Anna's PhotoBlog: People and Place Part Two: Exercises

Exercise One: Developing your confidence

I took a number of photographs using my Canon Mark II. I had two zoom lenses with me giving me the combined focal range of 16 to 105 mm. The day was cloudy so there were no direct harsh sunlight to compensate on. I used the custom camera white balance facility to establish the correct exposure. I tried to walk about and change the position and angle as much as possible. I also switched between the lenses a couple of times varying the focal length. I set my camera to f 6.7 as I did not want the background to be consistently sharp (I wanted to make my main subject stand out a bit more).

Post-production: I used Adobe Lightroom to review the images and make a selection for this exercise.

The initial review highlighted that some photos were not pin-sharp. This is a common issue in street photography which can in some instances be helpful, for example to create a sense of motion and action.

There were no major issues with the exposure as the highlights and shadows were recorded sufficiently well.

My usual ISO setting is 100 but examining the images I would consider increasing it slightly in the future. I do need to remember changing it as my working preference is to keep it as close as possible to 50. With street photography it 's worth putting it up to improve the available control over the lighting conditions/ movements etc.

I decided to give my three selected images slightly different treatments in Lightroom to see how this might affect the way each image 'tells the story.'

Image 1

This image was taken with a 24 mm lens (ISO set to 100, f 6.7).

I liked the naturals lines in this image and this is one of the things that I tried to capture: the two lines of people facing each other and the 'angels' being separated from the image takers by the line on the pavement. I desaturated the image slightly and adjusted the appearance of shadows/ highlights to give the image a slightly eerie or unreal feel which I thought just might make the angels more real.

I cropped the image to strengthen the appearance of the leading lines and get closer to the girl on the right.

Image 2

This is a closer look at some of the posers. This image was taken with a 75 mm lens. Again I wanted to use the line within the image to 'lead the eye.' I decided to keep this image in colour as I think the various shades in this picture work well together especially as they so well set out and defined by the deep green fence. Amazing to observe how differently each individual 'angel' approaches the same setting - what a variety of postures and looks could be used with the same idea/ background!

Image 3

I chose to switch to a black and white image here to minimize any distractions. The viewer will hopefully enjoy more the clear lines leading from the image takes to the 'angels.' It also helps to see more of the postures (as they are especially interesting here) as well as makes the angels' wings stand out more. I adjusted the tonal range in Lightroom and darkened the edges of the frame to draw the viewer's attention to the centre of the image.

Lessons learnt:

The technical side:

- Don't forget to increase the ISO setting to have more control of the movement and light

- Use light fast lenses and vary the focal length to get closer and pull away

- To capture the right moment auto focus can be vital - have it ready

- Open the aperture to blur the background

- Set the exposure if you have time or use auto option if needed

Practical issues:

- Move fast and try not to be in a spot light

- Consent issues: children and vulnerable adults - to be considered. Shots from the back are the safest.

- Change the angles, walk around if you have time

- If you spot the right place and the action can be repeated (like in this example), wait around and be ready for action

- Move away if people are clearly uncomfortable

Other considerations and thoughts:

I found street photography liberating and easy going. It's a very natural process - we all take notice, take notes (even if only mental) of things and activities around us - the people with cameras take photo notes of life as they go about it.

You need to know your equipment really well to be able to react in time. Knowledge saves time!

It's a very nice and nourishing feeling to be in this state of constant awareness of your surroundings, being alert and ready to invite and respond to the new opportunities that emerge in front of your eyes.

Post-production:

- Consider black and white where the lines or patterns need to be emphasised

- Post-production adjustments need not be overwhelming (need to be used sparingly) but can help to 'tell the story.'

Exercise Two: Capturing the moment

Capturing the moment is one of the joys and ultimate challenges for every photographer.
Karl Lagerfeld said that photographs "capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce."

Every moment is unique and precious. People are also different and so some photographs might appeal to one viewer more than to another. Training your eye to choose and capture the moment that works best as an image is therefore important.
I love the quote by Susan Sontag who once said that “all photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s (or thing’s) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt.”
At my recent visit to St Pancras Station in London I took some photos of a man playing a piano. This was a totally spontaneous situation which lasted only a few minutes so I had to respond very quickly. I did not want to interrupt the music but felt that I need somehow ask for a permission to take photos. I stood at the distance and took out my camera. I then waited a little to catch the man's attention and when he looked at me I raised the camera indicating that I'd like to take some photos of him. He nodded and smiled back so I proceeded with taking photos.
I had my Canon 5D Mark II with me and two zoom lenses. We were inside the station so I had to think carefully but quickly about the available light. My subject was moving so I decided to raise ISO to 400 to compensate for the luck of light. With most of my photos I stayed within the 73 mm to 100 mm focal range bracket.
Deciding what my captured moment should be:
Below is a print screen of the images uploaded in Lightroom.

