The Washerwoman's Apprentice

This photo was taken at Sutter's Fort State Park in Sacramento, CA. The young lady is learning, first hand, how laundry was washed in 1840's California. One of the docents, called "Granny", dressed in period costume stands just out of the image at frame right. Her younger brother is wielding the paddle at frame left. He may be seen in my other photo, "The Agitator", here

The light was bright sunlight, but my subject was under a partial tent top. Once again, I am amazed at how well the Nikon meter handled the situation.

Big concentration in this learning moment. Nice shot. The lighting is challenging and well done and the tones are just perfect. Very sharp too. I would improve the composition by kneeling down a bit, so it does not get this too often seen bird perspective that comes from that adults are taller than children (at certain ages at least). Moreover I think the fragment of the other person and his paddle should be left out - like asking him to remove the paddle for a moment if possible. You might well destroy the whole concentration and intensity by doing so. Children are not the easiest subject to cath. At last a small step to the right might avoid the dark triangle in the upper right corner, but of course I don't know what else would then pop up in the background. Kneeling down might also cause other unwhished subjects to popup in the horizon.

/Allan

It's always good to see someone else who thinks of shooting in bright daylight as a challenge instead of negative. Good detail on her face and the board and nice capture. I think this nondescript background works beter in the light than the busier background in the shot of the boy, though I like that one, too.

I've found that I can make some of these bright daylight shots work by using either high-grain film or by using high-contrast film and really embracing the contrast. Might be worth a try some time.