A boy watches commercials on television as he dines with his family early Sunday morning inside Shug's Bagels on September 18, 2022, in Dallas, Texas. (SMU/Jordyn Harrell)
Aperture: 11 | ISO: 800 | Shutter Speed: 1/15 sec
Customers form a line in the aisle between the chips and reach-in refrigerators that carries outside the door as they wait to be called up to the counter at Shug's Bagels on September 18, 2022, in Dallas, Texas. (SMU/Jordyn Harrell)
Aperture: 11 | ISO: 800 | Shutter Speed: 1/15 sec
The rule of thirds is one lesson that has stuck with me since my high school photojournalism class. I remember my teacher ridiculing the students who placed the subject directly in the center of their photos. That was a big no-no. This weekend served as a refresher on rule of thirds. Surprisingly, it was also a wake-up call that I am still a novice when it comes to lighting.
I took photos in three different locations. I first kicked-off this assignment Saturday mid-afternoon in the Law Quad. I always found the Law Quad really pretty and thought I would capture people walking to and from the Law Library. I set up my camera outside on the second level patio. I had a great shot of the white pillar gazebo and lawn. Not many people passed by, but I did quickly take a photo of the ones who did. My only problem was that the corner of the gazebo was overexposed because it was in directly in the sun and the light reflected harshly off the white cement. I had to keep adjusting the exposure because light constantly changed.
Since the Law Quad photos were a bust, I decided to take photos later that evening at a Meadows concert I was planning to attend. The auditorium was dimly lit with yellow light, and it was hard for me to get the correct skin tones of the audience. I then tried to take pictures of those preforming on the stage, but it was hard for me to get a good shot over everyone’s head and most of the lights were turned off.
Shug’s Bagel was my last hope. I am thankful that the staff allowed me to sit and take pictures. The atmosphere was nice, and the customers were chill—one man even encouraged me to continue taking photos and to carry my camera everywhere. I do feel like the setting was a bit busy because it was their rush hour. As I took photos, I tried to take advantage of the space—the subjects were usually near the corners or sides of the frame. I even played about with the shutter speed to blur the moving customers.
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