Saturday was my first day out, shooting an event on my own. My biggest hurdle to jump was getting proper information to go along with the photos I had taken. In the end though it worked out and had enough information, although I had to search out some people to get their information.
My overall lesson from that day, though, was all about captions. Who, what, when, where and why; these words I would repeat to myself. To sum it though, names, ages, town that they live in, why they were there, and a little personal history. For example "How long have you been participating in cycling competitions?" Things like that.
My other main goal was to maintain a professional demeanor and polite manor when talking to people. Not that doing that was a problem for me but it was certainly something to keep in mind. I shot mostly all day and was having a real good time of it. But what made it even better was going over the photos with Tony. Getting a second opinion and tips from a seasoned professional really made a world of a difference to me. For example, keeping low and framing up everything just like when someones head is cut off in a photo don't cut off the bicycle of a racer or the legs of a footballer. Its really amazing to have someone be able to give you the proper feedback you need. Friends and family only go so far.
What also made a world of a difference was having a second camera with a professional quality telephoto lens. My current lens is basic and isn't the best, but works just as well for now. In the future I must invest in some professional quality wide angle lenses. The size of the glass and the length of the aperture really can make a difference in some situations. Also as a photojournalist it truly would be best if I purchased a camera with a better fps rate. Never the less I will persevere with the camera equipment I have and not let it affect my ability to gauge a situation and find and image to evoke emotion and tell a story.
