I was asked to do a volunteer shoot at a local art event for at risk kids. A famous graffiti artist would be showing kids how to graffiti paint, and showing them that it can be art, not vandalism.
You can read about the event and view pictures of it on this blog post:
http://bobtowery.typepad.com/bob_towery/2009/09/dream-big.html
This portrait is the stand-out image of the day for me. I was fortunate to have my angle finder view adapter on my camera when this girl and I made a connection. Her expression, stance, really her whole being, has haunted me ever since. I printed this 24×36 and had it framed for my office wall.
I chose this image for the Steve Huff site because more than any of the 150,000 images I have taken in the past 10 years, this image is an inspiration to me. I know it is important to me and there is a photographic journey that awaits me. I’ll know it when I find it, just as I did when she and I looked at each other and the magic moment was captured.
Here is my daily photographic blog: http://www.dreamtomorrowblog.com
Bob Towery
Such a gentle expression.
Hey Bob,
I have tried to photograph people in front of graffiti and its tough. Sometimes the colorful backgrounds are so active, they draw attention away from the subject. I trust it was a goo call to convert to sepia. She is the star of the picture. Good judgement call.
Bob, I love the photograph.
I am just curious about what you mean by an ‘angle finder view adapter’? Was this photo not taken with a dSLR or am I mistaken? Also, it is interesting that such a great portrait was taken with such a wide lens, as conventional thinking is that longer focal lengths are better suited to portraits…
Stephen, I like your comment very much. Here’s the scoop on the angle finder:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Angle-Finder-EOS-Cameras/dp/B00004WCEY
I guess the name means “angled viewfinder.” Basically you can get low without getting your whole body as low. If I had had to sit down to get this POV, probably the moment would have been lost. It’s a handy piece of kit, for sure.
This is one of those photographs that tells a story, a history and a future… I imagine it says many different things to different people. For some it is a child, innocent. For others it is of a child with an old soul. Very, very good.
Thanks everyone! (Keep `em coming ;>))
Volunteer photography has changed my life. I’m not kidding. The people I have met in volunteer work have had a huge impact on my life.
Beautiful portrait! I really like the skin tone and eyes. Thank you for sharing.
Love her harried look .
Wonderful picture Bob. The look is what caught my eye.
Really like your blog. Excellent pictures and commentary!
Nice portrait, Bob. I loved your blog post describing the event. Sounds pretty cool!
Bob,
Congratulations, its a stellar picture. Was the original capture in B/W or color. I might not have noticed the graffiti backdrop, had I not read the intro.
Thanks Adam. Original is in color (Canon 5D Mark II). When I changed it to this sepia look, her expression became the dominant element of the image.
The girl has such a serious and adult look on her face that is in total contradiction to the obviously very young (three years I guess?) rest of her. What a fascinating portrait!
I was thinking the same.
little patterns and textures really make this stand out, not to mention the girls expression.
A really great shot; brilliant portrait. I also loved the colors in blog post from the event. Nice work!