Required Tools: Computer, Image files
Location: At your desk
Duration: 40 minutes

Premise: 
Our final lab session will be an opportunity to discuss your work-in-progress for the final series, and to plan your shooting schedule for the next two weeks. 

Objective: 
We will split into breakout rooms to share the images we’ve shot for our final series over last week. In these rooms you will discuss your progress, your plans, your successes and your failures. You’ll answer the questions below in a new OpenLab post, accompanied by a few images.

As we enter the breakout rooms, be prepared to share your screen with your peers. Ideally you will have everything you’ve shot so far open in Lightroom. Divide the time of the session evenly, so all members of your group have sufficient opportunity to present work in progress.

Please answer the following as you display your work in progress to your peers:

  • What is the concept behind your series? How has the idea taken shape or changed as you set out to begin shooting?
  • What inspired you to pursue this idea? What particular photos are you thinking about (from class or from anywhere else in your life) as you’ve begun shooting? Do you have any painting, design, or other non-photographic visual references in mind for the project? Are there any particular styles that you are attempting to emulate?
  • How did the first week of shooting go? Did you encounter any difficulties or setbacks as you began to shoot? Have any parts of your series proved more difficult than anticipated?
  • Have you had any great successes in your first week of shooting? What has gone better than expected? Have you been surprised by the outcome of any shots? Which images are you most excited about?
  • Which images is your group most excited about? Are there particular qualities of those images that you can pinpoint or define? Can anyone in the group clearly state why they’re reacting to these particular images?
  • According to your group, which aspects of your pictures need to be improved or refined? Are there any technical issues that need to be resolved? Are there ways you could improve your exposure, your composition or your framing? 
  • According to your group, where should you focus your energy in the coming weeks? What would members of your group like to see added, changed, removed, etc.? How will you go about doing this?
  • What is your agenda for shooting in the next couple weeks? When will you be shooting next? How many more shooting sessions will be necessary to complete your project? Remembering that you’ll need time to edit your images, what are your dates for shooting?

Submission:
Summarize the discussion held around these questions. You do not need to answer every question one-by-one, but you must provide a recap, including feedback from your peers and your plans for shooting. Post that summary, along with 2-3 of your best shots, as a new OpenLab post.