This week my assignment for class was to take documentary style photographs of strangers. The goal was to capture a moment of reality. I took over a hundred photos, and in the end, this is the one that I like best:
This was taken on a whim. I was walking to the library with my camera around my neck, and this girl passed by me in a hurry to get somewhere. Without thinking, I took her picture and tried to catch up with her. Later, when I went through all the photos I had taken, this one stood out to me. I like that she is the only person in the shot and that the focus is on her. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my aperture was set so that the background was slightly blurred.
I also chose this picture because she is standing in between two shadows- something I was lucky to catch. In the other photos, she was in the dark and not the focus of the photo. The lamp posts also create a kind of pattern that points to her. Overall, I am very pleased with this photo.
This project was something new for me; I’ve never been one to walk around with my camera and take pictures of strangers. Well, I did in Italy, but there I had the excuse of being a tourist. On campus, it felt awkward to discretely survey everyone around me.
Another obstacle I faced was the weather. It was so cold! On the day that I could shoot, hardly anybody wanted to venture outside into the windy weather. Most of the people I was able to photograph walked alone, huddled in jackets and hats, walking quickly past me. A lot of my images turned out darker than expected because I had to use a higher shutter speed than normal.
I can’t wait for my next project!
Mariah's Creations 
14 comments
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February 12, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Caitlin
One of my favorite features about this photograph are the converging lines of the walkway that lead down to the clock. Also, the colors in the picture seem very bright. I would just suggest working on the focus in the future, it seems a little blurry in some places.
February 13, 2010 at 10:29 am
janaefrazier
I like the story of this photograph, because one gets the impression that the girl in the photo is late. What also complements this thought is the fact that there is a clock in the shot. I also like how you captured her in mid step. It seems like it could have been a little focused better, but overall Good Job!
February 13, 2010 at 12:22 pm
anastasiaromanowicz
I really like this photo. I like how you caught her in the middle of walking and that the shadows across the path draw your eye in. I think one thing which could have made it better would be to maybe place her more in the right hand corner. Also focusing on the background could help it too. I really like this photo a lot!
February 13, 2010 at 12:51 pm
stephalvarez
This picture is interesting because even if the viewer has no clue about the instructions for this assignment, you can tell just when it was taken. Sometime during the winter, because there are no leaves on the trees in the background and the girl is wearing boots. And it was probably taken in between class or when class was over, because there’s nobody else on the pathways. It was also probably taken at some point in the afternoon because of the shadows. Just by observing the setting you can come up with a story for this image.
February 13, 2010 at 6:48 pm
michiyaenglish
I enjoyed this photo because it has a story within it. I look at it and it feels like you could have set this up because it works so well. In class when we talked about how she could be running late it all fell into place. The clock is where the lines draw your eyes it all makes sense.
February 14, 2010 at 4:20 pm
jbranchaud
This is a very interesting picture because of the clock in the background. I really makes you wonder if she is late or early. It is a very interesting shot i would just like a little more focus on the girl though.
February 14, 2010 at 4:52 pm
katherinekoch
This picture is cool because of the story within it. The clock could have been focused better. The lines are really cool.
February 14, 2010 at 5:42 pm
kobrien6
I like the lines in this photo. I can follow the repeating poles to find the clock and she seem to be hustling towards the clock. I think the only way to make this better would be to get her with her foot higher. But that’s a little picky thing.
February 14, 2010 at 6:00 pm
ahad47
I like the lines in this picture and how they are all reaching towards the sky. On the other hand, I think this picture might be a little bit to overexposed.
February 14, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Sarah Carideo
I enjoy how the diagonal line of the poles and the implied eye line of the girl towards the clock that help the story behind the image that perhaps she is running late for class.
February 14, 2010 at 7:37 pm
astevens7
I rally like the lines that are made in this picture with the path and the light and flag poles. The only thing I would work on is watching the light pole. It looks like it is coming out of the girls head.
February 14, 2010 at 9:11 pm
josephkiernan
The converging lines are great. Little too far away. Stay in focus.
February 14, 2010 at 10:37 pm
markrehbein
Hey this photo is framed really well. I think it would be even more interesting if we could make out the clock in the distance
February 15, 2010 at 12:51 am
laurenludlow
Mariah – This is a really interesting photograph. I love how the girl looks like she is on her way to class, and is maybe running a little late and yet, she is walking casually. You really captured a movement here. To improve this picture, try focusing the shot more. I would have loved to have seen the detail in the clock.