Not spectacular images, but I conquered my fear!

[Sammie_Lou]

I did it! I went out and took pictures at a local festival this weekend. I feel awkward in public with my camera...like everyone is watching me. But nobody seemed to care at all! It wasn't anywhere as near as bad as I thought it would be. I need to come up with a better method, though. Juggling my lenses and trying to switch back and forth was difficult. I need to figure out what the best lens is for walking around events like that. Anyway, here are a few of the pictures that I took...feel free to C&C if you want. I know they're not great, but they symbolize something for me so I'm proud of them anyway.


Founders Festival 1 by SHerren88, on Flickr


Founders Festival 2 by SHerren88, on Flickr


Founders Festival 3 by SHerren88, on Flickr


Founders Festival 4 by SHerren88, on Flickr


Founders Festival 5 by SHerren88, on Flickr


Founders Festival 6 by SHerren88, on Flickr


Founders Festival 7 by SHerren88, on Flickr

 

[edouble]

Congrats on taking your camera out in public. I also feel awkward shooting random people. Whenever I do photograph a crowd or a small group of people it is simply because they were in the shot by chance. More than likely I needed people in the foreground for a size comparison to the subject I am shooting. An event like a county festival is different or any other organized event really. Who would go to a festival without people lol?

There are some cool things you could have done to add some pizazz to your snapshots. Slowing your shutter speed down and panning on rides and whatnot would have added a nice sense of motion to your pictures.

 

[subscuck]

While they mostly lack a clear, defined subject, I congratulate you for facing your fear and going out there and doing it. :thumbup:

 

[Sammie_Lou]

I haven't gotten to the whole creative pictures thing yet...so far, I'm mostly working on exposure, focus and not cutting off limbs. lol

 

[KenC]

You take mostly candids from a distance, so a short-medium telephoto would be your best lens for this situation. Some of the shots needed to be framed tighter, especially the last four, so I'd go with the next longer lens than the one you took most of these with.

 

[t_hayat]

Congratulations on conquering your fear! I used to have the same problem, but I've found that people rarely care if you go out in public and take photos, as long as you don't get too close and personal, haha. I'm currently trying to work up the nerve to take some photos on the Subway, I think there are opportunities for some great shots there, but you're so close to the subjects, it gets really awkward.

I like the photos, the colors of the fair really pop. The one thing I would recommend though is to get closer. Most of the pictures are taken from a pretty big distance, and it's hard to discern what the focus is. Don't worry, you're really far out for most of these pictures, you can easily move in and still avoid the awkward looks.