Photographing Photographers: Both of our daughters are now adults, living on their own, so we cherish the times we are able to spend with them. Our younger one, who lives a few hours...

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Both of our daughters are now adults, living on their own, so we cherish the times we are able to spend with them. Our younger one, who lives a few hours away in Cincinnati OH, has always loved the Henry Ford Museum in suburban Detroit, so periodically we suggest a trip there as a way to spend a weekend with her.

That is what we did this past U.S. holiday weekend. From my perspective, the museum changes are glacial at best, so I took this opportunity to do some people-watching, mostly other people with cameras, photographed in their natural habitat. Here are a few results of that

Note: I have made an "artistic" decision to accept the lighting provided by the museum's curators, so please don't ask me to "fix" the white balance.

Every Saturday they have an activity for kids in the entrance area of the museum.

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In the Flight section, you can watch old films of barnstormers - they even provide some characters so you won't feel out-of-place

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I could have taken pictures all day from this position in the Presidental Vehicle section.

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This is the only reason I'm posting these pictures - two guys taking pictures of two guys in the Women's Suffragette subsection of the Civil Rights section.

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Andrea.Jarrell Loc: Mount Airy, NC

I actually like the quality of light that you captured here. You are so right that if you had not specifically mentioned it others would likely tell you to fix the WB. I have been to this museum several years ago so I know what the lighting is like in there and you have done a nice job of presenting it here. I love the subject matter.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

The light is great for a more intimate mood (sense of place). The image that engages me the most is #2. There's a bit of whimsy and I feel that this pair (older and younger generation) are enjoying a great day together.

#1 is a little too far from the "action" to be effective IMO, though I understand you wanted to get in the sign identifying the activity.

Your last shot is fun - a paparazzi feel. Check the style of shoes, pants, purse on the far-right photographer, though. My vote is it's a woman

Regarding your own story: it is wonderful to have these kinds of special traditions (destinations) with adult children. When I volunteered at the National Zoo on Thanksgiving, older families often mentioned the holiday visits had been a tradition for many years.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

rehess wrote:

Both of our daughters are now adults, living on th... (show quote)

Thanks for sharing your interesting journey, and I quite agree, I find the people in a museum often more interesting than the displays. Odd lighting is OK by me, in some museums I'd be grateful for ANY lighting as I grope my way about.

I have a pro photographer acquaintance who has an entire portfolio of folks in museums all in monochrome, and it's a pretty fun watch. Keep collecting and sharing!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Linda From Maine wrote:

The light is great for a more intimate mood (sense of place). The image that engages me the most is #2. There's a bit of whimsy and I feel that this pair (older and younger generation) are enjoying a great day together.

#1 is a little too far from the "action" to be effective IMO, though I understand you wanted to get in the sign identifying the activity.

Yeah, on second thought, the first image doesn't really belong with the others. The actual reason for my framing was to show that these kids were within just a few feet of some serious museum stuff, but I'm probably guilty of trying to cram too much context into the picture {and since I don't know any of the people, the picture is boring to me if I leave other other stuff out}

added: I should mention that I'm also trying to decide about framing. I'm very context bound, so I hate to cut things like Pres. Eisenhower's car {#3} and the suffragette car {#4}, but doing that would put more focus on the people.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Andrea.Jarrell wrote:

I actually like the quality of light that you captured here. You are so right that if you had not specifically mentioned it others would likely tell you to fix the WB. I have been to this museum several years ago so I know what the lighting is like in there and you have done a nice job of presenting it here. I love the subject matter.

I've been especially aware of light temperature issues since December 2014, when I went with my wife to a Madrigal Dinner at the college where she works. I didn't want to make a clack-clack racket with my DSLR, so I took my tiny Canon Elph instead. Part way through the dinner, she quietly whispered "Those pictures aren't right" ... on the way out she explained that the "set designers" had gone to lots of trouble to turn a student lounge into a medieval dining hall, and colors in my pictures weren't showing what she was seeing {and the Elph is basically a point-and-shoot, no raw, few WB choices}. By the next year, I had a Pentax Q-7 MILC, with its whisper-quiet leaf shutter, raw file capability, and "candle light" WB. She was much happier with the pictures I took this time.

NJFrank Loc: New Jersey

I am going to go in another direction from what most spoke about in your shots. To me you "documented" a day at the museum, with all its displays and visitors.
The lighting is what it is, and you worked it well. Seemed to soften everything.
Always fun to observe people you never know what you will get.

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

rehess wrote:

[...]I should mention that I'm also trying to decide about framing. I'm very context bound, so I hate to cut things like Pres. Eisenhower's car {#3} and the suffragette car {#4}, but doing that would put more focus on the people.

I think your framing was fine. I think you needed the cars for context. I've been in the museum as well and would have known instantly where it was without you telling me. My favorite is the 4th one, and it was funnier when we thought it was two guys photographing two guys, but Linda gave the heads-up that the (wo)man on the right is, indeed, a woman (photographing a man), and it turns out on closer inspection that the photog on the left is a man photographing a woman, but what the hey, it's still a good picture. It actually has something in common with (dare I say it?) street! People doing stuff. I rarely take pictures of family members like those being taken, the "Kilroy Was Here" thing posing in front of some touristy thingy, and I confess to being a little bit of a snob about it, so I also confess to thinking these are terrific shots simply because they show the "Kilroy Was Here" thing. (Now I'm ashamed of myself.

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ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

rehess wrote:

Both of our daughters are now adults, living on th... (show quote)

The choice of lighting and white balance is a good one. That last photo is really nice. You got the whole scene and the others were not even aware you were there. I like that.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

ebrunner wrote:

The choice of lighting and white balance is a good one. That last photo is really nice. You got the whole scene and the others were not even aware you were there. I like that.

Oh, I'm sure they knew I was there, but they had written me off. I currently have two cameras, a yellow Pentax Q-7 MILC and a blue Pentax K-30 DSLR; my theory is that people will notice me right away and then write me off as a goofy guy with goofy amateur gear. Yeah, I had a camera bag also, but I had a map sticking out my hip pocket and a baseball cap sticking out another pocket.

In the case of the 2nd and 4th pictures, I was on the wrong side of the room when I saw the opportunity, so I quickly but calmly moved to where I thought the best angle was. I was amazed that I got away with it both times.

added: my back was bothering me at one point {I'm 68}, so I just sat down on a bench near the Presidential limousines, knowing that all kinds of opportunities would present themselves without my having to work very hard.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Chuck_893 wrote:

..... br It actually has something in common with... (show quote)

I often describe this kind of thing, which I do more and more, as being "like Street Photography", because it depends on the person continuing what s/he had been doing before I and my camera showed up. The one thing I didn't get was someone taking a "selfie" in front of one of the major exhibits; modern use of cell phone cameras seems so narcissistic to me.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

rehess wrote:

I often describe this kind of thing, which I do more and more, as being "like Street Photography", because it depends on the person continuing what s/he had been doing before I and my camera showed up.

The main reason should be just because that definitely is Street Photography.

One thing I do question is not setting White Balance to match the lighting.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Apaflo wrote:

...
One thing I do question is not setting White Balance to match the lighting.

rehess addressed in his opening: artistic choice

For me the warmer lighting adds more of a more personal, intimate feel - less institutional.

HarryBinNC Loc: Blue Ridge Mtns, No.Carolina, USA

Apaflo wrote:

The main reason should be just because that definitely is Street Photography.

One thing I do question is not setting White Balance to match the lighting.

"White Balance" attempts to make every kind of light look like daylight - that is OK in some instances, but certainly not all - I applaud the OP's decision to show it as it was.