6.7 photojournalism
I researched locally for any events happening this week to allow me to take some images for this step. The best I could find was the election for the PCC so I had thought I could take some images outside the polling station. However it is on a day when I am particularly committed, and as I voted via post I wasn't going to be attending a polling station.
As I walked to the dentist this morning, I heard the noise of chainsaws coming from the park so that felt like it qualified as "something happening" so when I got home again I grabbed my camera and headed out.
I asked if it was OK for me to take photos and explained that I was doing a course and needed some images for photojournalism. They were happy with me taking pictures so long as I kept outside the tape. Not a problem.
This is the image I have chosen as it contains three people per the brief. It's the last shot I took, as I left the park. I wanted a shot that gave context and I think it does this.
In all the images I've changed the levels a little and in two I gave a square crop. Those are the only changes I've made.
These are the other images I took. I think they show what's going on but they don't have the overall impact of the one I chose. I particularly like the moments when the branch is starting to fall - but these shots could have been anywhere (apart from the one through the swings) and only include one individual so I think that rules them out.
This is the one that I liked best in terms of subject and composition, but I am not sure it fitted the brief.
And the others...
Why did you decide to take this particular shot?
I wanted to position the action in context, in the park. Turning back and framing through the equipment helped me to do that. I prefer the shot framed through the swings with the branch falling but it contains only one person so I didn't feel able to select it.
My favourite shot doesn't show park or other people so I couldn't select that.
What did you have to do to get it just right?
I had to move my feet a lot to get things right. I also spent quite a while taking pictures and did a big loop around the outside of the working area, as you can tell from the different angles. After the first few, I thought to myself 'oh I've got enough now' but something made me carry on and see what else I could get.
In hindsight, would you have done anything differently to prepare? Why?
It was a quick reaction thing so no real time to prep. I could usefully have spent two minutes swapping my 105mm lens for my 24-120mm lens which would have given me a lot more options but I was worried that they would finish while I was faffing around. I think I should have swapped it.
