Random smile

Candid? Just a shot. No pose. No warning. Whatever. A snap shot. Snapshot. No one really looks good. Posed, the image comes much better but not necessarily perfect. Mostly the random shots are discarded to reside in the catalog never to be seen once more. Ok!? What’s the point here? Documenting a family outing? Getting candids of the family. Good candids? Random act of shooting pictures? I note that I am largely ignored when I have camera in hand. No one much cringes or turns away. So far so good.

Smile

I could use one right about now. Yup. Schmaltzy! Nothing wrong with that! I only wish I had it too. ?! And, I do! So, it makes me smile. It’s not a good pic… it’s a great pic! It illustrates perfectly my point. ? Is there a point? Yes, I bet this made you smile too.

Critical? Well, the pose is not flattering. But the point was to make me smile in finding it among all the other ones I did not choose to post today. It works for me!

One shot

You think it’s easy? Does it look easy? Work? Does it make you shudder? Cooperation? Any??!!!

Even Colleen was reluctant… till I told her she could wear her favorite dress. Try to get a squirming cat to look at the camera. Flash helps – fast shutter speed. A pose? Just get the cats with their eyes open and looking forward. No cats were harmed in the making of this picture. We got it pretty much down to routine. I set up a tripod, so the perspective does not change. I load batteries in the flash. Each cat is wrangled into position on the table. The order is not important. They all fit side by side according to expression. Done.

Ha ha. Jen pointed out we got photobombed. Spice was in our picture over Colleen’s left shoulder. Yes, I do not have eyes in the back of my head. Hey, I got a shot! Let’s not get too picky.

Luck, persistence, and a lot of space on the memory card…

Either or

At this time of the year I am flowers or cats. Otherwise our daily routine is pretty ordinary. I rotate four camera near at hand. One camera sits on my desk – clouds, passersby, sunrise/sunset – waiting for images to jump onto the memory card. The other cameras get into play as the need arises to meet the situation. Macro is mostly for flowers. Otherwise the zoom helps me compose a shot and eliminate extraneous distraction. Seven cats = plenty of distraction.

It is hard to corral cats. They don’t sit too often. And closed eyes does not a photo make. This particular evening five cats were sitting still. One was asleep, another half asleep, and a third was on the move. Two, my usually most active cats, were just sitting, finally exhausted from the day’s antics. I got in close pointed the lens and zoomed in for their close-ups. Hey! It’s not easy getting a cat to look at you. I’m boring. They know it.

Fun

We were headed out. There on the golf course was a pair of young deer. There was a young buck with his first set of antlers. I stopped. I got in the way of the passing golf carts which had to cross the road. Oh well. I got a nice shot. No one was put out. And we all moved on.

Composition. I like the symmetry of the body and head positions. It’s not expected nor seen frequently. It gives the feeling of doing more than pressing the shutter. No, they were just in position conveniently. So, I took the shot. It works.

Intructions

You shoot a group and then what? I am self-conscious. People are cooperative enough to gather for me. What’s different? So, point. Why not? It’s different. Funny?! Of course, on the uptake, everyone is slow to react. Ok! I got the shot. I posted it to the family. They got it. I hope someone smiled/laughed. It is a different pose. Now you know why. Will they in the future?

Pose

Someone is always self-conscious and reluctant to pose. This is a rare shot of three sisters. Brother is missing. It will be a more valuable shot as years pass. Meanwhile, it is not the only time or grouping. I try to shoot one whenever they are together. Legacy. Preservation. i don’t think about it. But these images will last long after I am gone.