I think it is very important to be aware of the vulnerability, mortality and fluidity of the moment of life (whether it contains a person, event or an object) that takes place in front of your camera.

I had to think on my feet and decide very quickly on my position in relation to the pianist. I quickly assessed the setting and made my decision based on the following:
I did not have much time to walk around the pianist
I liked the combination of the colours and shades of the shop windows behind the pianist - I thought that it would make a very suitable background
This helped me to decide to stay on the right hand side of the pianist. I set my white balance, change the ISO and started shooting in AP mode.
Whilst taking photos I looked out for the eye contact with the pianist, for some interesting clusters of some passer-bys, for matching colours (e.g. passer-bys and in the background).

After reviewing my images, I made a selection of the following four.

Image 1

I like that the pianist is looking towards the camera. This creates a certain level of intimacy as if he is playing for the viewer or communicating with the viewer. The smudged shadow of a passer-bye makes the pianist stand out even more and emphasises the fleeting and fluid nature of the captured moment. I also like the woman at the distance coming out of the shop - she is facing the pianist and looking towards the camera which creates a connection with the viewer and the pianist linking the furthest and the closets parts of the image together.

I decided that this image would work best with colours turned down as it helps to focus on the movement and connect with the pianist.

Image 2

Whilst the first image was about making the connections, with this image I wanted to do the opposite and emphasise the disconnectedness. I shoot the pianist from the back so the viewer can not see his face (hence disconnecting the viewer from the main subject). I then waited for a number of passer-byes to enter the frame and I took a number of pictures hoping to get the best position of the passer-byes in relation to the pianist. I thought that this image worked best as the balance between the main subject and the passer-byes is just right - the passer-byes have a real presence in the image on both side of the pianist (emphasising the movement and disconnectedness). At the same time they don't obstruct the pianist or take up too much space within the image. Also, the colours of the background and the passer-byes' clothes worked well.

Image 3

I loved the expression on the pianist's face. I think this is a warm and lovely image to look at - it creates a feeling of joy and a feeling of being ok in our busy and fluid world. I like the reflection of a lady on the glass panel just behind the piano. The shadows of the passer-byes help to create the feeling of movement and make the pianist's face stand out more. It is the play of movement and stillness within this picture that makes it work.

Image 4

This image creates a slightly more reflective and thoughtful feel. To enhance this feeling, I changed the tonal range of this image to sepia. I liked the way the passer-byes look at the piano player - although their faces are smudged by the movement the viewer can still catch their smiles and curiosity. Again, the balance of the still and moving figures works well here, for example the shopper who is just entering the store is in focus whilst the group of moving passer-byes are out of focus.

My lessons learnt from this exercise? It's always challenging and exciting to try and capture the right moment! It was interesting to note that some of the photos that I was hoping to use were unfortunately out of focus but there were some others that came out well quite unexpectedly.

Exercise Three: Wide-angle - close and involved

Wide-angle lens is invaluable in reportage and street photography as it allows to take in a much more of the surroundings and by doing so, it helps to tell the story. This could represent a challenge for the photographer because of the need and the necessity to get quite close to the subject.

For this exercise I decided to push my own boundaries and try to get as close as possible to someone who I have never met before to take photos as a close range with a wide-angle lens. I realised that the task was challenging and that I might not succeed but nevertheless decided to have a go, even if my attempt does not bring the desired results.

I happened to walk into St Pancras train station to witness a very interesting and totally spontaneous event. A man with a child in a push chair stopped to listen to a lady playing a piano. They were obviously total strangers but the baby's reaction to the music and her singing somehow brought them together to enjoy the music for a brief moment. I jumped on the chance to take some photos asking their permission first - by that time both the man and the woman were so excited and enjoying the moment that they waived at me happily.

