My first assignment

My first assignment for my photography class was to shoot a roll of slide film under different lighting conditions and exposures and then to present it to the class.

I chose Velvia film and quickly went on an expedition.

I have a personal rule where I try as much as possible to exclude people from my compositions. I just don't like them. I'm a misanthrope, in a way, and I find that, if misused, people can be an easy way out of a bad picture. They tend to be full of emotion, expression, variety, and they stray from my objective aesthetic of photography.

However, with this assignment, I failed.

It all happened when I was shooting at a strip mall in NDG. I found myself face to face with the head of a mannequin peering through the window. A phonebooth. Te key lighting from the evening sun. All perfect elements. I snapped one, with nobody in the frame, then lowered my exposure. I snapped another one, but this time, a man walked by.

I knew instantly that this would make 'a picture,' as they say. So I continued.

Next, I shot the mechanic who was trying to sell me an old Chrysler outside his garage in St-Henry.

Perfect. Good shot. A long exposure, coupled with his head movements, made him anonymous and ghostly. He had his arms crossed. He was a tough guy with a strange accent - not quite french, not quite english.

Finally, I shot my friends with their new bikes, and myself on a mechanical horse.

Still, I think my favorite is that of the electrical post. I'm a purist, a minimalist, and I have an addiction to simple compositions and objective documentation of urban planning and human constructions.

I'm satisfied. It's been ages since I've shot film, and returning to the medium was a wooing experience.