The Twins...

ChatKat · January 20, 2009

These girls are my Twins also known as the "ex-step Granddaughters" (My former husband's daughter's kids). We're pretty close and they are at the ackward 12 year old stage of not wanting to hang out with me and my camera. They roll their eyes at the simplest comments. I am hoping they'll outgrow it before long (they're actually quite sweet) I was trying to be creative in looking for somehere to shoot them and when I saw this sign, the light went on because - yes, it was really, buy one, get one free. They are fraternal twins. But the joke is that we would like to give them away for the next 5 or 6 years. (not really)

Scott_Quier · January 20, 2009

Cute kids.

I remember well that time with my son. It started at about the same age and the cure didn't take until he turned 18. That was a rough 6 years but it's over now and we get along and he actually comes to me for advice sometimes. Who woulda thunk?

divamum · January 20, 2009

You all are scaring me... at 101/2 mine already thinks she's 25 and the teenage years are still to come.... :uhoh

THey're both beautiful girls (really only 12? they look so grown up!) - I like the 2nd one of them against the red - the colours are so vibrant!

Schnauzer · January 20, 2009

Nice Kathy. They are very nice looking young ladies.

We went through the same thing with our daughter for a few years. Other than at the horse shows, she hardly wanted to hang out with us at all. Now that shes at grad school, she doesn't want to leave when she comes home.

I don't remember exactly how it went, but Mark Twain said, When I was 15 my father didn't know anything, by the time I was 20 I couldn't believe how much he had learned. (something like that)

NeilL · January 20, 2009

Kathy, it would be interesting to know what lens you used?

Your story helps us to appreciate the message of these shots - it's a joke which many families can relate to.

You're right, the location offers the chance of a visual pun. That could have been stronger if the girls had looked more similar, in their appearance, clothing and poses.

For a topic as playful as this, the shots themselves are strikingly sober. The humor is pretty much all in the "inside knowledge". The fun stops at the visual pun - twins/sale notice - level.

I think the fun idea needs to be exploited and emphasised more in the use of lens and composition. I can imagine getting in closer, and getting some fun distortions into the periphery with a WA. Also, upsetting the horizontal. It's a theory of mine, which I've expressed here before (and which I'm trying hard to get the skills to put into practice), that one key to great photography is to get the camera into the action. Not a recording device, but a player which itself has an observable relationship with what is happening in the image.

In these pics the subjects are looking at the camera, and the camera is looking at them. There could be a hundred miles betwen them. I think the whole effect could be wildly different if they played together. Your subjects might be less than enthused about all this, but I believe you could more than compensate with your lens and composition, freeing your camera from the chains to straight up, down, level and parallel.

Hope I haven't offended, Kathy, by seeming too critical. In truth I don't think you have yet made these nice shots work hard enough for your original great inspiration. And I'm also grateful for the opportunity your post has given to make some notes for myself.

ChatKat · January 20, 2009

Preteen girls...
Neil...you are quite right. But it takes a team to play, and I can tell you that at their age, just getting a few photos of them was the challenge all by itself. They are very athletic and involved in so many things that just to let me take more than a snapshot was a big deal. They aren't into dressing up in the least. I had to lure them to the mall - a great place for this age. One other consideration is that the mall cops were following me, and I was anticipating they'd stop me from shooting inside the stores. I have a few versions - one on an angle and some other fun shots we did do.

I used the 24-70 and I will go pull the exif...1/30 @ 3.2 - 40mm

NeilL wrote:

Kathy, it would be interesting to know what lens you used?

Your story helps us to appreciate the message of these shots - it's a joke which many families can relate to.

You're right, the location offers the chance of a visual pun. That could have been stronger if the girls had looked more similar, in their appearance, clothing and poses.

For a topic as playful as this, the shots themselves are strikingly sober. The humor is pretty much all in the "inside knowledge". The fun stops at the visual pun - twins/sale notice - level.