I used my Canon 5D Mark II with a 16 to 35 mm wide angle zoom lens. I had to open the aperture and change ISO to 800 to make up for the lack of light and my constantly moving and active subjects. I found that I could not use the wide-angle lens at its widest point (16 mm) even if I wanted to as at 29 I was already so close to my subject that the piano was stopping me to get any closer! Amazingly, the couple continued enjoying themselves despite the fact that my camera lens was at such a close range to them! I tried to use both vertical and horizontal framing to compensate for inability to move around my subjects - unfortunately once the position was chosen there seemed to be no way of walking to the other side without upsetting the whole harmony of the image.

Image 1

I tried to use the length of the piano as a natural line when framing this shot. I wanted this line to lead from the lady piano player to the man and the baby creating a connection between my subjects. I thought this was important as they weren't looking at each other. I've chosen this image because the man's stretched hand formed another line making the composition of the image even stronger.

I also liked the matching red scarves and the sense of movement in the top part of the photo.

Image 2

I liked baby's face expression caught in this image - the mixture of curiosity and awe. The piano player's face is lively and beautifully lit up by a smile. The moving figures on the background bring to focus the precious moment of life happening immediately in front of the camera. I decided to make this image black and white to emphasise the emotions so the viewer can enjoy and soak them whilst looking at the picture.

Image 3

I have chosen this image because of the wonderfully warm eye to eye contact between the man and the baby.

It was a bit challenging to decide on how to frame this shot: I was not sure if I should keep the man in the right hand corner within the shot or try and close in even more on my subjects. I decided to keep the figures in the background as they help to explain the setting and tell us about the environment.

Image 4

None of the main characters are looking at each other in this image but nevertheless they are all connected! I like this image in black and white as it helps to focus more on the emotions, especially on baby's face.

Image 5

I've pressed the shutter as the main characters burst into laughter! It really was my lucky moment. I love the baby's wonderfully expressive face in this image. Human emotions are beautiful and it is very rewarding to be able to catch them in a photo.

My lessons learnt:

Being so close to my subjects made me very much part of the event. I had a long chat with the lady piano player after the man with the baby were gone. It is amazing how photography can make you feel close to the people you photograph.

I was lucky to find myself in the situation where my chosen subjects were happy to be photographed at such close range. I am aware that it does not always happen. I feel it is important to consider if my subject feels comfortable - I would always try and seek permission (even if only by raising my camera to indicate the intention) and would move away if people aren't comfortable being photographed.

Exercise Four:

Medium Telephoto - Standing back.

For this exercise I found myself image hunting in London and Grantchester. I used my Canon 5D MII and a 70 to 200 mm lens. I took quite a variety of shots on these days and am including a small selection to demonstrate the benefits of using a telephoto lens.

Image 1

This image was taken in the village of Grantchester on an overcast day. There was a well-attended village event on the day so the place was crowded with people, dogs, cars and children. This kind of environment makes it easier to approach the chosen subject so it was not difficult for me to spot these two wonderfully reach characters conversing at a table. The couple was so preoccupied with their conversion that they did not pay much attention to what was happening around them. Using the telephoto lens allowed me to stay at a safe distance and go annotated. `i made a number of images and I selected this one because I liked the way the smoke was raising from the pipe. I also liked the intense face expressions of the two characters. I opened up the aperture and increased my shutter speed to freeze the moment. To make my key subjects stand out of the immediate background (which happened to be busy and noisy with colours and shapes) I decided to make the image black and white. I think this worked quite well.

Image 2

This image was taken in London. The morning sun threw a perfect long shadow across the street and I was quite far away when I spotted the opportunity. The two people enjoying some coffee and a cigarette we quite nervous about being photographed. So I turned my camera to the side whilst adjusting the aperture and working on the camera settings. I wanted to wait for the cigarette smoke to appear in the sun light. I kept my camera ready but pretended not to look towards the couple. When I spotted the right mount I raised the camera quickly and fired a few shots, then moved away. I chosen this image as the smoke was clearly visible in the sun light enhancing the atmosphere of the scene.

I really enjoyed catching the moment with the additional challenge of not showing much interest prior to the shot. I will definitely use this technique in the future if people are anxious or nervous about my camera. Again, I decided to make the image black and white to focus on the smoke, the sun light and shadows.

