A Photo Assignment - third time's a charm?

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I have spent a large part of this long weekend practicing photography.  Yes, I finally got my head out of the books, took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather (Sunday = 55 degrees; Monday = 67 degrees!), and went for a photo shoot.

The assignment was to really spend time on one subject and photograph that subject from a varieties of different angles, perspective, etc.  The first time I read the lesson, I interpreted "subject" in a broad sense. I decided that I would go to the local arboretum and photograph nature.  While there was little floral vegetation, there were some variety of plant life and tranquil spots by the water.  I took 242 pictures, of which I am willing to share three.  Not great odds, but I did learn quite a bit about light and how the angle of the sun in relation to the subject can dramatically alter the mood of the picture.  I learned to use my exposure compensation to help overcome my ineptitude of proper manual settings.


This is actually one of the first photos I took.  I liked the way the sun provided the warm glow to these cat's tails.  I had hoped to have the rocks a bit less in focus, so that the cat's tails would truly stand out, but my camera lens did not stop down far enough.  
I experimented for quite some time with this subject, and in a couple of pictures I focused on just one of the stalks, but I thought this group of three made for a more cohesive shot.
This picture allowed me to play with depth of field a bit more.  As I study it, however, I wish there was more of a contrast between the subject and the background.  Oh well, I am definitely still learning.




After spending quite some time trying to take a picture of the rope bridge (to no avail) I looked behind me and noticed these benches next to the water.  I thought it might be fun to take a picture of this spot in the middle of winter - and then return in six months and see how the tree has filled out and the grass has greened up.
While I don't think this is a spectacular photo (and I am sure many of you with far better composition techniques could give me a few pointers), I do like the idea that it could inspire a story.  Who might walk into this setting and sit down by the water?  A romantic couple?  A lonely teen?  A young mother with her newborn?

After this shoot I came home and read some of the message boards for the class.  Apparently same subject meant, literally, the same subject.  If I wanted to photograph flowers, then the same flower from a variety of perspectives, angles, etc.  Of course, this makes more sense:  if I am truly going to develop my eye for the beauty around me, I need to slow down and really see the beauty up close, far away, underneath, overhead, etc.  

Occasionally Jude has to show
Feeny who's boss.

Ok -- so round two.  We were encouraged to find a subject that evokes an emotional response from us - something that we find inspirational.  Well, for me, that would be my dogs.  So I went out to the backyard for about thirty minutes and took another 211 pictures (isn't it wonderful that we don't have to pay for the developing of film in this day and age?!).  I tried to focus my attention on the newest member of the canine family, but it was impossible not to include the other three in this photo shoot.  There was lots of sniffing......running....rough-housing.


In hindsight, this was not a great subject choice.  Yes, they inspire me and bring me great joy. Yes, they are my most photographed subject by a margin of about 3:1 --- but to try for a variety of angles and perspectives is impossible.  If I tried to sit on the ground, they were on top of me.  If I tried to crouch in their face, they would attempt to lick the lens.  It was definitely a humorous shoot, but not terribly productive for this assignment.





I did however find a couple of photos that are worth sharing....and again, I did learn a valuable lesson even if it wasn't the focus of this particular assignment.  I learned that when photographing nature, I like to use Aperture Priority, as I prefer the control over depth of field.  But when shooting dogs, particularly six month old puppies, Shutter Priority is the way to go.  I set the shutter speed at 1/250 and the ISO to 200 (it was partially shaded), and I let the camera adjust the aperture accordingly.

So, I am wondering if perhaps I should try this assignment one more time.  I am thinking of perhaps trying to photograph my nook - filled with shelves of books (my next favorite pastime to my dogs).  Or perhaps I could photograph my car (now that would provide all kinds of angles for different perspectives) - or maybe my morning cup of coffee?  I don't know....apparently developing my creative eye is going to take a bit longer than most.