I have decided good composition and quality light is not enough if I want to go to a higher level of photography excellence. And the only way to accomplish that is to increase the amount of time I am out actually photographing. What I seek is the magical moment those elusive once in a lifetime shots when the light and conditions transcends above the normal. The more I am out there the more likely I would be there for those magical moments. And the more likely I would learn to recognize and anticipate when that moment comes.
Is that the "secret"? Be out there frequently and you will reach that next level?
What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you for your replies.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Posted by Matt Dallos on January 20, 2007 at 9:02 PM
I would say that if you are looking to capture very dramatic moments, then yes, one of the ways to do so is to spend more time out there. However, I think that you also have to spend your timme in a more educated manor. Know the terrain and know the weather..these are two areas that can really help you guess at where to be to catch the special light.
Another thing to think about is if dramatic moments are really the next step. What if the next step is going away from these defining moments to piecing together your portfolio of photographs to showcase the absolute essence of the places that you shoot?
Either way..the more you are out there..the better your chances.
All 'moments' have their magic! The trick is to see them! Certainly, your odds go up the more you're out there, but what I think is really required is the sharpening of one's ability to see. I am still working on it!
"To be able to really see, one must not only open one's eyes. One must above all, open one's heart" Gaston Re'buffat-French Alpinist
-PB
Posted by Alice Scoggins on January 20, 2007 at 10:54 PM
I think being out there has a lot to do with it...I have not been out much lately. I usually don't get out as much in the winter and I feel like my photography suffers for it. But I agree with Preston...we have to train our eyes to see the magic in the seemingly insignificant things. It's there, we just have to learn to see it.
Posted by Darwin Wiggett on January 21, 2007 at 12:06 AM
There is great stuff to be had everywhere, in every kind of light. Your job is to learn to see the the fantastic in the mundane. If all you are doing is going out waiting for incredible light shows then mostly you will be dissappointed because those events are rare - really rare.
Great photographers can find wonderful images in situations most of us would pass by. I agree with Preston, learning to see is the key. The more time you spend in the field the more likely you will develop this ability if you open your mind to the mundane as well as the spectacular. Darwin
Posted by Richard Wong on January 21, 2007 at 12:16 AM
One way to really challenge yourself is to live in an area that does not look very appealing to shoot. Where I live for example is smoggy and hot for 8 months out of the year and started getting way overpopulated ten years ago. We don't have granite peaks or anything distinctive here other than Mount Baldy. It wasn't until I moved to the Bay Area for a few years and came back that I finally started shooting pictures down here. Surprisingly little by little I started to relish the challenge of finding places to shoot. Now I want to get more depth rather than just pretty sunrise / sunset alpenglow type pictures. For me that would be the next level. It's cloudless most of the year here except for winter and June so I can either sit at home for 9 months out of the year or I can find something to shoot during that time.
Amount of time has little to do with that in my opinion. It's more about state of mind.
Posted by Carol Hyman on January 21, 2007 at 12:21 AM
Two more cents to share, Will. I'm in a similar boat to the one you are in. I've been shooting one camera or another since I was about 10 (or maybe younger ;^) plus I've taken tons of art courses. People say I have a "good eye."
However, that said, about three months ago, I too decided that I wanted to pay far more attention to the technical details. I have a goal--I want to become a really good photographer and that requires paying your "dues" so to speak.
I go out and shoot as frequently as I can. I've spent countless hours reading web pages and the "manuals" that come with the camera. Each time I go out, I focus on another camera feature. I pour over the variations in my shots and I'm becoming even more critical of my own work.
After only a few days on NPN, I'm discovering that looking at the submitted photos, together with the comments posted by both the photographer of the shot and the replies of other photographers is invaluable. I'm submitting my photos to NPN and commenting on the other submitted photos.
I'm also learning that it may take one or two or even three visits to a location. I have a small contract to shoot a scene for a business card and stationery. The customer wants to capture "Peace and Tranquility," whatever that is ;^) Late this afternoon I drove my a site I had in mind, mostly to check out the afternoon light which I had thought would be the perfect time of day. Oops. That site is going to acquire a morning shoot and probably a couple of visits. I'll need to find some place to park (no room to simply pull over and park) and I'm going to have to carry a tripod, camera, and a couple of lenses around. I have my work cut out for me.
One of the lessons I'm learning is a lot of patience and perseverence is required.
Go for it and enjoy every moment.
