A night on the Whiskey

I was asked by a close friend to take photographs throughout the evening for posterity.  She wanted natural shots taken throughout the night.  Knowing how people are camera shy, myself included, I introduced myself to everyone there and explained that I was doing a City and Guilds Photographic Course at college and with their permission I would be taking shots throughout the evening as part of my course and all photos would be available for them to see before I used them.  Hopefully, this would allow them to relax and be themselves.  I used my Fuji S5000 initially and later in the evening I used a Cannon ????  There was little planning to be done as I had no idea how the night would progress........ but I decided to try and capture the images in picture diary format. From Sober to Drunk........

The night started with an empty ice bucket, empty glasses, bottle opener and in the background, a tray laden with alcohol...........  The focal point is the ice bucket, the square shape and straight lines along with the colour draw the eye into the picture.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label - the 1st of 2 bottles of this that were opened..........  I like the reflection in the cut glasses and the shadow of the bottle against the wall.

The 2nd bottle...........

4 of the 5 bottles........  Not too happy with this shot - Too many shadows, but in my defence I was being pushed to take the shot as they wanted to open them!

Informal portraits of the guests - before the drinking began..........  Like the composition of this with one person looking straight at the camera and the other looking slightly away.  Its also a bit over exposed.

New relationship - and only 2nd time of meeting the parents.......

The happy couple - newly engaged.........  

Old married couple - totally at ease with each other........ but the night was young........

The gentleman and his wife who's Whiskey we were drinking......

Again this is over exposed but the focal points work well.

The first of the bottles was opened, and the measures weren't measured..............
This is one of my favorite shots of the night, the composition, focal point of the glass being filled,  and the colour.

This lady was one glass ahead of the rest of us, hence the lone dancing..............

A natural shot with the subject being totally unaware that she is being photographed.  The shot captures movement while the patterns of her top are the focal point.  I like the way the shadow adds to the picture instead of distracting from it.

Dropped bottom lip........... Think he was getting a short measure....... or the correct one! 

Well she thought it was funny.............  I like the tones in this picture, the patterns on the ladies top next to the plain shirt of the gentleman, they work well together.

Turning Japanese............  Apart from the clock growing out of his ear, I like this photo.

How many glasses can you hold.............  This shot captures the tone of the evening.  Fun was to be had.

Eating lime!  It was a Whiskey night - not Tequila???  

The Whiskey was starting to kick in........

Then the ice cube fight began..........  

Note the perpetrator disappearing........... I love the look on the lady's face.

The victims get their revenge.............

 My Fuji camera is nicked to take photo's of me........  When I saw these shots it gave me some confidence that at least I can get some decent photos with it, well at least in focus.......

 Two heads are better than one.............  My friend who took this assures me I was in focus!!

 Back to just blurry..........  She also tells me that she wasn't drinking....... ;-)

 Nice ornament..........  At least she has managed to get the ornament and flowers ...almost.........

The flower........ This is her attempt with my camera on a close up shot

The flower take 2 .........  This is my attempt at the shot - and I knew then that my camera wasn't broke - it was operater error......... LOL

Get your heads togther now ladies...........  I like this photo for the tones and patterns of the clothes and also the different colours in the hair.  The eye is drawn to the lady who is laughing.

 The kids helping themselves.......  Lots of colours here.  Like the way their eyes are all focused towards the bottle.

 Oooopps.... Maybe a drop too much.........  too many shadows on this but the moment is captured.

 Think I've been rumbled...........  

 He's found his favorite of the night.........  Apart from the door growing through his head, I think this shot captures the mood of the night, all light hearted fun. 

 Do I look sick???........ The whiskey glass stands out as the ladies colourful dress acts as a backdrop but your eye is drawn to the face that is being pulled. 

 Who hasn't been away on holiday this year?.............  The tones of the skin in this photo are really good.

Heres to you! ........  My favorite shot of the night - not well composed, not particulary well focused either but it captures the subject totally relaxed - and that was what the evening was about.

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The types of photos I have taken emulate the way Henri Cartier - Bresson took his photographs as in they are taken at 'The Definitive moment'.  They are not composed or set.  And in the case of these photographs then his words of " Life is once - forever" are particularly poignant.