Ariel and Simone, Copyright 2001 Jeff Spirer

A flash on a stand was used to get a bit of "snap."

The child was staying with this girl and her mother while the child's mother was ill.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), February 19, 2002

Answers

Nice pic...the shadows on the wall are perfect...love the look they add to the scene/candid. As you full well know, I'm no "flash" expert, by any stretch of the imagination ;o), but just by "looking" at it all, I think you handled all the shadows on the wall real well....but, the shadows from the child on the girl, are too "sharp" edged...IMHO...is there a way to soften them?

-- T.S. Sullivan (thomas.sullivan@baesystems.com), February 20, 2002.

I'm guessing that direct sun is your main light. It's difficult to tell what the fill flash is doing (which means you did it right!!). Where was the flash positioned?

I like the expression on the girl's face--rather wary and protective.

-- Mike Dixon (mike@mikedixonphotogrphy.com), February 20, 2002.

The flash was to my left. I use it mostly to get some "snap," not to change the lighting. I used it the same way in this one, a shot I like but has a few problems. The light, however, did what I wanted it to.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), February 20, 2002.

Call me stiff, but what I like best about this image is the position of the gutter on the left and the window frame on the right. These two elements could probably could balance the image without the main subject.

If the title of the image refers to the skin colors, I think it works, because it's much more subtle than the silly Benneton clothing ads, which follow the same idea ...

-- Chris Marolf (70214.2664@compuserve.com), February 20, 2002.