 (Click on photos to enlarge) When photographing models, I try varying the setups so that each group of images has a somewhat unique look. One way to do this is by making changes to their hair, especially when they have longer tresses. Styling possibilities seem to increase in proportion to hair length. Here are examples of changes that work well:
Along with makeup, clothes, facial expression, and body positioning, I believe much of a girl's or woman’s character can be communicated through her hair. What's interesting is how quickly she can change its look, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Notwithstanding the examples mentioned above, it can be the smallest movement or turn of the head that dramatically alters the hair’s arrangement, resulting in a totally different appearance. Sometimes, there'll be a specific change I’ll want to make. It may be something simple, such as repositioning a few strands or doing something with a clump of hair. However, explaining the adjustment I want so that she can make the change herself can often be time consuming and even exasperating. Since I know what I’m trying to do, my preference is to fix the hair myself. Therefore, with her permission (and the permission of her mother if the model's a minor), I’ll make the necessary alterations, which are usually minor and can be done quickly.  Bailey was having a grand time spinning around on her bed. I think her hair shows this.  I spent a bit of time in post-production getting the hair and dress to glow. To me, the genuine star of this photo is her golden hair.  I think the strands dangling over Laurette’s eyes add to her somber expression. To me, they seem like tears streaming down her cheeks.  Greta's hair unintentionally provides an interesting function in this photo. It separates the lightness of her face from the lightness of the wall. I didn't realize it was doing this until reviewing the images later in my office. If it weren't for her dark hair, there'd be little separation between her face and wall.  This shot took considerable experimentation. Amelia was patient as I arranged and rearranged her hair. Initially, I disliked the wrinkles in the sheet, but eventually realized that they seemed to complement her hair. Or maybe it's me trying to justify something I really don't like.  Another wrinkly sheet. I like how the side lighting (courtesy of a strong flash unit placed close to the ground) highlights the wrinkles and folds of the sheet and her shirt. It also works nicely, highlighting the edge of her nose.  After arriving at Klaryssa’s house, I noticed what I thought to be her rather messy hair. I assumed she hadn’t combed it yet but would do so before we started shooting. When she didn’t, and I asked about it, she said that this was her hairstyle now. I considered suggesting she “fix it”, but realized that saying so might offend her. I figured we could make improvements to it as we shot. So, I began the session with her hair as it was. Interestingly, as we were shooting, I came to appreciate how well her hairstyle, with some minor changes, worked with her poses. Though it could have caused problems on other models, on Klaryssa, less “messy” hair might have resulted in fewer striking images.  Amelia's hair had a single purpose in this photograph: to cover a good portion of her breasts.  Even though there are fewer possibilities with shorter hair, there may be potential as well. Blasting the hair with air It’s great fun photographing models whose hair is being wildly blown about. It’s a sensation many of them enjoy and can be apparent in their expressions. The pictures that result can be truly dynamic. Previously, I'd use industrial or large house fans to produce the necessary wind. I would position one close to the model’s head, making sure it wouldn’t be seen in the photo. The amount of hair movement depended on the strength of the fan and her type of hair. The best results seemed to occur when the model flicked her head (with her hair obviously following), just before the photo was taken. These days, however, I'm using an inexpensive leaf blower. This works much better. I have a small, electric unit (you don’t want one that's gas powered, due to the fumes it produces). It can be clamped to a light stand or held by an assistant. Its low weight, powerful output, and ability to be aimed fairly precisely make it perfect for blasting the hair.  The left half (from the viewer’s perspective) of Molly’s hair acts as a lovely background for the side view of her face. The right half nicely fills the upper section of the frame.  The woman on the left was in her mid-thirties. The girl on the right was in high school. The girl’s mother was sitting on the floor between the two ladies, pointing the electric leaf blower upwards. As mentioned previously, it’s an impressive device for throwing a high volume of air in a well-defined pattern. Problems may arise, however, when the blower is aimed toward the face. With its high intensity, the moving air may make some people uncomfortable. In this instance, the girl was hesitant about being subjected to the wind. But after her mother aimed the device at my face, and I explained how much I enjoyed the sensation, she was more than happy to proceed.  (click on photos to enlarge) One of the first things I do when setting up a shot is to place the subject in an area of the frame that I think will work best for the image. That location can be at the top, bottom, side, corner, or even dead center of the frame. Certain composition rules, especially the rule-of-thirds, mandate specific areas for placing the model. Sometimes I agree with that edict, but more often I don't (it's my feeling that too many photo instructors and photo books spend too much energy pushing this rule as being absolutely mandatory). For me, the most important thing is being satisfied with the picture and believing it clearly conveys my message. After shooting a few photographs, and with the goal of varying my setups, I'll change the position of the subject in the frame. I do this by looking through the viewfinder, moving the camera (I'm usually handholding it) to place them in various parts of the frame. I'll stop when I’m happy with the framing and begin photographing again. In addition, I may physically move the model and/or myself, change the camera orientation from horizontal to vertical (or vice versa), and/or rework the composition.  I think Jennifer's placement in the frame and the stark walls surrounding her emphasize her aloneness. It almost as if she's been abandoned. Her sitting in the corner with tightly crossed arms and with legs pressed together suggest a seriously melancholy young woman.  This photograph conveys a different kind of isolation. Giselle is seated at the very end of the sofa, which has been pushed into the corner of the room. She's not unhappy, however, but rather absorbed in her practicing. One type of setup I really find appealing is having the model crowding the frame’s edge, with part of their body missing. (A friend once suggested that the lack of balance I create in these images mirrors the lack of balance in my own life!!).   The two photos above show the models at the edges of their respective frames. Moving more toward those edges would put them out of the picture. I think both images leave the viewer with an off-balance feeling. The top photo highlights the empty bed. The lower one intensifies a feeling of an approaching mystery... that something sinister is about to happen.  I think one could argue whether it's Allie or the cross that's the subject of this picture. I felt that both were important to highlight, but I wanted the cross to have top billing. I hoped to solve the problem by having Allie turn her head towards the object while keeping her gaze at the camera.  It was the soles of Terrence's feet that I wanted to highlight, but also to have his face prominently visible. My solution was to frame his head between his feet and throw his face somewhat out of focus by way of a shallow depth-of-field.  Of equal importance to me when setting up this shot were both the child and the stick he's holding. But I wanted to draw a bit more attention to the stick than to the boy. That's why I made it more center stage while cropping and banishing him to the lower portion of the frame.  There’s something unsettling (in a positive way) about this photo. Perhaps it's her calmness. She'd been a whirling dervish for most of the shoot, but was now absolutely still and looking bored. Further, the framing gives nearly equal weight to both her and the piece of clothing on the left side of the bed. That may wrongly imply an equal importance to both. She should be the important one. The viewer may wonder what’s going on in the picture. It’s confusing. But that’s OK. Confusion can be ideal for spicing up an image.  Creating a sharp and well-focused shadow of Janine on the wall behind her was my primary goal when setting up this shot. Strong late-day sunlight illuminated the scene. That meant working quickly from shot to shot since the sun was in constant motion.  (click on photos to enlarge) When I’m out wandering through a city with my camera, I’ll often look for busy sidewalks or other pedestrian thoroughfares. What I want are people walking, running, biking, or skating towards me. My goal is to photograph the subject(s) as they are about to pass me, are passing me, or have just passed me. I’ll commonly preset the camera settings. That way, as a subject approaches, everything on the camera is ready to go. These are my typical settings, though they really depend on what I’ll be photographing, the specific focal length of my lens, how far I'm standing from the subject, and how fast they are moving: ISO - 100 Shutter speed - 1/15th to 1/60th second Aperture - whatever f-stop necessary for a proper exposure Focal length of lens - somewhere in the wide-angle range Focus - manually focused at the approximate distance where I expect the subject to be when I press the shutter button For this sort of shots, I’m panning my camera as I shoot, so that it’s moving at the same speed as the subject. That makes them less blurry than if I had been holding the camera completely still. But since the background and foreground are not moving, they become blurry. That helps give a sense of movement to the moving subject as well as hide distracting clutter that may be in the background and/or foreground. When panning the camera, I’m not looking through the viewfinder or at the camera’s monitor. I don’t want the subject to know they are being photographed. The camera remains where I’ve been carrying it - usually at mid-chest level. My camera and chest are actually moving together. At the same time, I’m tilting the camera up or down slightly, attempting to get the best framing possible. I do all this nonchalantly, as though I’m merely looking around. Unfortunately, since I cannot see how the subject is being framed, I'll sometimes miss part or all of the subject. Every so often, instead of panning, I’ll keep my camera pointed in one direction and wait for people to come towards me (depending on where I am, this can be quite productive or a futile waste of time). Since I'm not moving, the area in front of and behind them will not be blurry. So, to emphasize the subject's movement, I'll pick a shutter speed that will make them at least somewhat blurry. The first seven pictures below illustrate the first method above. The last two images show the second method mentioned. By the way, keep an eye on the shadows. I think some are really interesting and make the photos more dynamic.           (click on photos to enlarge) I think it's fair to say that many beginning photographers take pictures with their cameras aimed mostly straight ahead. In other words, they rarely point it upward or downward. I could be wrong, but it’s what I observe when teaching those just starting out. If that yields the best results, then that's how the picture should be taken. But the photographer should consider the unique effects possible when shooting up or shooting down, especially with the zoom lens set to wide-angle and positioned close to the subject. In addition, there's often lots going on above and below us that may make for great picture possibilities. The following images hopefully show what I mean. I could have photographed the above buildings and no-parking sign from a greater distance by using a more telephoto lens. Being farther away would have produced a less exaggerated and more realistic view. But it’s the combination of the extreme angle created by using a wide-angle lens and tilting the camera up that makes this picture interesting. Specifically, I'm intrigued by the severe slant and distortion of the buildings. And I think the color and contrast manipulation done in Photoshop heightened the effect.  This is an even more extreme example of what happens when shooting very close to a subject and upward with a wide-angle lens. You can see how large and distorted the lower left fence links are compared to the tininess of the links farthest from the camera. In addition, the left side of the fence appears massive.   In the two pictures above, what probably are familiar objects to most people appear distinctly different from how they would appear if shot straight on. It’s that up or down camera angle and the resulting mild distortions that make these images appealing. Further, I like the great depth-of-field of the “Do Not Enter” sign and the shallow depth-of-field of the doll.  Huge thighs and tiny feet resulted from placing the camera close to my body. I enjoy photographing myself interacting with various types of painted traffic lines. And it’s comforting knowing my legs and feet are always available to me as props!  When viewed at an extreme angle, something as ordinary as a metal fence can become a work of art.  While walking on the sidewalk, you would easily see this sign and all the nearby clutter if the camera had pointed a few feet down. But from a low angle, it’s a different story. Now the sign is nicely isolated against the clouds. In addition, the top of the palm tree adds a pleasant design element to the composition.  I had spent a few hours wandering through downtown Hartford, Connecticut, and was heading back on a raised walkway to my car. Luckily, I glanced down and saw these folk queuing up for the bus. It was the diversity of the group, the curved line they formed, and my high-angle positioning that drew me to this scene.  I was photographing Sasha as we wandered through the streets of Manchester, Connecticut. As in the previous photo, I know to keep an eye on what is above and below me when I'm out shooting. It was a sunny day. Crossing the street, I saw this expanse of sidewalk and came up with the idea for this shot. By the way, my camera is being held tightly against my chest to avoid it being visible in the picture.  (click on photos to enlarge) Wonderful, unexpected picture possibilities can occur anytime during a photo shoot with a model. And they usually appear while I’m already in the process of taking a picture or while I'm setting up for a new shot. When an opportunity does present itself, this is what comes next:
Here are some examples of what I believe to be intriguing shots that came along quite unexpectedly.  Darla was joking with her daughter, Laurette. Having worked with them before, and knowing how wonderful an actor the girl was, I knew worthy things were on their way. I framed the shot and waited. Laurette was saying that her mother’s nose scared her (I don’t know how serious she was about that). When this interaction happened, I took the picture. Laurette's expression was perfect. It seems to show both fear and amusement. Also, each set of hands seems to show conflicting intentions - one pair reaches either lovingly or threateningly, while the other set emphasizes either anxiety or joy.  I was watching Kelly fix her daughter's hair. There was lots of energy flowing between the two. I knew if I paid attention, I’d be rewarded with some good photos. I wasn’t disappointed. The above image was far and away the best of the series. Both faces are vibrant, and the intensity of their excitement is wonderful. A pet, usually a cat or dog, wondering onto the set can cause havoc or great picture possibilities. If the animal is fairly calm, is in an area of the set that works compositionally, and doesn’t have its butt facing the camera, the results can be rewarding.  