July Storytellers Blog Circle: Layers of Story

This post is one of several in a monthly educational blog circle made up of storytelling photographers and Offset artists. After you read how I shot my storytelling image for the month, click to the next artist at the bottom of my post and follow the circle the whole way around. Enjoy!

ISO 6400   f/1.6   1/640sec

A couple weeks ago our family and our friends' family rented a quaint lake house in New York so that we could all spend the weekend together. The boys had a bed in the room but it was small and high off the ground.... and they are 4 and 6 and dance and rotate in their sleep. So, the floor it was! 

I was drawn to shoot this image because of all it says to me about summer and childhood. The excitement with sleeping on the floor. The leftover glow sticks from a night of fun. The way the dusky light filters through the window even at a late hour. 

The first image I shot.

On the left is the first image I shot. I focused on the son who was closer to the camera because of the light from the window and how it was lighting his eyes, as well as his natural expression. Then, as I was shooting, I noticed my son in the background flinging his glow stick around. That's when I toggled the focus to him. 

Had there been more light and if I hadn't toggled so quickly, I probably should've tried this image with a higher aperture. The son who is closer to me is sufficiently in focus enough to show the story, but closing down my aperture would have lent more detail to the story. 

It's little moments like this that I remember from my own childhood, and I hope my boys remember it too.  

Keep the learning going by clicking to the next talented storyteller in our lineup: Rebecca Hunnicutt Farren! 

Have you downloaded your free Summer Photo Guide yet? It includes:

• A fresh take on a summer photo challenge in the form of a Scavenger Hunt. Remember how the Summer of 2017 FELT through your photos.
• A bonus photo BINGO board (with pictures!) for the young photographer in your life.
• Tips and inspiration for photographing your summer with your phone or camera.