Welcome!
I’m super excited to be part the Storytellers Blog Circle this month! If you’re new here, like me, our intention is to use our collective posts to give you, our beautiful and amazing readers, our storyteller point of view. We’ll provide a little background info, and then tell you why we were drawn to the image(s) we’re showing and give you the technical details (if that’s your thing).
Wheee—here we go! So, to set the stage you must know 2 important details: 1) It’s March in Wisconsin (bleak is understatement) and 2) I have three boys.
It’s so dang dark, damp, dreary, damn! (alliteration for the win) here that I’m pretty sure Hollywood will soon be rolling through the ‘hood to capture this depressing essence for their Midwestern version of Manchester By The Sea. I kid you not, a severe dense fog advisory for forty-some hours was sandwiched between (a thousand) days of 100% cloud coverage and a steady, slow water torture level of rain. But life goes on, yes? Kids aren’t going to stay in bed and alternate between napping and reading all day, right? (If yours do, message me; I must know your secrets and will pay top dollar.) On Sunday morning NPR’s Weekend Edition crooned in the kitchen over a layer of living room cartoons as I sucked down a medicinal amount of black coffee. I was then able to pull myself together enough to whip up nine huge Belgian waffles for three growing boys (spoiler alert: there are zero leftovers). Carbs make their world go round.
The window only offered this smidgeon of light and I graciously accepted it. Visually, I, first and foremost, see Ben and Charlie wrapped in their talisman-esque blankets. Then I see Hands Doing Work, which is a reoccurring theme for me. And then I see circles, both literally and compositionally.
Oh boy, even though breakfast was ready after 8am, It.Is.Dark. Yet, this light of late is as real as the day is long.
Canon 5D Mark iii, 24-70L, 24mm, ISO 4000, f/2.8, 1/160
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Visual learner like me? Not a perfect line up, but the sweep is there.
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Below, I wanted to pull in a bit more light to grab that syrup drip. At ISO 4000, it wasn’t picking up enough highlight to pull itself away from the dark background. I was maxed out with my aperture at 2.8 and a bit too risky to shoot under 1/160 with this crew, so I boosted ISO to 5000.
Final numbers: 24mm, ISO 5000, f/2.8, 1/160
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As a documentary photographer, it’s important to me to not alter the realness for the sake of the image. Storytelling-wise, who is absent is as much of the story as who is present; my oldest, Jack, is dreaming the morning away in his dark bunk. This has become our new normal on weekends. My almost teenager sleeps until nine/ten/eleven, while the pulse of the morning continues without him. For those of you stuck with your little ones waking on the wrong side of 6am, please know that it does change. I wasn’t prepared for his absence at the weekend breakfast table. I naïvely assumed we’d all be together kinda forever at this time. That said, what sadness I feel about this is recouped by having a well-rested (read: not grouchy, tired) 12-year-old.
xo,
Jen
Please continue on to see Anna-Liisa’s storytelling post RIGHT HERE.
Beautifully Ordinary is a trademark of Jen Lucas Photography, LLC.
This is my first time reading your blog – have come via the blog circle. But just wanted to say I really found your explanation clear and super helpful. And such a beautiful description of the less than helpful light – which you have worked wonders with!