My final project is due next Sunday for my photography class. I need to tell a story in six to 10 photos. Above is photo one and I’ll let you have a look at the final project that wasn’t.

I spent most of a week working on it. Then I got my prior week’s assignment graded with comments. That was the assignment about composition and aesthetics. I thought I had done really well. The instructor liked my work, but offered one suggestion:

“Change the ISO to 200 or 400 and use a faster shutter speed.”

He said he could detect movement in my photos. The photos I had worked on all week to tell a story for my final project are all shot at the same ISO and shutter speed as last week’s assignment — which he said I should change. I could have said, “Hey, I’m done” and turned in the final project as is. But then I would be ignoring the instructor’s advice, which doesn’t seem smart. He wants me to get better and offered a solid tip on how to do so. He was very encouraging and said he saw improvement in my work.

I’m starting over and took a bunch of photos today with the suggested settings. And darn, if the guy isn’t correct. My new photos are sharper. Thankfully, he gave us an extra week to complete this assignment along with a research report, which will be posted online tomorrow.

Here’s the story I’m not turning in — without words:

Are you able to follow my storyline through pictures without words?

Would you feel discouraged to start over after completing a project — or view it as a new opportunity and why?