Shooting Tight

For this assignment I chose to illustrate the stress of midterms and its effects on different students. Using the tightest and most compressed focal length I was able to frame up my stories much, much easier than the previous wide angle assignment. Not only this, but I was able to utilize depth of field when going through and capturing each frame in order to draw out a more editorialized and effective story.

In the shot above, I decided to leave the exposure set for the daylight coming through the window, casting the subject of the photo in shadow. I was able to be in the right place at the right time to catch him with his hand on his head and papers spread all over his workspace. This photo is one of my favorites from this assignment, showing how beautiful the spring weather is, and how little students studying for midterms have the chance to enjoy it. 

This subject in this frame, with his body turned out toward the sunlight, is also a prime example of the warm spring weather outside while students are stuck indoors. The computers out of order next to him show both a lack of maintenance and signs of progress (pun intended). The compression helped to isolate the subject and set my frame much easier.

This final shot is my favorite. Some students might stress over midterms while others... Not so much. The tight focal length enabled me to show just what I wanted to show. With his legs crossed, this student is without a doubt the embodiment of senioritis. Once again I set the exposure to balance for the outdoors in order to capture the same "trapped" essence I tried to portray in my earlier photos in the series. 

Overall, I prefer shooting tight to shooting wide when clicking for news-gathering purposes. Being able to editorialize on the spot by isolating your designated frame helps bring out quality in each photo and tell the story much better. Utilizing the much more shallow depth of field helps to do this even more so. Good luck on midterms everybody.