For this third assignment in my Multimedia Production course, I was instructed to go out a take pictures of things happening around me. I explored places around campus, my living quarters, and even went to a concert.
Several journalists nowadays are required to take photos to go along with their assignments or stories. Luckily, thanks to my previous editor positions and internships, this idea is familiar to me. Taking photos during assignments isn’t just a habit for me, but it has also become a helpful tool for visualizing what my story is about.
The five photos below are my favorite photos that I have taken from my past week. One thing I found difficult was not staging photos. When I was in the Union or my apartment’s community center, people would notice I was taking photos, then pose or smile at the camera. I really had to be sneaky in order for my photos to look more natural and genuine.
In my previous blog post I used a Canon Rebel T3i to shoot my photos. However, for this assignment all of the photos are from my iPhone. This is because I was taking photos whenever I had the chance during my week. All of my shots were taken spontaneously. I would analyze my environment and snap a quick few photos if I had a good opportunity.
I discovered About to Break while I was heading to the community center to check my mail. This gentlemen was playing a round of pool late that night. He was about to start another game, and I took the opportunity to grab a leading lines shot.
The atmosphere at this event was quiet. This gentlemen and I were the only two in this community space. I could tell he felt a bit awkward when I went straight to him and just started taking pictures. However, I took About to Break extremely fast before he could react. Like I said, I had to be sneaky.
Afterwards, I asked for his name and explained to him my assignment. Overall, this shot was not hard to achieve. I simply saw the angle, time, and focus that I wanted and I took it. I believe I used leading lines and focus best in this shot. The triangle of the billiard balls leads directly to the subject of the photo.
When I was studying in the Union, I came across a group of people around me who were reading the Bible and journaling. After talking to a few of them, it was a time that wasn’t orchestrated or planned. They simply were reading and writing about their faith on their own time.
Lost in Thought was a harding photo to take. When I was taking photos of this group, that would smile or laugh when I would start snapping pictures. I really wanted a close a personal feel to the shots because of the nature of what they are about. To achieve this, I had to get close a personal when some people I did not know, which felt awkward until I starting talking to them about what I was up to.
The creative devices I focused on in Lost in Thought were rule of thirds and focus.
This was an event I attended a bit last minuet. A friend of mine had an extra ticket and I thought it would be a great opportunity to have fun but also take some photos.
Surrounding Light was surprisingly a harder picture to take. I was struggling with my iPhone camera to get good lighting. It took several photos and adjusting my position to make the subject not look washed out. I also had to shove my way through a crowd to get close enough so I did not have to zoom in.
A creative device I believe I used was framing with the spot light around the subject. Luckily, I didn’t have to be too sneaky to take this photo. Toby was too busy sharing his raw talent to care that I was taking a picture.
This student was also studying a Bible when I was studying in the Wyoming Union. The Open Word was a bit easier to catch than Lost in Thought. I believe that this gentlemen heard me talking to the others around about why I was taking pictures. When I began taking shots of this student, I think he understood what I was doing and didn’t react until I was finished. Therefore, my sneakiness wasn’t necessarily needed here.
In order to get the angle, I rested on my knees on top of a chair next to him. The creative devices I focused on in The Open Word were cropping and viewpoint.
High Five of the Decade was a bit harder to take, however I am surprised by the outcome. I ended up following Toby down the stage and snapping pictures as he moved. It was difficult because I was having to focus on several things at once; moving through the crowd, saying “excuse me” to people, and making sure my lighting and focus was consistent.
I felt awkward trying to take High Five of the Decade. There were several people in the crowd that were frustrated with me as I moved back and forth. I felt like a burden while taking pictures.
A creative device I believe I used well was balancing elements. I was able to catch Toby and the fan at a good moment to where they were an either side of the frame.
I believe this assignment would have been easier if I had planned which events I was taking pictures at better. I assumed it would have been easier to simply take pictures as I went through my day to day life. However, I found that my photos did not turn out as good as I was taking them on the dot.
I felt awkward taking pictures with my phone. I believe that if I had my digital camera with me, the subjects of the photos would have a better idea of why I was taking pictures of them. Many of them felt uncomfortable which made me feel extremely awkward. My last intention was to make anyone feel uncomfortable.
However, I learned that being uncomfortable may never go away. In the moment it may be awkward, but the results are worth it. Being sneaky or not, I believe my photos turned out authentic and genuine like a photojournalist.
McKenna Nylander Media 