A few weeks ago I spent an afternoon at ACDS in Plainview, making photographs of students for the school's website and promotional material. What a fun (and fast-paced!) afternoon...with some of the most charming kids ever to sit in front of my cameras!

We wanted a lot of versatility available for the resulting photographs, so we chose a gray backdrop that could later be brightened or darkened (or even completely removed) in software. It's little things like this you have to think about when considering the photographs' destination and use, as gray and white don't offer color fringing in hair and clothing when you're working in programs like Photoshop. If you used red or blue or yellow, for example, it would be a lot easier to see the post-production work on the photographs.

A little about ACDS, from their website: ACDS is dedicated to providing lifetime resources of exceptional quality, innovation and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities and their families. As Long Island's leading service provider for children and adults with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities, ACDS provides a continuum of year-round programs and services that include diagnostic evaluations and treatment, early intervention, day care/ nursery, preschool, special education and clinical services for children, from infancy to age 5; individualized residential services (IRA) for adults, age 21 and over; and evening and weekend recreation and socialization services for children, age 5 and over. The agency also provides nursery/day care programs in an integrated setting, with typically developing children.

The image at left offers a glimpse at what just might be the most adorable toddler to ever pose for me - and pose she did, like a pro. Her clasped hands just put this image over the top, I think! Notice how by cutting down and directing the light, we were able to allow the same background to appear darker, bring the focus to her face and hand position. There's the benefit of that gray-colored backdrop again...