Jenny Rogers + The Story Behind

We’ve got a thing for shadows, a BIG THING. Part of it is that when they accompany a photo well, our eye darts around to take the information all in- the subject, the shadow and the framing. When done right, its a pretty awesome trifecta that makes for the most dynamic of photos. Hence why we fell for this shot from Jenny Rogers. Its a particular skill to take all of these aspects into account and create a harmonious relationship between them and there is no denying that Jenny has mastered it.

Read on for Jenny’s take on how she put this beautiful piece together…

Can you tell us “The Story Behind” this shot?

This was just another afternoon running some errands after school and this specific street is on our route home. No real story other than just another typical day in our hood.

DSLR, iPhone, instant or film?

iPhone

What were your camera settings for this image?

No specific settings, just the good old iPhone! Which is my favorite thing about shooting with a mobile phone…keep it simple!

What speaks to you about this image? What specifically made you press the shutter?

My most favorite images of my girls are them being themselves and photographing them in their everyday environment. I feel like this is one of those moments where the stars aligned – light, blank wall, shadows, her dress. I think my most favorite thing about it is that this was taken in an everyday location for us.

Did you have any lighting challenges/How did you light the image?

Direct sunlight. The only challenge was making sure that my shadow didn’t interfere with the image, so I had to watch that and make sure that I was low to the ground and far back enough.

Was this photo happenstance or did you visualize it prior? If so, how did you envision the image and set up for it?

The light in Southern California in February – March is absolutely stunning! This specific area is a place that we travel by frequently. For the past 4 years, I have taken a lot of images of my girls on this wall. In a way I knew what the image was kind of going to look like but I feel like relying on shadows and movement still allows a bit of unknown to go into creating the image.

Did you use a preset to edit this image, your own selective edits or a combination of both?

Yes, VSCO A6 (just for color). Also, Snapseed – I use my own combination in there based on the image.

Any tips on how you attain those beautiful shadows?

This specific wall looks different at all times of the day. At around 3:30pm you can capture the most beautiful shadow; like the one above. Around noon the wall is totally blank and adds some beautiful negative space and all of shadows are casted perfectly on to the sidewalk. It is probably one of my most favorite places to shoot photos of my girls in our city. On the weekends, the streets are empty because it is in a business area.

Thank you to LA’s Jenny Rogers for taking us through this amazing shadowed shot. You can find more jams from Jenny here:
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