I HAVE VACILLATED between snapping shots in crowds to restricting my shots just to perspectives that blur or obliterate faces. There are important reasons to respect the image of others and that's why I backed away from shooting faces in crowds. However, I'm spending most of the day surrounded by dozens of new students and I know that if I snap and share their faces several good things will happen. I'll learn their names faster--and so will many of the other lecturers. Plus--and this is the big thing--other students will connect to the newbies faster. That's a major social dividend because there are car pools, used books, dog-eared course notes, prospective flatmates and meaningful social engagements just a photoshoot away. So I'm carrying an HD video camera and my Nokia N86 along to a casual day at Tipperary Institute. I'll upload the best images into my Flickr photostream.
