Week 4 - Day 23 - May 23, 2009, "Graduation Part 1"

There was a banquet today for my daughter's graduation from Cornell. She's receiving her Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture. We're very proud of her.

During the banquet it began to rain, and then the sun came out. We walked through some of the Cornell gardens after the rain storm. I took this photo as Kari and Judy began to walk through one of the paths. I really like this photo for it's composition, as well as representing Kari moving on to the next part of her life.

Lessons Learned:

• I'm finding that I really like storms, especially fast moving storms. The provide a large varity of light, textures, and opportunities for great photos.
  
• Being a photographer when I'm part of an event is difficult. I'm concentrating on the event, and not the opportunities to take a great photo. Photography takes a lot of concentration.
• A friend of mine, Bruce, told me that he really likes taking photos from behind people. I have to agree that it can create some great photos. Thank you for the idea.
• Taking photos of people that I know is more difficult than people I don't know. I think it's because they know me, I become a part of the photo. The subject begins an interaction with me as the photographer, so the photo tends to look as if it was staged instead of natural. That's why I like to try and take the photo when they are busy doing something else.

Photo details: Exposure time 1/30, Aperture f/9.0, ISO 100, Focal Length 40 mm, 35 mm equivalent focal length 65mm, Lens Canon EF17-40mm f/4L USM, hand held.