing and background
• Lighting in General
• Understanding fill light
• How to relax your subject
• Angles of the body
• Expressions
• Angles of face
• Working with children
• Working with adults
• Working with dogs
• Working with other pets
• The value of having an assistant

Enjoy!

Ingrid Kannel
413-341-3405
ikannel60@gmail.com

http://photographybyingrid.com

20 Hampton Court, Suite 315
Northampton MA 01060