Tag Archives: family

Same Place, Different Face

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For almost twenty years I’ve been flying to the Phoenix area in April or May to drive Mom’s car back to Michigan while she takes the quick way home by plane. I like driving and this is convenient way to retrieve her car and to spend few days sightseeing.

My wife Kris and I have quite a few grandkids. We thought it would be a treat for one of them to ride along and visit some of the “wonders of the West” on a road trip back to Michigan. This was also a great opportunity for Grandpa (me) to spend a few days together one-on-one. One of the grandkids and I would fly to Phoenix for a day or two to visit and then we’d be ready to hop in Mom’s car for the return trip.

For six different years you can see that I stopped to show them one of the most scenic places in America. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is part of the Navajo Nation in the northeast corner of Arizona near the town of Kayenta. In the valley is a 17-mile drive along which you’ll gaze at dozens of jaw dropping sandstone cliffs and buttes. I tried to stop in the same general area to record each grandkid with Merrick Butte or West Mitten in the background.



Ezra 2011


Eden 2014

Ezra and Eden 2014


Logan 2015


Ezra 2015


Lyon 2018


Izora 2019


Adeline 2022

I treasure these pictures so that I have made 20″ x 30″ poster size enlargements of each of them.

They represent great memories for me and hopefully for each of these grandkids as well.

Family Faces

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While I very much enjoy taking outdoor, scenic and landscape photos, ours is a large, extended family.

This keeps me snapping the many faces that are a part of our family life.

Here are a few of the pictures that I’ve picked to share with you:

Recording memories of my family and friends remains an important part of my life. I’m guessing that you have many fond memories that you’d like to share too.

What’s your POV?

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It pays to have a different point of view

Most everyone has an opinion – a point of view if you will. But in photography, the POV acronym has a special meaning.

Point Of View refers to the position of the camera when you click the shutter. By varying the camera’s position you can easily change the composition and “interest quotient” of your image. A simple change in the position of your camera can turn your photograph into a winner.

And of course you’re the key to making this happen.

Try moving closer or further away from your subject. Bend at the waist. Get down on your knees. Turn the camera from the horizontal to the vertical orientation. Lift your camera above your head. Point the camera downward. I think you get the point.

For some suggestions, check out a few of the examples below.

[ Click on any image to enlarge ]

Look Down

For these shots, I’m viewing the subject from above. I’ve filled the frame to emphasize the subject rather than the background. All of these are shot using a standard focal length.
Eye Level

Lowering your camera to meet the subject’s main feature gives a more intimate feel. Moving closer or further away from the subject changes the scale (size) of the subject. Just a few steps can make a noticeable difference. Kneeling or bending over may be part of the routine to get the shot.
Look Up

By shooting upward you can get a very different capture that alters the facial aspect in portraits. Doing so may also emphasize or exaggerate the height of the subject.
How Low Can You Go?

For a couple of these shots, we had to lay prone on the ground to produce a more dramatic view. Some of the newer cameras have a swivel viewfinder for composing low or ground level pictures.

After you’ve paid for your camera, photography is just about FREE. So get out there and show yourself and others that you have an interesting POINT OF VIEW.

Written by: Arnie Lee