Staging

My only experience with photographs is the ones of my friends and family that are often goofy, out of focus and most importantly, almost always staged. Not only is it easy to visualize the shot you want/need, but it only makes sense to position subjects to attain a certain goal. I feel it is much easier to be accurate in print because there are several levels of fact checking that must be done. Mistakes are made, of course, but who is to say if what is happening in the picture actually took place or not? A good journalist must always be alert and focused on not only the subject, but the surroundings and the details of each moment. As a photographer, there may be just a few brief moments that are available to produce a solid product and they can be missed if not prepared. When taking pictures for this class, I found myself getting frustrated when reality didn't match up to the way I had envisioned they would. It has definately been a learning experience in that you can't force the events you want to happen you have to work with what you are given.