One nice thing about not being too concerned with absolutely correct structure (although it was always in the back of my mind) is that it allowed for things to evolve in a way that I don't feel is contrived.  There are certain moments that generated other moments naturally, and things that I have found along the way that were wonderful surprises that somehow made sense and connected well.  Well into the boarding phase (nearly at the end of the first cut I put together) I had a conversation with a good photographer friend of mine who described an attitude toward photography that strengthened that element of my story.  I had no idea the perception there was among some, or a stigma, that photography carries with it.  Without going into too much detail it was the idea that although the one taking the photograph is "involved" or participating somewhat in the event they are documenting, capturing, the machine itself filters the experience, disallowing the photographer to be an active participant in the event/experience.  Now obviously this is one point of view but since then I've read other material substantiating this particular view.  It was the perfect thing to support some of the more important themes in the story-and something new that I learned.  Again, a great benefit to allowing things to form, not enforce (writer driven) but evolve naturally (story driven) is that I get to learn things I otherwise would not have become interested in.  I know next to nothing about photography and it's place in the modern world, although I have my own ideas sparsely gathered from many resources.
These are also things that have helped shape the main character, helped to "realize" him, give him context and a reason to be who and how he is. I know that other filmmakers do this, allow things to occur naturally, but there is always a knowledge base, an understanding of how those things come about and an ability to let the right things in when they need to be let in.  I want to make sure I don't overstate my inexperience but I really am just now learning how to do these things, much later in my career than I would have liked, but there is solace in knowing that it's happening to some degree.

~JM