It's All An Illusion . . .

Sometimes the images we photograph are illusions.  I don't mean trickery although those types of images have their place (perhaps in advertising or in graphic arts but not necessarily in portrait photography).  I'm referring to creating a beautiful image in surroundings that may not seem all that special.  With a little creativity in camera angle and lighting something incredible can be captured where you would least expect it.

Take this image for example.  You might assume that it was taken in a studio but you'd be wrong.  It was taken in a bedroom where these three little darlings live.

---

As you can see, it's a room just like any other room in a house filled with little ones.  The one big advantage in this room is that there are huge windows about 3 feet behind me which creates fantastic light.  By zooming in close and filling the frame with the babies, you're not even aware of the gear and supplies that are within inches of where they are lying snuggly in the basket.  I laid a dark blanket over the edge of the bed to create a backdrop to further disguise the surroundings.

---

Here is another example.  Bluebonnets are big in Texas when they bloom in the spring and they are prolific in the Hill Country.  Miles and miles of beautiful blooms as far as the eye can see.  As you can imagine, the small country roads become clogged with families and photographers who travel 2 - 3 hours (from Houston) to get precious photographs in the Bluebonnets fields.  For anyone with small children, 2 - 3 hours in the car can be a trying experience in itself.  Couple that with coaxing cooperation out of them so pictures can be taken upon arrival at your destination and you're talking about a big undertaking.  This image is one of my favorites from this year.  The Bluebonnets are beautiful and there's even a charming red barn in the back ground.  I took many pictures in this Bluebonnet field this year.  One set of my girls and then two more for dear friends of mine.  And no, we didn't travel the required 2 - 3 hours to take the pictures in the Hill Country.  We drove about 25 minutes from my house . . .

---

. . . to an open lot on a busy 4 lane road in the town we live in.  I presume that a house once stood on this lot but it is long gone now.  Instead, a lone red barn stands along with a smattering of trees and, of course, the Bluebonnets.  Again, it's all in the camera angle and framing that makes this ordinary location look exotic.

---