I was really excited when my father asked if I’d be able to hang out with him for a few days in NYC while he was there for a meeting. It’d meant that we hang out and have fun at night, and I’d have most of the day to myself to do what I pleased. I chose to take that time to relax before pending exams, and to exposure a few rolls. I wanted to try my hand at street principles I mentioned before. I have to say, photographing with the Bessa R and the heretofore unmentioned Canon 50/1.8 is a blast; a breeze with the Carry Speed sling strap. My desire to be surreptitious overcame my intent of image capture, and prevented me from slowing down to really think about my frame (as I had talked about in regards to medium format). From my first roll, I came away with a lot of frames with motion; due not to slow shutter speed (I successfully hand-hold 1/30s with a 50mm lens) but due to nerves…I was trying to put the camera back down as soon as I could.

I also learned that pre-focusing is not equivalent to zone-focusing. I tried to pre-focus and anticipate how far I’d be from what I wanted in focus. This led to more unsharp images. I had challenged myself to peer through the viewfinder for my frames, and that was good. Next time, I’ll have to take a pause and actively focus.

Other than the mentioned ailments, I think my frames came out more or less how I had planned for. This is encouraging. Although it’s a good reminder that I photograph to photograph; it’s a real pleasure and is certainly relaxing. Developing, editing, self-critiquing etc. are distinct processes that do not diminish the photographing experience.