The Absorbed Look
The expression of total concentration is one of the most reliable pictures at any gathering. Heads dipped under a raised bonnet, two people bent over the same detail, the frown of someone studying, judging, examining, appraising.
Where it works: a car show (studying an engine), an antiques fair (inspecting a find), a dog show (a judge's assessment), any competition or collectors' event.
Best time: wherever people are inspecting rather than chatting.
Look for: the shared gaze of two people looking at the same thing, and the private absorption of one person who has forgotten they're in public.
f/5.6–f/8. Shoot from slightly outside the pair so you catch both faces and what they're looking at.
Photograph five people fully absorbed in examining something. Capture the concentration, not the object.