Image 3

This is my second image of the 'Beer conversation in Grantchester'. I think it catches very well the tension and the emotions of the interaction. The atmosphere of the scene is quite intense and this keeps the focus on the conversation and the main characters, their hands and faces despite the fact that there is no eye contact with the viewer. In post production, I darkened the edges and corners of the image to draw the attention to the centre.

A small selection of additional images taken with a telephoto lens

at Mill Road Winter Fair in Cambridge

Exercise Five: Standard focal length

I use standard focal length quite a lot in people and street photography. I like the fact that the proportions and viewpoints appear natural and less distorted than when using a wide-angle lens. When out with my camera, I usually have at least one standard ;lens with me at all times. This time I had my Canon 5D MII with a 45 to 70 mm zoom lens.

Image 1

I asked the lady's permission to take her photos as I thought she and her dog looked spectacular. This image was taken with a 50 mm focal length. I tried to use the natural lines formed by the window frame and the wall immediately behind the lady to lead the viewer's gaze to the main subject. I decided to position them at an angle to the lens (so the lady's feet are not facing the camera and the dog is facing the other way) to match the directions of the natural lines within the frame. I think this helped to make the (otherwise quite a simple and straightforward) image more interesting. In post-production, I decided to go for a single-tone version to enhance the natural lines within the frame.

It was easy to approach the lady and she was happy to give me the permission to take the photos. We ended up chatting about her dog and dogs in general and I felt it was really nice to connect to her for a brief moment.

Images 2, 3 and 4 were taken at an outdoor community project launch event in Cambridge. I took some photos of the Community Support Police Officers talking to passer-byes.

For these images I set my camera to 1/125 sec at f/ 5.6, ISO 50 as I wanted to get bright images with fine grain. The natural light was sufficient for me to keep the ISO setting low at 50. I used an equivalent of 50 mm focal length for these shots.

I had plenty of time and space to work out the best position and framing so in terms of composition I am pleased with how the images turned out. Good natural light also meant that it was easy to set the camera white balance setting so there wasn't a need for any colour correction work at a post-production stage. Using a standard lens meant that there was no need for any adjustments to the perspective etc as all the proportions and lines within the frames were natural.

Images 5 and 6 were taken at the Mill Road Winter Fair in Cambridge.

The day was overcast so I had to push the ISO setting up to 200. I used the equivalent of 50 mm focal length for these shots.

The camera exposure settings were 1/180 at f/ 6.7. I deliberately tilted the camera for Image 5 to create a sense of movement although my subject was not moving (only pretending to ride the knitted bike!). Using the standard focal length meant that I was standing at a comfortable distance - not too close and not too far and was able to communicate to the 'rider'.

I spotted these two girls chatting along whilst waiting for their turn to perform. I did not want to intimidate them too much with my camera but as I was already standing quite close to them my standard lens was all that I needed for this shot. I like that the image includes some other brightly dressed people on the background and I think that this helps to convey the atmosphere of the event.

Taking a photo of the girls with a telephoto lens would create quite a different effect as the background details would likely to be blurred. I am including a photo taken with a 200 mm telephoto lens below to demonstrate the difference.

Exercise : Public events, public spaces - an organised event

If you ever find yourself short of things to do on Boxing Day and wishing you could do something different from the usual 'family lunch and walk' set routine, head for Grantchester. I won't be the first person recommending this, the Guardian got there first! Here is a link to their 'Where to go bonkers on Boxing Day' articles where Grantchester Barrel Rolling is mentioned: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/dec/20/boxing-day-activities.

Grantchester Boxing Day Barrel Rolling dates back to 60s and is very popular now.The event is well organised and is fun to attend. There are teams from Grantchester and the nearby villages competing for the prices and the day ends with a jolly celebration in the local pubs.

Why not come next year to see for yourself?

This set of images is from the last Barrel Race - all images were shot with my Canon 5D Mark II and a choice of zoom lenses with focal length ranging from 40 mm to 200 mm.

The day was still and overcast but dry providing almost perfect conditions for photographing people at the race (no strong shadows on faces, manageable levels of contrast).

The whole event lasts about 45 minutes so you have to be quick and ready for action. There are also a lot of people attending so it might be hard to work out the best positions. The races happen one after the other in a fast succession so there isn't much time to think and re-adjust.

The event is a great opportunity to catch some good shots of the races but also the people watching the action - Grantchester is a great spot for people watching as it draws in a lot of interesting and eccentric characters.

