In 1988 I attended my first Flying Short Course. I brought with me a portfolio which included a photograph of an older woman I had taken earlier that year. I was driving down a street in the San Fernando Valley, probably Topanga, when I spotted an old woman in her home. It was dark out and she had her lights on. I went up to her door and asked to take her picture. She kindly invited me in. We talked and I snapped away. Just learning how to take a picture and not at all used to using the flash, I pointed it straight at her. I still have that photograph with her dilated eyes, somewhere. Well one of the fun things about attending flying short courses is that professional photojournalists look at your work and give you advice. One of the men there told me in no uncertain terms "Don't ever put the flash in someone's face".
Funny the things we remember, I have been thinking lately it would be fun to do a whole series of portraits with dilated eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment