I've said it before and I will say it again. Doing this project is so good for my creativity and to push me outside my comfort zone! All weekend I was scouring my house looking for patterns that I could photograph and incorporate my kids within. My initial idea was to use the spindles of the railing as a repeating pattern. I did indeed take a photo with this set up but I kept looking for more opporunities and ideas. Landon started playing with these Hexactly blocks and immediately thought of using them to create a pattern. However, if you know Landon he isn't the most cooperative and getting him to help me with this photo wasn't going to happen! HAHA. So I set up the blocks and then got in position and encouraged him to just come look at the blocks. Luckily he laid down next to the blocks and it turned out great. Sometimes you have to set yourself up for success and create the opportunities. :) But what makes this photo even more interesting isn't just about the pattern. I tried a new technique called freelensing. It is basically where you remove the lens from the camera body and while holding the camera in one hand and the lens in the other, you move the lens ever so slightly while taking the photo. The result is a photo that has the focus plane "out of whack". It is a difficult technique especially to get the photo in focus in the correct places. But I am glad I tried it and look forward to trying it again.
A note about my settings and setup (shot in manual mode).
Since I was freelensing the aperture was not a factor for this photo.
I used my 35mm lens for this shot so that I could be closer and have more in the frame. However, the lens was kind of heavy to hold.
I set my ISO a little higher because I was inside with the lights off. There was some natural light coming in from the window behind him.
I adjusted the shutter speed until the photo was bright enough according to the light meter.
As for composition, I wanted the colored blocks to be in the foreground to emphasize the repeating pattern and also provide a leading line to Landon. I layed on the ground to get the best angle and positioned myself so that Landon's body would block the toys in the background.
If you would like to join me this year and complete your own Project 52, download my prompt guide and follow along.