I took many shots trying to vary the angles and my position. I am including a selection of images below with some commentary.

My aim was to create a series of around 10 images that would work together and narrate the story line of this event. To achieve that, I included some general images to show the activity in the context of the place as well as some close-up shots of participants and the viewers. I tried to follow the sequence of the event as much as possible when organizing my collection. I used some black and white images as a link to the long-standing tradition of this event. Some things never stay the same and other things don't seem to change at all - I think that some of these images look timeless and it might be easy to mistake them for those taken many years ago

Image 1.

This general shot gives a viewer an overview of the place, the event and the people taking part in it. It is amazing how much information can be picked up and understood from a single shot! I like the strong sense of anticipation and suspense that the low angle has created. It was taken with a zoom lens set at 60 mm. I chose 1/250 sec setting at F 8 and 400 ISO to compensate for the movements.

Image 2.

This image brings us right to the 'front-line' and the starting point of the race. Comparing to the first image, it is almost as if you jump from being a viewer to a race participant - the fact that this change is instant helps to convey the sense of the moment when the race starts. To make it real, sharp and active, I chose to keep the colours.

The image was taken with a zoom lens set at 24 mm, then cropped at the post-production stage. I used 1/125 sec exposure at F 8 and 400 ISO to compensate for the movements.

Image 3.

Another action shot but this time the focus is on one of the barrel racers and some of the onlookers. The moments when a barrel gets stuck in the straw bales next to the cheering crowds are the most treasured and most remembered episodes of each race. It feels good to be able to catch one of these so close! I used my telephoto lens for this shot (200 mm) and had to open up the diaphragm to 6.7. I tried to frame this image in the way that the background is interesting and engaging - to include as much action as possible without drawing attention to much from the main subject.

Iamge 4.

Image 5.

Images 4 and 5 captured how differently the participants of different ages enjoy the race. Image 4 works well as a colour image as the red blotches of colour complement each other and bring the image together more. I could not resist de-saturating and toning Image 5 as I think it has some of the 'timeless' qualities, as touched on earlier.

Image 4 was taken with a zoom lens set at 86 mm. I used 1/125 sec exposure at F 5.6 and 400 ISO. For Image 5 I used 1/125 setting at F 8.0. The image was taken with a zoom lens set to 24 mm.

Image 6.

I selected this image as it caught the tension of the race quite well. I think it helps to put the image viewer literally in the middle of the race as I was standing in the middle of the street to take this shot. The two lines of straw bales dotted with onlookers and supporters and the road markings help to lead the eye to the epicenter of the race. Any series of narrative images deserve to have a peak point and I see Image 6 as the peak and the turning point of this selection.

This image was taken with a zoom lens set to 105 mm. The exposure setting were: 1/350 sec at f/6.7, 400 ISO.

Image 7.

After all the 'drama' of Image 6, this image is one of the 'victory moments.' From the technical point of view, this was the easiest image to execute. I included it to convey the sense of relaxation, joy and celebration.

Image 8.

Closer to the end of the race, I positioned myself right by the finishing line and was able to capture some of the racers at a closer range. This was the best image I think. My camera suddenly went very slow as it was struggling to keep up with the speed of everything happenning so I almost miss this shot!

Thie image was taken with the exposure set to 1/125 at f/ 6.7.

Image 9.

Another celebration moment and I was glad to catch it in sharp focus. I was relatively close to the girls and used 45 mm focal length at 400 ISO to snatch the moment. It was necessary to increase ISO to 400 to freeze the moment whilst using the available natural light on the day.

I decided to make this image black and white to focus the viewer on the emotions of the moment as I thought that the colours were too bright and would probably have clashed with each other. In post-production, I darkened the corners of the image to draw attention to the centre. I also had to crop the image quite a lot as there were so many different things going on within the image frame.

Mill Road Winter Fair, Cambridge

It so happened that I attended a lot of public events at the time when I was working on my Assignment One. Initially I thought that some of these events would provide me with sufficient photo opportunities to get some suitable material for the Assignment Two. I read the brief for the Assignment Two and thought that one event in particular, the Winter Fair Carnival at Mill Road in Cambridge, would be ideal for this assignment. Following this realisation, I suggested to my tutor submitting both assignments at the same time.

