It was a very rainy day, and I was looking for something to do with the kids who were out of school. We ended up going to the Hepworth Gallery, which is a wonderful art/sculpture gallery in Wakefield.

I’ve been working on my portrait skills with natural light as I don’t own a flash as of yet and I don’t have a studio. The building has incredibly large windows, and I saw Tess leaning against a window, looking out at the garden below. The light was just lovely on her face, so I took the opportunity to get a few shots.

I didn’t pose her, which is why there are many faults in how she is standing, but I just loved how the light looked and the backdrop of the raindrops on the window and the buildings behind. It was inspiring to be surrounded by beautiful paintings as well. While I think black-and-white is best for a portrait of Tess, the canvases around us were filled with color.

I will continue to actively work on my portrait skills; it’s just a question of the right light at the right time with the right subject. So many difficult variables! I usually shoot animals and they are much easier subjects because they aren’t self conscious but they also don’t listen to posing suggestions.

I love looking at the portrait work of others as the human face is always fascinating, and I’m so admiring of those photographers who really capture something special in their subjects. Phil Sharp is a favorite portrait photographer of mine.

I so appreciate the encouragement that I’ve gotten from the FRAMES community on this photograph as well as lesser seen photos. It is so helpful in my learning journey and I’m grateful to Tomasz for creating this space.

Tess is often a ball of sound and movement, but this was a quiet moment, and I was grateful to be able to capture it. She has still not told me what she was thinking about!

What are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!

I think the way the light illuminates her face and neck is a huge part of why this is a good portrait, along with her natural beauty. In addition, I think the backdrop of the widow with the raindrops and the city skyline behind her.

If you could make this photo again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?

I would have her move her hand down so that it wasn’t shading part of her neck and so that you could get the full silhouette of her face and neck.

Jennifer Good shared this photograph in the FRAMES Facebook Group.

Photographer

Jennifer Good, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK

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Equipment and settings

Fujifilm X100V
23mm, ISO 250, F2.5 1/400 sec.