THE STORY BEHIND THE PORTRAIT
Last Friday, I had chickens at the studio (ha ha- those portraits to come), and yesterday the new puppy went in for portraits with my daughter. The puppy found a piece of straw left over from the chickens, ate it, got it stuck in her throat, and then barfed up lunch trying to dislodge the piece of straw.
Then my daughter grumped about the dress I wanted her to wear because it was too itchy and too big. On top of that, she was wearing a multi-color sports bra and the straps kept showing. Ugh.
The chaos is real, but the love, the moments, and everything we want to remember, all of that is real too.
It's just how photographing kids, pets, and life works. You go into the mess and find the beauty.
I love the way the browns in the background, my daughter's hair, and the puppy's markings all play off one another. The lace of the dress toned with the perfect touch of cream. Plus the blue in the dress and the blue of my daughter's eyes added an additional compliment of color.
If I created a color palette of this portrait, it would look like this:
I spend a lot of time thinking about color tones before I photograph. During a pre-session consultation, I help you plan wardrobe selections that pair well with backgrounds. I also color tone images in post production for even more of a fine art feel.
As an added exciting bonus, this backdrop is one of the canvases that I hand painted. That makes me love this portrait even more.
In addition to color palette, I also spend a lot of time posing my subject. What I am really doing is guiding people into natural, flattering positions that offer strong composition and body language that matches the look and feel of the portrait we are creating. I love the way the the bent elbow in this portrait creates a heart shaped feel. It is perfect for a young girl and her puppy and it is also my belated Valentine's Day gift to myself. My girls. My heart.
What kind of portrait would you cherish the most? I would love to help you create something you will remember for a lifetime.
Love and light,
Michelle Massey Barnes
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