However, when I received my tutor’s feedback on the Assignment One I realised that I would not be able to fully use the existing material for my second assignment. Unfortunately, I did not pay enough attention to the importance of narrating a story which is an important part of the second assignment. As a result, my photos from the Winter Fair event were more focussed on depicting the individual scenes that took place on the day then ‘telling the story.’

So after reading my tutor’s feedback, I decided that there was a real need for me to find another opportunity to practice creating a photo narrative. This became my own personal objective for this assignment.

To practice creating a story using photo images I decided to use a local community art event. I approached an organiser of a local bi-annual art exhibition Grantchester Artists 2014. I wanted to give something back to the people who organised the event so I offered to create a photo slide show and a short video film about it. The exhibition organiser, a local resident and artist, accepted my offer and invited me to come along on the day before the exhibition was opened to see it being set up as well as pop along during the two days it was open to the public.

I spent some time observing and taking photos of the exhibition being set up. I then spend a bit of time at the exhibition hall on both days whilst it was open to the public.

The nature of the event presented certain challenges to fulfilling my assignment brief:

Visitors’ expectations: In comparison to the Winter Fair Carnival where people generally expect to see people with cameras, it was much more challenging to take photos in the exhibition hall.

Space: The event took place in the small village hall where it was simply not possible to conceal my camera. I had to be quite creative in using the available space at the same time paying respect to the visitors’ needs and respecting their private space.

Light: The available light was not great considering that at least some of the time I had to use my telephoto lens to get right close to my subjects. I had to increase my ISO setting to get sufficient light which resulted in some noise.

I decided to include a selection of the images taken at the Winter Fair Carnival in Cambridge in my learning blog to compare them with this selection. I hope this might in some way be a helpful comparison.

Project 'Public events, public spaces': public space

Parks are great places for people watching and people photography.

I was looking for images of people having a quiet moment, relaxing and enjoying the first signs of spring. The challenges were to stay discreet and not to disturb them too much.

Image 1

All of these images was taken with Canon 5D MII.

For Image 1 I chose to stay further away so used 85 mm focal length. The camera settings were 1/125 sec at f /11, ISO 100.

Image 2

I used 180 mm focal length for this image as I felt I needed to keep away - the guy on the bench was dozing off. I tried to allign the two benches so they are both present in the shot. I also wanted to include some of the tree shadow to add some dimension to the foreground. I opted for a low angle to position the bench in the top left quarter of the frame.

Image 3

This image was taken with a 35 mm lens and so was quite challenging. I had to be really close to the girl but still tried to make sure she did not spotted me. Using a wide-angle lens meant that a lot of background and foreground details were still sharp and included in the shot. I like the way the tree is filling the left hand side part of the image - I think it really adds a different feel to the picture.

Image 4

For this image I tried to frame the shot in the way that only green space and the girl were included. The rest of the actual scene was quite busy (apart from the tranquil part of the green lawn that I framed quite carefully) - it is amazing how different from reality the final image looks! I felt that the girl was focussed on her reading that the rest of the busy world did not exist for her at that moment and I wanted to capture that feeling - hence the decision to exclude all the busy details. The image was taken with a telephoto lens.

Lessons learnt:

- Be ready for action to get the best out of these fast moving events. Arrive early to get the best viewpoints and to assess the conditions.

- Change viewpoints to put the viewer into the picture and make the event 'real' to them.

- Remember to vary focal length to get a mixture of close-up and overall shots.

- Try and imagine the sequence and how each image would 'tell the story.'

- Use fast-speed high capacity cards and lenses to get the best shots. There is no waiting time in this game and you will always remember the images that you would have taken but could not because your camera was not ready...

- Be in the right place and the right time. Anticipate where the next right time and place could be...

- Most importantly - enjoy the action and stay relaxed and playful. It's just a game after all! See how many more of the illusive perfect moments you can catch if you are relaxed but vigilant! learnt:

- Be ready for action to get the best out of these fast moving events. Arrive early to get the best viewpoints and to assess the conditions.

- Change viewpoints to put the viewer into the picture and make the event 'real' to them.

- Remember to vary focal length to get a mixture of close-up and overall shots.

- Try and imagine the sequence and how each image would 'tell the story.'

- Be in the right place and the right time. Anticipate where the next right time and place could be...

- Most importantly - enjoy the action and stay relaxed and playful. It's just a game after all! See how many more of the illusive perfect moments you can catch if you are relaxed but vigilant!