Portrait Photo Done By Accident?

This portrait photo (and I call it one) of my better half was taken while we were waiting for our milk tea drinks, and it happened while I was just tinkering with a 12 year-old Kodak C530. It’s pretty much an old model, and I’m very much aware that its capability is overshadowed by newer ones and even smart phones, but I still opted to stick with using it just because I feel that all things should be used until they bust out.

I got intrigued by the way the Dakasi milk tea lamp sign makes an attractive background for her face, and so I shot four pictures, but then I accidentally pushed the flash button off when I took the last one. The result of the portrait photo was this: the bright light at the back contrasts with the contour of her oval head and gentle shoulders, and this also added some depth on the fingers as they enclose her cheeks. What I truly like about this picture is that it looks dark at a glance, and it would take some time and focus for you to see the face and its expression.

Sure, you’ll probably think that I’m biased about my wife, but let me try to express as neutral as possible why I think this portrait photo is beautiful. The picture is remarkable because there are two distinct contrasts, and that the sharp distinction between light and dark creates that slight 3-D effect. Because the image of the person is unconventionally dark, the viewer would exert effort to see the subtle expression of the face, and you could tell from her eyes and smile that she’s mildly wondering, “Hi. Why are you taking a picture of me?”

And for me, the most beautiful thing about the portrait photo is that it was done accidentally, and it’s just amazing when you can pull off something wonderful out of something unplanned or at random.

Afterwards I began searching for more info on accidental photography, and I’m happy to find out that there’s a niche for this way of taking pictures. This is just the start, and now I’m wondering what I could capture next with my old camera. Finding something truly fascinating about something ordinary – isn’t that just stimulating?

By the way, the Dakasi milk tea was superb. We were wondering at first why the flavor we ordered was called “charcoal-roasted” milk tea, and we took careful sips. And there it was – that slight, unobtrusive coal aftertaste that you haven’t experienced elsewhere. It was also a treat seeing how their pounding machine shakes the drink.