Clicked Her myriad Moods in Monochrome

Meet my apartment neighbor. She is a kindergarten kid and we share a beautiful "hi uncle/ ta-ta uncle" relation. Most of the days when I return from work in the afternoon, her mom feeds her with a tablespoon while she carefully monitors what's going on below from the top of our fourth floor gallery. Often I miss waving at her but that's never deliberate. A couple of weeks ago, while taking the elevator I noticed her on the porch and instantly the shutterbug spree overpowered me. I took an u-turn, returned to my flat and brought my camera. Her golden nose ring along with those overtly expressive eyes had added some vintage and rural aroma to these portraits that reminded me of Bengali feature films of sixties! Have you watched Ray's famous movie- 'Pather Panchali' (Song of the little road)?

Although I could capture her myriad moods in monochrome, my tiny neighbor insisted that I should click only after she puts on her make-up. So, I didn't trouble the angel much due to the fear of annoying a prospective volunteer model. Yes, even her mother was happy to tell how sincere her daughter is when it comes to posing before the lens. Black and white portraits are usually very interesting provided there is at least one contrasting element in the composition that is capable enough to draw a viewer's attention. Interestingly, a monochromatic photo story was the most visited post of this blog till few months back. I intend to shoot more of her black and white portraits. Keeping my fingers crossed  for the next high tide, i.e. the golden moment when three elements- her availability, mood and my clicking urge shall coincide.

In case you're a newbie and desirous to click portraits of children, don't forget to bend down on your knees to get to their eye-level, make them enjoy your presence and very importantly, maintain a high shutter speed. Explore the black and white mode in your camera. Try to find out which compositions are getting better in monochrome. Shoot randomly, take ample photos and do not discard shots based on your camera display. I'll bring few beach photos (classic combo of sand, sea and the sun!) in my upcoming blog post. Till then take care and happy clicking.