The difficulty with shooting a frame a day at this point is staying motivated, keeping my eyes fresh. Some days, it's a chore just to look around. To get past this, I have to remember: Look for the light, look for the shapes, look at what's moving into that light.
Day 22: Working
It's too bad you can't see Carter's camera, which would make it more clear why he's on the floor. I like how this frame raises questions about the relationship of the three people, and the "O, Miami" graphic around them.
When: 12 April, 6:43 p.m.
Where: Wynwood art gallery, Miami
Exposure: F6.3, 1/4, ISO400
Inner Thoughts: I was at the poetry reading for a story I was writing about poetry in translation, leading with the exchange between Cuban poet Angel Cuadra and Cuban-American poet Jessica Machado. I looked up from my notebook to see that Carter was making something interesting out of a boring person-at-podium situation. He lined up the two poets with the "O, Miami" graphic on the wall, and with a reflection in the window, and he shifted his perspective to give the picture depth. Wish I had seen that first.
Day 23: The Pan, Revisited
And we're back to the rut.
When: 13 April, 6:12 p.m.
Where: Flamingo Park, South Beach
Exposure: F4.3, 1/80, ISO80
Inner Thoughts: Progress in panning?
Day 24: Reflection
Another reflection that might have been easier to defend had the focus been sharper.
When: 14 April, 6:27 p.m.
Where: Lummus Park, South Beach
Exposure: F3.3, 1/1300, ISO100
Inner Thoughts: I took a bunch of photos at this puddle, looking at how passers-by reflected twice in the water: once as a reflection, and again as a shadow. I wish the focus on this kid's legs had been better, but the way his shadow extended diagonally down the frame was the most graphic.
Day 25: Sitting Alone
I wanted to keep this frame on a wide angle, showing both the guy alone at one table and the empty table next to him, because I wanted to convey this: If this guy had wanted to be around people at all, he wouldn't have been reading in a dark Publix parking lot. My intention runs up against the limitations of my camera in low light; obviously couldn't have used a flash here.
When: 15 April, 8:19 p.m.
Where: Publix parking garage, 3rd level, South Beach
Exposure: F3.3, 1/50, ISO1600
Inner Thoughts: As soon as I pulled into the rooftop lot I saw this guy half-illuminated under the light and I liked the near-symmetry of him and the shopping cart in the light at two otherwise equal picnic tables.
Day 26: Music
There's a lot of information in this frame, but the focus isn't as sharp as it could be so maybe there's too much information in here. I intended to show some kind of symmetry in the two musicians, who just happened to be playing in the checkout aisles at this Whole Foods on this day.
When: 16 April, 4:19 p.m.
Where: Whole Foods, South Beach
Exposure: F4.2, 1/160, ISO1600
Inner Thoughts: The South Beach Chamber Ensemble took their "Mozart on the Move" series of short performances to Whole Foods on Saturday. I crouched behind them, looking for a way to show both bows, one on the upstroke and one on the downstroke, in the same frame.
Day 27: Rain
Arguably a step backwards, this attempt to shoot something while protecting expensive camera from the rain, in semi-decent light, and not something static inside my apartment.
When: 17 April, 5:49 p.m.
Where: my balcony, South Beach
Exposure: F4.4, 1/60, ISO400
Inner Thoughts: My plans to do the walk-around-the-block assignment are thwarted by extended rainstorm just when the light should have gotten good.
Day 28: Tennis Courts
An unintentionally monochromatic shot that had to be cropped because of an error in framing the floodlights around the courts. I really have a blind spot for the brightest blocks of light in the frame.
When: 18 April, 9:17 p.m.
Where: Flamingo Park tennis courts, South Beach
Exposure: F3.3, 1/125, ISO1600
Inner Thoughts: A tennis court all lit up on a humid night is pretty much my favorite place in the world. Here, the clay courts are being watered with sprinklers mounted on the ledges.
Day 29 Reflection
A more focused day with less ambiguous results. With both of these frames, I composed the image in my head before I looked through the lens. I knew what I was looking for -- light and reflections, to show I learned the lessons of the walk around the block -- and the results show that certainty.
When: 19 April, 6:20 p.m.
Where: Little Haiti Cultural Center
Exposure: F6.3, 1/2000, ISO80
Inner Thoughts: I wanted to see if I could replicate the shot Carl took with my camera during our walk around the block the previous week.
Day 30 Shadows
I'm satisfied with this frame but I don't think Carl was because it lacks people and shows how much I rely on abstract and graphic elements to compose an image. It's what I see most clearly, though, so I don't know how to get out of it.
When: 20 April, 6:33 p.m.
Where: parking lot, South Beach
Exposure: F4.5, 1/400, ISO80
Inner Thoughts: Exploring my block. I was really hopeful about the contrast of the stacks of black bottle racks against the white building, but there wasn't enough interesting about them in the sunlight that was still so very bright, so I walked away. Then I turned around and saw the shadows the balconies of my building were casting on the cement.
Day 31: Mailboxes
My strategy -- find something graphic -- worked with the helpful addition of someone walking through the frame. But it's still a rut, which will be repeated.
When: 21 April, 8:29 p.m.
Where: mailboxes in lobby, South Beach
Exposure: F3.3, 1/60, ISO1600
Inner Thoughts: I really like the old-school, metal mailboxes in my building. I find them graphically interesting, and I thought I would just wait until someone walked into frame.
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