C&C please - Wild Game Dinner

[Outlaw]

A bit of a dry subject, but I'm trying to post as much work as I can for critiquing this year. This pair is from a local church's Wild Game Dinner where they sell fried axis, hog, bear chili, all manner of interesting stuff. C&C always requested and welcome. :)

When you show up at cold at an event like this with about ten minutes to take photos, what's your course of action? Where do you look for 'the' shots?

[madams]

James nothing wrong with a little pie. And really nothing wrong with the shots here, but I notice that in the first shot you have in the background some smokers and cooking going on in the parking lot, that might be a good place to get some people involved in the process and also the people that come to eat and where is the shot of that guy who ate all the pie? Also l would think that this would be a fun event with the local church people in fellowship and eating and all, I miss the emotion of the event and the people in the photos.

Just my thoughts, I want pie.

[Redmouse]

Bear chili??? I want to see that! I'd go for the exotics. I'd go see if I can find the actual bear or whats left of it. If you have only 10 mins, start where the action is. The kitchen. Or whatever makeshift cooking area they got. Like the first one. I like the back lighting in the first photo. But it's a wild game event. Where's the beef? The pies are nice. I like tilts but this might be too much. But it does show how long the table is. And as Madams mentioned, emotions.

Shoot wide. Get in close.

[a2rob]

Freat photos, the pies look delicious!!!

[Comanche]

Yummers! Pie! I'm with the other pie lovers there.

In reading your description of the event, I have the sense that a lot more was going on than a lady with flour on her fingers, or a table of pies. There were people here involved in knowing each other. As Jordan said, use your wide angle and get in close.

For instance, as Milton pointed out, there are people cooking. Maybe you could get down low, find a shot where you could have someone eating pie on the side of the frame, and in the other 2/3 of the frame show people talking, cooking, or whatever social interaction is going on. Use a deep DOF so the viewer can see all the activity.

Fill the frame, especially 1/3 of it. This is a poor example, but it might give you some idea what I mean:



Or maybe a shot from a strange angle - find a ladder. Or, if people are involved in an activity, possibly take a shot over their shoulder.

Now - you gotta tell us when the next wild game dinner is going to happen - I want to be there!

[Outlaw]

Thanks everyone for the great advice! Here are a couple from the serving line.

I know they do this annually, and sometimes they have very exotic meats, but the food is always fantastic. The bear chili was very unique, and very good. I'll keep y'all posted!

[pziasd]

I like your pie shot, the angle and perspective. One of the things that photograhpers miss is typically photos of food, whether its food for sale in an outdoor market or a dinner being served at a family reunion, food can bring back just as much memories or more than photos of people by themselves. Great shot....

[Outlaw]

Thank you, pziasd! I saw the loooong table full of desserts and knew I just had to get a shot that showed how many pieces those "sweet little ol' ladies" had baked. I was kicking myself all the way back to the office for not carrying any cash with me to pick up a few items for myself and my coworkers.