Forum #4

1. The piece from the Code of Ethics that sticks out to me most is #2. Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities. As a photographer, especially a beginner, it can be hard and somewhat nerve wracking to candidly photograph strangers. When the deadline is near, it's easy to just find a friend and set them up doing something generic, but the photos almost always look corny. It's much better to find something that someone is already doing, and shoot them in a natural form.

2.  The biggest standout on the second list is #1. Ensure that the public's business is conducted in public. This reminded me of the "$60,000 photo" from the Gazette Times, and how easy it is for someone to sue you for a photo. A good rule of thumb would be to only run photos that you take from a public space, unless you can get their permission in writing. Even they verbally give you permission, they could always claim they didn't if the photo gives them negative exposure they weren't expecting.

3. Last week I was stressing to get some photos taken, so I ended up breaking rule #2 on the code of ethics. All the photos I took were really lame, and I wasn't excited about any of them. Luckily I found the two guys playing ping-pong moments later and shot them instead. The ping pong photos ended up turning out way better, and I actually got some shots I was proud of.

1. I like this photo of the Bible guys in the quad. It's a really close shot that makes the viewer feel like the guy is trying to give them the bible personally. I also like the use of depth of field, you can see the guy in the background, but he doesn't distract from the photo.

2. Another standout to me was this shot by Terri at the equestrian barn. She caught a lot of great action in this photo. The water spraying, the horse moving, and the girl controlling the horse are all very apparent in this single frame.