For this picture of Meredith, I placed her alone against a wall and got ready to shoot. After a few moments, her cat wandered in. I waited to see what it would do. He began rubbing himself against her leg. Combined with the blindfolded Meredith, I think the result was an odd and amusing image. (”odd” and “amusing” - a great combination for almost any picture). The presence of the cat, I believe, significantly improved my original shot idea.  Letitia was rolling around her bed while I was setting up for the next shot. With the mindset of not missing an intriguing photo possibility, I glanced over to see what she was doing. The above is what I saw. I asked Letitia not to move and hoped the cat wouldn't either. I quickly aimed my strobe and camera, and got off one shot before the cat scurried away. I like how her face is sort of framed by her black shirt and black cat.  Here’s another photo where the subject’s pet wandered into the shooting area. What’s noteworthy about this image is that we get a decent view of its face. And what’s truly amazing is how the cat’s position blocks part of the strobe illumination perfectly, creating a light pattern that dramatically highlights the model’s eyes.   My plan for the first of these two photographs was to have Anabel on the bed alone, with the “Private Property” sign covering her chest. However, as I was preparing to take the picture, the dog jumped up. I held off shooting for a moment, waiting to see what might develop. I’m glad I did. He ended up looking as if he were reading the sign. Then, as seen in the second photo, and to both our amazement, he began crawling under the top sheet. By the way, Anabel’s open-mouth surprise was quite real.  Joanna and I were photographing in an almost empty parking lot at a local beach. During a break, she had turned and was adjusting her hair. Almost at the same moment, a car pulled up. I saw a perfect photo opportunity and quickly snapped a picture. I loved the results: a sparse composition showing a young woman and a car, both nicely positioned in this parking lot. Every time I look at this image, I wonder why the person in the car stopped right where he did. Perhaps to ogle Joanna? When all the elements unexpectedly come together to produce a great shot, and when I had very little or no part in making it happen, I think of that image as a “gift”. I’ve heard of other photographers using that same term when they’ve had the same experience. It’s at those moments, when the photographer is completely out of the equation, that the gods above have grabbed the reins and taken charge. In his book “Looking At Photographs”, John Szarkowski writes about the famous photographer Jacob A. Riis: “Suffice it to say that Riis did not, through pride, reject chance; he knew the habits and habitat of the photographer’s luck, and he did his best to make himself available to its gifts.”  (click on photos to enlarge) I would like to address the process of intentionally blurring an image. "Blurring" refers to observable movement in a photograph. Blur is usually created by a slow shutter speed, camera movement, and/or subject movement.  I panned my camera (moved it horizontally) at the same speed and in the same direction that Rebecca was walking. This resulted in her head and torso being mostly sharp. But since the background was not moving, it ended up blurry. This technique creates a sense of motion and helps the subject stand out from their surroundings (her blue dress helps too). And there's an added benefit in blurring a background. It can hide an intrusive or unpleasant area - for example, a parking lot behind a field where kids are playing soccer. Panning the camera along with a moving player, the photographer creates a blurred area behind them that may be almost unidentifiable. In this photograph, there was no need for hiding it; in fact, it is still identifiable despite being blurry. The girl's environment is appealing, and being able to identify what it is adds a sense of place to the image. The camera settings were 1/15 sec and f8. Occasionally, I’ll blur the entire image. Mentioning this to people often brings looks of bewilderment. I explain that the right amount of blur can produce a photograph that's both interesting and dynamic. It’s having too much blur (making the subject unrecognizable) or too little blur (making it look as if the photographer couldn't hold the camera steady enough) that causes problems. Properly done, the subject will still be identifiable, but rendered more diffuse, softer, and maybe slightly offbeat. You’ll have to experiment with various shutter speeds and camera movements to determine what the appropriate amount of blur is. A relatively long shutter speed usually is enough to produce an effective blur. If more blur is needed, an even longer shutter speed or slight movement of the camera up and down, side to side, or in a circular movement while shooting should do the trick. Again, experimenting is key. In the photos below, each image has been intentionally blurred (their shutter speeds and f-stops are listed in the descriptions). In addition, most have been edited in post production.  Maggie is peering out of her kitchen’s screen door. I usually love color in my photographs, but sometimes it doesn't seem needed. I tried various degrees of saturation with this image and, for whatever reason, just a slight hint of color seemed to work best. The camera settings were 1/10 sec and f4.5. I must have spent half an hour walking back and forth across this city street. I was trying to hide the fact that I was taking pictures by nonchalantly holding my camera on my chest as I continuously pressed the shutter button. The camera settings were 1/15 sec and f22.  