Brittany Miller + The Story Behind
There is a long standing phrase that says “We create our own heartbreaks through expectation”. It has surely happen to all of us, we read and research with ferver but yet when we make it out to try our hand at our new photography skill, we trip and fall flat. The very freedom to try and fail with expectations pushed aside can be where we find exactly what we need, case in point: Brittany Miller’s The Story Behind. This fun photos full of movement and the tender sweetness between siblings is just the reminder we all need to lean in, stop getting in our own way and simply try. Read on to find how she utilized panning and turned some of her least favorite playground eyesores into the ideal framing you see here!
IG Handle:.
@raisingwildones
Where was this photo taken?
This photo was taken at Sundance Park in Buckeye, Arizona.
How did the location add or hinder to your image?
Here in Arizona since the sun can be so intense most of the parks are covered with large tarps. To me personally, they can be an eyesore and a distraction in my photos. In this particular image you can see the blue tarps and at first, I was a little disappointed that the image that my focus was awesome had the tarps in it. However, I do think it adds a little bit of playground flair to the image.
DSLR, iphone, instant or film?
DSLR
What were your camera settings for this image?
1/8. f22, ISO 100
Can you tell us “The Story Behind” this shot?
Here in Arizona, it can get upwards of 120 degrees in the summer, which means we are inside a lot. It had rained the day before this and storm clouds were still present this particular day. The temperature was in the low 90’s which for us meant we could venture outside. My husband and I decided to pack the girls up and venture to a local park. I knew I wanted to go to this particular park because of the merry-go-round. I had been feeling a little bit of cabin fever and wanted to try something new. I had fallen in love with some panning photos and wanted to give it a try. I didn’t set my expectations very high because this was my first time trying out this technique. We sat the girls on the merry-go-round and I sat opposite of them. I took a few test shots to get my settings where I wanted them and then we went for a spin. The hardest part of this particular shot was making sure I kept myself as still as possible. Because any movement would throw off my focus and I really was trying to achieve my girls in focus. I definitely felt incredibly motion sick after taking these, but it was a lot of fun.
What speaks to you about this image? What specifically made you press the shutter?
I loved the way my oldest daughter was tightly holding on to my youngest daughter. You can see the intensity in her fingers as she held her. I also loved how you can tell they are both leaning forward from the motion of the merry-go-round.
What was your composition technique with this shot?
I composed my shot with my daughters in the center. I really wanted them and their connection to be the focus of the shot. Plus, the bars of the merry-go-round framed them quite nicely and I wanted to use that to my advantage.
Was this photo happenstance or did you visualize it prior? If so, how did you envision the image and set up for it?
Anytime I shoot with my children I really have to just go with the flow. If I set expectations in my own head it only leads to stress. I try incredibly hard to let the moments happen but maybe give a gentle nudge into the direction in what I had visualized. For this particular shot, I had just visualized them sitting on the merry-go-round with the background blurred, and knew that I wanted to use a center composition. The rest I would leave up to them since truly I want to find a balance between allowing myself to be creative and capturing their childhood as well.
Did you have any lighting challenges/How did you light the image?
It was an overcast day and I actually prefer to shoot on an overcast day. I love that the light is even and I feel that my colors are richer in tone. Overcast for me also means that I do not have to wait for a certain time of day to shoot, I can let the memories happen and not stress out over not having the “perfect” light.
Did you use any special techniques – freelensing, prism, etc?
The only special technique I used was using an incredibly slow shutter speed to have the background blurred but have my daughters in focus to capture the movement.
Did you use a preset to edit this image, your own selective edits or a combination of both?
I used Tribe Archipelago LXC04 as a base and do my own selective edits to the shot.
Do you have any addition information you would like to share with our readers?
This was actually my first time trying this technique and my focus was all over the place. I think it is a mixture of holding your breath and just a happy accident when you get focus. I had a lot of people mention it is too hard and they just give up trying this technique and I want to urge them to keep trying!!! Pushing yourselves and trying new things even if it ends with a photo you don’t like is still a learning experience.
A HUGE thank you to Brittany Miller for sharing how this image was made! Make sure you follow her over on INSTAGRAM so you can continue to be inspired!