We drove up past Sacramento yesterday for Catherine and Johnny's baby shower. She is due July 1 and it will be the first grand child (girl!) for both sides, so a lot of excitement.
It was a three hour drive so I had time to think through all the shots it would be fun to take, family and friends, etc. I thought about how photography is like golf where you have a plan for every course, every hole, every shot but also the reality you have to take the next shot based on where you end up. So planning with an open mind in a way. I approached the party with that idea, here is my shot checklist but be open to see what happens.
And this is what I ended up with:
A fun party but I didn't get in the grove for photos. Lot's of eating, talking and drinking but not a photo vibe. Two cameras set up and ready but only a handful of shots. Different if I was hired to be an event photographer vs mellow guest maybe.
I am OK with this, in fact this is the how most good photography works. It is a little like fishing, maybe a post on that in the future.