This is the 5th and final installment of my series about my work on the RAMMYs InFocus Photography Project. An introduction to the project and links to previous installments can be found here, and this final post will look at my night at Table as well as the progression of my work throughout the entire project. I shot nearly 3k frames at 6 different locations over the span of one month for my aspect of the project and I found that the repetition of shooting in so many similar environments in such a short period of time really pushed my work & refined aspects of my technique.
When sifting through the work in its entirety I found that I not only became more consistent in my outcomes, but also began to pack more coherent visual information into each successful frame. This is definitely an important progression as I improve my visual story telling process and by the end of the assignment, I began to build some fairly complex compositions and exercised more precision in my exposures.
Both of these progressions were the result of a combination of practiced repetition, stringent personal analysis of my work as well as a way to keep myself focused and interested in the work.
I always try to do something new or different each and every time I pick up a camera, whether its for personal work or out on a hired gig, and I have found that this attitude is a key aspect of learning or pushing yourself as a creative.
Or a chef. Many of these same principles can be applied to the work and thought process of a chef; practiced perfection via repetition and gained experience, constant tweaking and refinement of process or technique, and never being content with what you know but always striving to learn or do more.
It’s a running joke amongst the cooking staff of Table about a lack of formal recipes for their dishes, but rather a generally agreed upon final product with a good bit of freedom allowed in how to get there. I would venture a guess that this process is a fairly liberating environment for them, because it is for me too.
Thanks again for following along if you made it this far and be sure to check out each restaurant yourself if you're in the D.C. area!