Best 10 | Hobbs

A young girl laughs right before she falls off a mechanical bull at the fair.

I selected this image because it felt like it perfectly captured the theme of this week's assignment, which was emotion. It was at a fair, and I had to stand and take these photos. I had only a few seconds to capture the photos of people on the bulls before they fell off. I snapped a series of photos right before this girl fell off and this photo was my favorite because you could see the girl's face, her laugh, and her body tilting right before she fell. The colors in the foreground and background are also very bright and vibrant which added to the mood.

A student naps on a warm day on McKeldin Mall at the University of Maryland

I like this photo because it captures the feeling of spring on campus. It was one of the first warm days of spring and this student was only one of a few small groups of people were sitting outside. He was lying down in a really empty area just completely knocked out. I really enjoy the angle and how small he looks. If I could shoot it again, I think I would get my camera closer to the ground when taking the photo.

Soran Bushi performers strike one final pose at the end of their performance.

I took this photo at a cultural event hosted by the Japanese Student Association. I like this photo because it happened right as the Soran Bushi performers struck a pose. You can see everyone's face and their body, and I took the photo zoomed out enough that it doesn't feel cramped. If I could redo one thing, I would try to get a head on photo.

Fingers fly over a keyboard: 2.0 sec, f/11, ISO800

I enjoy this photo because I was challenging myself by doing something new and this was the fist successful photo that I got. The motion blur is happening in other parts of the image not just the hands but the hands have most of the blur and have a clear sense of movement while the rest of the photo feels as though its relatively still. I think the framing was also done really well because the action -- the hands on the keyboard -- take up most of the shot and draw the most attention.

A ride operator guides a young boy as the ride slows to a stop.

This is a favorite of mine because of the motion blur. I was at a fair and I saw people riding on this spinning ride. I wanted a motion blur photo that a face in focus while the ride was spinning, but it was extremely challenging to try and get. As the ride began to slow down, I turned and snapped a couple photos of the ride operator who had started joking with and guiding one of the young boys on the ride as he began to get out of his seat. I loved the photo because you can tell the movement of the ride and of the ride operator's hand, but his face and body is still. I also love how the warm colors on the left are contrasted by the cool colors on the right.

This was one of my street photos that I took in Downtown Annapolis. This girl was working at a nearby store and was promoting the giant bubbles that they were selling. Her job was to stand outside and blow bubbles. I love this photo because you can see the girl's whole body, the giant bubble wand and the giant bubbles coming out, and the sign behind her that says Big Bubbles Inside. I remember waiting and taking photos for a while of her because I wanted my photo to have all three of those elements in it.

A girl rides a mechanical bull at the fair.

This is another photo of someone riding a bull. I really love this one because of the American flag that you can see on the ground of the mechanical bull machine and how it's reflected in the actual flag flying behind her. I took many rapid fire shots of this before she fell, and this one was my favorite because you can see the flag clearly extended behind her. I also like the angles here, how the girl is leaning to the right, the bull is leaning to the left, and the flag behind her is leaning to right as well.

Handmade earrings at the Jaime Creates stall hangs in front of a light.

I like this photo because it's a more artistic silhouette. The handmade earrings look like funky shapes in front of the light and the colors can also peek through due to the fabric that they're made out of. I like this one because it follows the rule of thirds and even though it is a silhouette the main focus of the piece is the red fabric.

A kite flies high during the Blossom Kite Festival on Saturday. The festival is part of the Cherry Blossom Festival which ends April 14. Peak bloom is expected April 1 - 5.

This photo was taking during the Blossom Kite Festival part of the Cherry Blossom Festival. The area was crowded with people flying kites and the sky was filled with these different kites with different colors and sizes. There was a rare empty patch of sky with this one kite flying in it. The tails of the kite were almost perfectly unfurled and you could see the shape of the kite and looked almost identical to a bird flying by. The muted background also makes the kite's colors look more vibrant.

Alissa Li, left, smiles as her friend Hannah Kim ties her kimono.

I was snapping photo of these two trying to tie a kimono. They had been attempting for quite a while, and couldn't get it to look presentable or stay shut. It was looking like a very frustrating process and then Hannah cracked a joke and the two of them started laughing. I like this photo because you can see the emotions on their face as they laugh and smile. You can also clearly see the action even though you can't see their hole bodies, and your eyes focus on them even with the busy background.