Untitled

These types of shots are seldom appreciated; they're just so ordinary, like a million other snapshots tucked away in photo albums and bottom drawers. How easy it is to dismiss them without even a second glance; afterall, don't we all feel we've taken a million shots very much like this one. But it's in their very unremarkable, everyday quality that their magic lies. Here is a picture that feels casual but is unmistakably posed with its compact grouping of family members. An open expanse of sand and ocean serves as the background and acts as counterpoint to the kids tightly clustered around grandma. The vastness of the background provides a completely unexpected twist that adds just a whiff of the surreal to an otherwise familiar scene. It's as if we sat down for a studio portait in beachware and suddenly found ourselves projected onto some desolate beach that stretched out to infinity behind us. The hang-gliding bird looking down on the scene with such amusement seems purposely included. Its position in the picture nicely balances the leftward center of balance of the composition and in some way emphasizes the feeling of endless, timeless space.

I appreciate what you see in my work. Yes though ordinary...it is my life...and with that, I feel it very special and way beyond the ordinary~

I don't much care for posed shots so I took the chance of opening the space to include all the tracks from people that have come and gone, and most likely taken the same shot different verse!  I see that the two kids in the back need their faces lightened but ...that's another day.

Thanks Jack!

 

 A very nice and well-done family portrait! I like how the family is placed off-center - making the background an important part of the memory this photo will provide years from now. I love the tones and vignetting also. You should be proud of this one and I hope you hang it on your wall for everyone to enjoy. Great job! Thank you for sharing. :)