I asked Danielle to bend slightly forward to help focus the viewer's attention on her lovely long hair. The camera settings were 2 secs and f5.6.  This is another photo where I followed the subject with my camera. Despite doing that, however, she's still a bit blurry, though less so than the background. There were two elements that attracted me to this location: being able to shoot downward from a high angle and the beauty of the building's floor. The camera settings were 1/8 sec and f8.  A very pregnant Tabitha is standing in front of her bedroom window. I love how that bit of hair dangles in front of her face. I purposely overexposed the background window to provide enough illumination for taking the photo and to blow out the background, thus hiding the unattractive parked cars outside. The camera settings were 1.5 secs and f5.6.  Serendipity plays a role in many of my favorite images. The subject was in the middle of turning around when I accidentally pressed the shutter button. He almost looks like he's dancing! The camera settings were 1/10 second and f5.6.  I was standing in the ocean, forgetting I had dinner plans with a friend and no other pants to change into. However, I really like how the slow shutter speed imparts a sensual feeling to the water and, therefore, to the image. The camera settings were 1/8 second and f25.  I took a bunch of shots, moving the cards in different directions and at different speeds. I think this one was the best. The camera settings were 1/6 second and f8.  (click on photos to enlarge) Now and then, some oddball reflection catches my eye. It's usually for one or more of the following reasons:
This is a reflection of a skylight inside a shopping mall. Whenever I’m wandering through this mall, I’ll usually pass by this area. Because the reflection appears to have depth, and if I’m not paying attention, I’ll sometimes mistake it for a hole in the floor. It’s fun standing near the reflection, trying to see it not as three-dimensional, but as the flat surface it really is.  I found it fascinating how this modern glass facade reflected a much older building across the street.  Looking at shiny polished metal like this, you realize you’re not really seeing the pots themselves. It's a reflection of everything surrounding the pots. It’s the same phenomenon as looking at yourself in a mirror. You’re not seeing the mirror itself - only your reflection.  The exterior light coming in through the doors and windows provides enough illumination to take a picture. But it's really the reflections on the lockers, walls, and floors that give this photograph dimension. Without them, the image would probably be flat and dull.  I placed these kids’ blocks on a shiny conference table. It was only after several viewings that I noticed the reflection spells, in upper and lower case letters, “herb”.  This young woman is gazing into a magical crystal ball (or maybe it was just an ordinary glass ball). Though everything inside of it seems random, it's the coloring and abstract look that I find appealing.   (click on photos to enlarge) There are those who might look at the images above and below and ask why I left so much space around each subject. I often shoot images where the subject - human, animal, or object - is significantly smaller than the empty space surrounding it. I define “empty space” as either the absence of everything (for example, a completely white area) or a continuation of the subject’s environment. This uninhabited area can greatly affect how the subject is perceived by the viewer. “Empty space” is not wasted space. However, I’ve heard it suggested that photographers should crop these areas from an image, thereby making the subject more important. For certain pictures, that might work well. But for lots of images, this misses the true intent of empty space. Nothingness can positively affect an image. Empty space can, for example, emphasize the picture’s location, help define the image’s mood, and lead the viewer’s eye directly to the person or object that is the true subject of the photograph. To that last point, empty space lets the viewer know precisely where their eyes should go, thus actually increasing the subject’s importance. The empty space must be set up with the same care that goes into posing the person or positioning the object. You should do one or more of the following to anything in the empty space that doesn't belong:
I’ve seen and made many pictures where the size of the subject, relative to the total area, is very small - the empty space takes up most of the image’s real estate. If done well, having the subject so small in the picture actually delivers a lot more artistic impact. It seems that as the object gets smaller, its importance can grow.  (click on photos to enlarge) I think accurate skin color is not always necessary when creating portraits. In fact, when I end up with a few hundred pictures of the subject after a typical photo shoot, I find it quite boring rendering every single one with a normal skin color. I truly believe that changing the hue often dramatically improves even the most ordinary photograph, making it far more interesting. It's one of those transformations that can make an image pop. Additionally, changing the color can change the photo's mood. For example, blue can imply coolness, sadness, melancholy, or depression; red can denote rage, danger, heat, love, or passion; yellow can symbolize sickness, glory, splendor, or power; green, to me, just seems to make the picture look weird. My color changes are almost always done in postproduction. I primarily use Adobe Camera Raw, the program included with the Adobe Photoshop subscription. Additionally, I may make a few more adjustments using a program called Nik Software. Initially, I prefer viewing the subject's normal skin color. This is usually the default hue because I've already white balanced my camera before I begin photographing. And, if I want her skin color to be more precise, I'll click on something in the picture that’s white, gray, or black, using the White Balance Tool in Adobe Camera Raw. Or, if I’ve taken a few photos of her holding a photographic gray card, I’ll click on that instead. This should produce the most precise (or close to it) color. It’s then that I may consider making changes to the subject's color. The preceding pictures are just a few of the many I've colored over the years. As you can see, the hue change on some is subtle and more extreme on others. My reasons for coloring them, as noted above, included one or more of the following:
 (Click on photos to enlarge) Regarding the model’s mother, I usually enjoy having her on set. The great mother is indispensable. She’s there to support her daughter unconditionally. That may mean pulling a dress out from under piles of clothing and quickly ironing it, braiding hair, applying makeup, wiping a runny nose, or offering encouragement. Since I customarily work without an assistant, mothers sometimes take on that role for me. I’ve had mothers happily hold light reflectors and leaf blowers (for creating wild effects with the hair), move junk out of the way, and bring snacks to their daughters. When discussing an upcoming photo session with a parent (who is usually the mother), I request that she, rather than the father, be present during the shoot. I believe that the mother will be more in tune with her daughter’s needs, being better able to provide the assistance mentioned above. Sometimes I want someone the model can react to or interact with, and mothers and fathers are perfect for that. I’ve photographed some remarkable expressions when a parent, placed out of the shot, catches their daughter’s attention with their antics. What can work well too, is having a parent or the limb of a parent physically interacting with their child. Unfortunately, there's the occasional overbearing mom who wants to control her daughter, often making unnecessary and disruptive demands of her. This attitude often involves telling the girl how she thinks I want her to pose, which frequently is incorrect. If this happens repeatedly, I’ll patiently explain to the mother what she's doing and how it’s hindering the shoot. That generally solves the problem. If it doesn’t, and if the daughter is a pre-teen or older and agreeable to this, I’ll politely ask the mother to leave the area so the girl and I can photograph alone. Usually, she'll follow my request. By the way, the top photo was posed (as were most of the other photos in this blog). People have viewed this picture and become upset that the blond woman was mocking the teenage girl. She was not. They were both acting. In fact, the woman was reluctant to pose this way. It took some persuading on my part before she agreed to do so.  Elspeth’s face lit up when she caught sight of her father working outdoors. If he hadn’t been there, I doubt I could have coaxed such a wonderful expression out of someone so young. In addition, I love how her hair and window curtain both frame her eyes, nose, and mouth.  When I suggested this shot to Gretel and her mom, I assumed one or both would say “no”. Neither did. I had Gretel try several expressions. I liked this one the best. She looks utterly defeated, as if ready to accept her dismal fate.  Amelia has lots of wonderful expressions. This one says heaps. The hand belongs to her mother. I also like how Amelia pulled down her sleeves a bit to cover her own hands. Occasionally, I’ll include the entire parent in the picture if I sense her presence will benefit the photograph. Sometimes her role is as a supporting actor to her star daughter. Other times, both have equally important roles. Either way, they must work together to support one another.  It took some time to set up this mother/daughter shot. Their placement in the frame was critical. I wanted Miranda, the daughter, to slightly overlap her mother, to imply a physical connection between the two. But I did not want the crossed arms and annoyed look to be hidden. Though Miranda is off to the side, she is larger and in sharper focus than her mom, making her more important. I think their expressions as the smart-ass kid and the annoyed mother are subtle yet obvious.  Mother and daughter were dancing madly on top of a bed, causing their hair to fly out wildly. Each one’s excitement fed the other, helping to create what I hope is a dynamic image.  I find this photo REALLY creepy (in a good way, I think) for a couple of reasons. There’s something about how the girl, Elspeth, has her left arm positioned. It looks eerie and unnatural. Additionally, her head is bent backward, resulting in no clear connection with her mother. And then there’s Elspeth’s spooky blank stare. Photoshop helped too.  Here’s Elspeth and her mom once more, and again not interacting. Each seems isolated from the other. Arms are folded, and neither is trying to connect. I think both expressions are marvelous. |
