Justine McDaniel, Photo #1, On Campus

Clouds move in above Shriver Laboratory at the University of Maryland, College Park on Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

I was trying to capture the leading line of the road in this wide shot, and I experimented with a vertical shot. I like how the spire extends above everything else in the right-hand third of the shot and the corner of the building hits the left-hand third. Many of my wider shots turned out to be out of focus, so I know I need to pay more attention to that next time.

Flowers bloom in a field in College Park, Md. on Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

I really like this tight shot because the flowers stand out against the field in the background, and I like the dimension it creates. The sun went behind some clouds as I was shooting in the field, so I was trying to pay extra attention to the lighting.

A construction worker surveys the scene at the University of Maryland in College Park on Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

This is my favorite shot. I made sure to show the construction worker in the background, although I should have rotated a little to include the tractor better. I like the story this shot tells as well as the composition; I was lucky to catch this worker when he was on a very quick break. In general, I enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with the camera and I learned a bit about what works and what doesn’t. It was also good practice for interacting with people while shooting. I asked the construction workers’ permission to take the photos, and I had a few interactions with other people who saw me shooting.