I think the fun idea needs to be exploited and emphasised more in the use of lens and composition. I can imagine getting in closer, and getting some fun distortions into the periphery with a WA. Also, upsetting the horizontal. It's a theory of mine, which I've expressed here before (and which I'm trying hard to get the skills to put into practice), that one key to great photography is to get the camera into the action. Not a recording device, but a player which itself has an observable relationship with what is happening in the image.

In these pics the subjects are looking at the camera, and the camera is looking at them. There could be a hundred miles betwen them. I think the whole effect could be wildly different if they played together. Your subjects might be less than enthused about all this, but I believe you could more than compensate with your lens and composition, freeing your camera from the chains to straight up, down, level and parallel.

Hope I haven't offended, Kathy, by seeming too critical. In truth I don't think you have yet made these nice shots work hard enough for your original great inspiration. And I'm also grateful for the opportunity your post has given to make some notes for myself.

Nikolai · January 20, 2009

ChatKat wrote:

These girls are my Twins also known as the "ex-step Granddaughters" (My former husband's daughter's kids). We're pretty close and they are at the ackward 12 year old stage of not wanting to hang out with me and my camera. They roll their eyes at the simplest comments. I am hoping they'll outgrow it before long (they're actually quite sweet) I was trying to be creative in looking for somehere to shoot them and when I saw this sign, the light went on because - yes, it was really, buy one, get one free. They are fraternal twins. But the joke is that we would like to give them away for the next 5 or 6 years. (not really)

Cute girls:-)

Twelve y.o., huh? That's about the age when teen modeling starts

And being the twins is a great advantage, designers / agents love that

ChatKat · January 20, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Cute girls:-)
Twelve y.o., huh? That's about the age when teen modeling starts And being the twins is a great advantage, designers / agents love that

Thanks, Nik. But being models to them is of no interest. Now if they could be drafted to a junior version of the Angels Baseball team, or Pro VolleyBall or compete in swimming...they live for that stuff. They actually won some competitions last summer for a mile swim off Huntington Beach.

NeilL · January 20, 2009

ChatKat wrote:

Neil...you are quite right. But it takes a team to play, and I can tell you that at their age, just getting a few photos of them was the challenge all by itself. They are very athletic and involved in so many things that just to let me take more than a snapshot was a big deal. They aren't into dressing up in the least. I had to lure them to the mall - a great place for this age. One other consideration is that the mall cops were following me, and I was anticipating they'd stop me from shooting inside the stores. I have a few versions - one on an angle and some other fun shots we did do.

I used the 24-70 and I will go pull the exif...1/30 @ 3.2 - 40mm

Thanks for the shooting info, Kathy! That 24-70 produces gorgeous colors, doesn't it!

So now, you need to find yourself another pair of goodlooking 12yo twin girls in your neighborhood who love playing to the camera and go back there and shake the mall cops and get down and get those shots you imagined! Easy (if the sale is still going, that is)

D

Neil

Qarik · January 20, 2009

good jobs with the reds..bright reds always seem to give me trouble.

NeilL · January 20, 2009

Kathy, another question, if I may? Did you use onboard flash, and if so how did you tame the shadows? Thanks.

Neil

ChatKat · January 20, 2009

NeilL wrote:

Kathy, another question, if I may? Did you use onboard flash, and if so how did you tame the shadows? Thanks.

Neil

Nope - no flash on that one. Third floor under the mall skylight.

As for the 24-70, yes that lens is lovely, but, it's not always the best when it comes to focus. Sometimes it will mis-focus so you must take multiple frames and use several apertures with it. I hadn't used it for a while since I also have the 24-105L which I prefer. But since I was inside the mall I wanted the extra stop.

NeilL · January 20, 2009

ChatKat wrote:

Nope - no flash on that one. Third floor under the mall skylight.

Good move.

ChatKat wrote:

As for the 24-70, yes that lens is lovely, but, it's not always the best when it comes to focus. Sometimes it will mis-focus so you must take multiple frames and use several apertures with it. I hadn't used it for a while since I also have the 24-105L which I prefer. But since I was inside the mall I wanted the extra stop.

Yes, it has that reputation, but I must say my copy is fairly well behaved, and I know of no other lens with its vibrant colors.

Neil

The Twins...

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