I chose to take my 50 second shots in the nice green courtyard-esque area in between Buildings 9 and 13. I like this area because it’s quite picturesque – the patterns of the brick buildings and the symmetry and lines all make it quite a pretty area. I was also interested in shooting a quiet area; rather than a busy street or hallway I wanted to let the action in the frame be more scarce and secluded, because it makes it feel more important to me. A shot of dozens of people walking by each other has no clear focus, but when certain people or things are more isolated in a shot, it assigns them with greater value.

I shot my first take from about halfway down the courtyard, and aimed it at the large arch entrance. I started my 50 seconds when I did because 3 interesting pieces of action all occurred around then: two lights on the second floor turned on, a large horn sounded, and a man on the phone made his way into the arch, which he occupies for the remainder of the shot. The silhouette of the man in the arch is undeniably the focal point of the frame, and I think his character is very nice aesthetically in context of the rest of the shot.

For the second, I wanted a wider scope, to see more of the courtyard, while still focusing on the arch. I like my framing but in review could angle the camera down a bit more to remove the overexposed cloudy sky. One of the big small things about this shot I like is the motion of the traffic through the arch. I started the 50 seconds when I did because a bus moved through that space and I found it particularly eye catching. I like that the frame starts with one person in it, then two more move into it, and then finally one more, until eventually they all exit. I ended the 50 seconds after the frame was empty of people since it felt like the action we were viewing was their walk across and out of the courtyard.

 

PS – why do students at RMIT, the most media heavy Uni, still not know camera etiquette? if someone’s shooting, obviously don’t grin into the camera.