We are to again devise a workflow for a specific shooting assignment but this time the assignment should unstructured and open ended. The number of images will be unpredictable and the shoot should last a length of time that the photos may need reviewing and editing as we go along rather then waiting until the end of the shoot.
Planning.
Visit Cambridge city centre photographing people as they go about daily life, architecture, market square, bikes. If I was commissioned for this shoot then obviously I would be meeting my clients criteria.
Preparation.
Charge batteries, check memory card, check file space on laptop, reset camera settings from previous shoot.
Shoot.
I set off early morning so that I would catch people on their way to work or college. Luckily Cambridge is always busy regardless of what time you go so I was likely to see crowds of people either way. I had chosen Cambridge because it is my nearest city, about 14 miles from home, and there is always a lot to see. My approach consisted of taking a walk around the city centre constantly think of different compositions and trying out different shots. Some of which may then be edited if I felt they were not what I was looking for. Any that I was not sure about could wait until I put them on the laptop and could assess them properly. In the end I only had a spare hour which I thought would be plenty of time but it turned out to not really be that long. I would of liked to of had time to go down to the river and photograph people punting. Because I had my camera out the whole time I was subjected to many people approaching me as they thought that I was a tourist! Many of which where trying to get my to pay to go punting. By the time I had finished, after editing as I was going along I had taken about 35 shots. I estimate that I had probably shot 15-20 more.
Post shoot.
Once home I loaded all the images onto the laptop and started to remove any images with signs of blur of that were not technically suitable. After this I looked at the images the day after and selected the ones I felt were accurate to what was happening at the time of shooting. Some that I felt strongly about at the time didn't come across as well as I had hoped. I edited the images down three times so that I was left with two images that mean something to me.
Final Images.
1/60 f13 ISO 200 45mm WB AUTO
I chose this image as one of my final selects because I feel that it represents Cambridge quite well. There are quite a lot of people that sell the big issue or busk. This shot shows the woman with the long hair having completely ignored the seller's presence as she walks straight past. I see this happen all the time, even if I do not buy from them it is always nice to acknowledge them, even when you are in a rush.
1/60 f13 ISO 200 62mm WB AUTO
I chose this image because it contained many factors that represent Cambridge. It has a church in the background, shows the market square and people cycling. You can never get away from bikes in Cambridge. I particularly like the feeling of depth in this image with the many layers. I also like how your eye is drawn to the tree in the centre and then the four red phone boxes. I like how the line follows down from the church tower, emphasising height.
1/50 13 ISO 200 105mm WB AUTO
I decided to leave this picture until last as it is my favourite, mainly as I have a personal link to it. When I was little and used to visit Cambridge there was always an elderly man who used to walk around the city centre wearing an old suit, top hat and pushing a cart. In the cart there used to be a variety of animals. He would also usually have mice running around the brim of his hat. All the children loved him. Sadly he died some years ago now and this sculpture was created in his memory. I particularly like the fact that I have managed to capture it with a child having been drawn to its bright colours and smooth touch.
Conclusion.
From carrying out this project it has made me think further about the process I go through before shooting a series of images. I also think that it has reinforced the fact that your images should relate to you in some way. Having a personal connection makes for a stronger image in my opinion.
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