I have a great friend, Trisha, who got a Canon 40D for her birthday this summer (lucky girl!) and was very anxious to learn how to use it. We started going on photography missions to various locations throughout Vancouver so that she could get used to this new chunk of equipment. For example, flowers were a good place to start so we went to the gardens in Stanley Park for her first assignment. We had an action day, and a mid-day sun day (totally wished we thought to have a sundae afterwards. I’m a geek.) Our boyfriends also begrudgingly came out for a portrait mission…The list goes on.

One day we decided to take our cameras up to Simon Fraser University to do a photo shoot to practice posing and directing people in front of the camera. Who needs models when we can photograph ourselves! We shot in the open air of the Quadrangle for most of the afternoon. Basically, the Quadrangle is a big square outline on gigantic stilts with dozens of classrooms inside. Dreary inside, beautiful outside. Trust me, I took many-a-class in that building. We tried to act like models in front of the camera, and hot shot photographers behind the camera. One do-gooder student walked by us and told us he made money taking pictures of people and it was useless to have the flash on in daylight. He wished us well and carried on. Such helpful people wandering around! However, the flash was to subdue some shadows on the face. Thanks though.

We had a great time goofing around! Oh my friend was a bossy little thing but I loved every second of it. She was a natural! When we started to get people staring at us it made me nervous but she did a wonderful job helping me relax. I love the shot where I’m “holding onto the wall for dear life, but must look soft and feminine while doing it.” Nailed it.

My photos of Trisha will come in a later post. Here’s some of her 40D love.