Street People

Just a few weeks ago I took a trip downtown with the photography club to the Chicago Water Tower.  The task of the day was street photography.  Basically, this entailed finding a spot where lots of people happened by and watching for something interesting.  It was mid November and relatively cold outside.  I did not bring my tripod because I figured there would be enough natural light so early in the day.  Plus, I needed the freedom to move quickly with my subjects.  It wasnt as bright and sunny as I had anticipated, so my first 10 shots or so were under exposed.  I'm still a beginner so I'm a little slow to adjust to situations. 

I didnt realize just how badly I was shivering, until later that night, when I looked at my shots on my computer screen.  I was so disappointed with the amount of blur.  Despite my failure to adapt properly under adverse conditions, I did end up with a few interesting shots.

There were quite a few of us hanging out on the street corner.  Every time the walk sign changed, a group of us would aim our cameras at the crowd and click away.  Some people noticed, and loudly wondered what was going on.  Most people were completely oblivious.  They were engaged in conversation, or busy trying to keep warm. 

I managed to survive the cold for nearly three hours, at which point we decided to hit the Borders across the street for a warm coffee.  They had a lovely cafe upstairs that yeilded a few nice shots as well.  These, of course, turned out well because my shivering had ceased.  It was nice to spend some time chatting with the other photographers. 

Each time I go on one of these outings with the club, I try to learn something. Usually, I've had some sort of photographic failure.  I try to figure out why, and how to prevent it in the future.

What I learned:  Its ok to increase your ISO to compensate for low light.  Something I regularly forget to do.  I dont know why. 

K