First shoot; reflect and respond.

I chose to shoot at work, which was both convenient in that the subject matter is something I am familiar with and passionate about, and also in that this is where I spend the majority of my time. The main challenges I had were finding the right moments to take pictures. I shot both new hires attempting to figure out the way things work and various study groups that tend to congregate in the evenings. Its awkward; capturing individuals with whom little, if any, relationship exists. Its hard for individuals being shot as well I think. A photograph can be a very personal thing. I did my best to appear confident and well versed in what I was attempting to capture. I hoped that my relaxed and calm appearance would project on those that I was shooting and maybe pacify any insecurities they had with the ordeal. In the instances that this was not successful, I tended to stop and wait for a more ideal opportunity.

Not getting in the way and finding interesting angles presented the most challenging technical aspects of this shoot for me. I noticed I was taking a lot of pictures from side profile and from the same spot behind the bar. I tried to vary my position around the cafe and use elements like lighting to capture more interesting photos while still not getting in the way of people studying and working.

I focused a lot on capturing something interesting and something that conveyed learning. I spent more time than I think I should have waiting for the right moments than in actually shooting; too much worry about taking a bad picture. Something about film as opposed to digital shots makes me nervous. There isn't a delete button on my SI.

Incorporating various angles and attention to light to take a good shot is probably as complex as I got in regards to advanced techniques for this shoot. Next time though, or maybe sometime before Thursday, I will work harder to pay more attention to technique.