The Agitator

This photo was taken at Sutter's Fort, a State Park in Sacramento, CA. This day the docents were all dressed in period costume - 1840's California - and the children learned about life in those days. This young man is learning how they washed the laundry; he is taking the part of the agitator in a modern washing machine. He is not quite sure how well he likes that role.

This photo had a very strong back light; I did not have much choice about shooting angle nor of the people in the background. I am quite happy how well my Nikon F-100 light meter handled the situation.

Your comments are welcome.

Good lighting in a very difficult situation and a good caption of an important moment. I would lower the camera in order to avoid get the bird's perspective. The adult person in the background is a bit disturbing I think - at least in this crop. You can see the boy is in doubt about the beauty of the situation. If he liked it a lot, he would grab the stirring pin more firmly.

Great shadows and facial detail for the little boy.  Did you try to blow out the highlights on what might be the concrete walk?

Yes, Charles, I blew the highlights in printing. The negative has background detail, but the boy's face was a bit dark. I printed for the face and let the background fall where it may.  In retrospect, I am glad I did. The background clutter of straw on bare ground detracted from my subject.

The boy, the woman in the background, and the tub were all under a canopy which shaded them.