Carol Hyman
Posted by Anil Rao on January 21, 2007 at 12:29 AM
William,
I think the more important thing to do is to find out exactly what the "next level" is for you (it will be different for different people) and then try to find a way to get there. I don't think simply getting out more will take you there, unless that next level for you is to make a lot more pictures.
For what its worth, I have found that my photography improved after I started making fewer photos. Of course, this will not work for everyone.
Posted by Ed Dubois on January 21, 2007 at 2:15 AM
This will be an interesting challenge for you Will, since only you can decide what the goal is and whether or not you're achieving it. Finding the magic moment is also elusive because, at least in my opinion, the magic is in the eye of the beholder.
In my own photography I found that after years of essentially repeating what I already knew I could do competently I started looking for something more too. In addition to working to improve my craft level (all the tech stuff) I started trying to get more of the art into my work. Currently I try to have my avian images show an interaction with the bird which really increases the amount of time I need to spend out there with any one specific bird. It's a continual challenge, and I freely admit I do frequently fall back into creating technically competent stuff that doesn't really reach into the art spectrum. But occassionally I do have moments where I seem to make progress.
The way I judge that progress is not by my own reaction to my images but rather how others respond. Like so many of us I've shown more images to more people than I can remember over the years. I've heard a fair number of positive comments and have won various awards in competitions from local to international level. But when I know I've managed to do that extra something is when I hear a gasp from the audience when an image is projected. Those involuntary "wows" are when I feel I'm on the right track - much more than when I hear considered commentary after the fact.
As to what that moment is - I'd love to be able to define it. I've had the same reaction to some of the work I've seen here on NPN. After about 1 1/2 years as a member (or is it closer to 2?) there are still a handfull of images that really spoke to me and that I still can bring to mind. Through the local camera club scene I've learned, critiqued, taught workshops and seen thousands of images over the past decade but those magic moment images are few and far between.
I'm sure you've heard that old chestnut: "f8 and be there". Another version adds: "and you can forget f8". It looks to me like you're on the right track in thinking that you need to spend a lot of time at it. Being out shooting, thinking about what you're wanting to create, working on your mastery of the craft, looking analytically at as many images as you can and following your own vision of what makes that magic image are all part of it. As your vision and skill grow your expectations will too and your concept of the magic will evolve. So like the rest of us I think you're in it for life. Enjoy.
Posted by Ott Luuk on January 21, 2007 at 10:31 AM
My humble advice: stop ranking things you see as "mundane", "normal", "extraordinary", "magical" etc for a while. You might notice more. Keep visiting familiar sites and find time to stop and observe things around you. Ignore people who tell you about rules of composition and "bad light" - experiment and make things work for you.
Lightshows and fireworks are great but they also tend to make you blind to the details. Bright lights are the easiest way to hide the lack of content. For me, great photographers reveal beauty and complexity in things that I wouldn`t see or notice. Don`t let common knowledge tell you what is noteworthy or dramatic. I mean, how could you transcend the normal as a photographer if your work (however excellent technically) keeps telling people things they already know?
Posted by Ed Cordes on January 21, 2007 at 10:39 AM
Will, like all the people who replied, I too am searching and working to move my photography to the "next level". In my mind the "next level" is to make my images more artistic and have more of that "Wow" factor that Ed Dubois is referring to. I believe "being out there" is a part of the equation to make it happen. I believe the main part of the equation is developing your VISION of the world around you as opposed to merely seeing the world. The problem is that this is such an emotional intangible that it can't be taught and can't be obtained in a cook book fashion. "Being out there" give you more opportunity to develop your vision. Learning to analyse the scene and the light is another important aspect. However, the most important factor is really in our souls. It is from the deepest regions of our souls that we will create images that truly represent the essence of how the subject we are photographing moves and motivates us.
I am still searching for this elusive synergy I think it is a search that will occupy the rest of my life.
Posted by William Vrolyk on January 21, 2007 at 11:42 AM
The response to my post has been inspiring and thought provoking. And I thank you all. I wrote down on paper before me all the little "gems" of advice and thoughts that you have given.
I always thought learning to see is one of the primary goals in photography, so I have strived in that direction since the beginning. So I do see the magic in the seemingly insignificant things but only by the way the light falls on it. So when I read there is great stuff to be had everywhere, in every kind of light, I take notice.
I tend to see beauty everywhere and in everything in nature. But the only way I can show that vision is through the light. Without that the subject is too trite. Every morning and evening the sun cloaks nature in the beauty of its light. So I find it hard to seek images at other times, except to scout out and become familiar with locations that have photogenic potential.
To see the magic in all moments is a level worth striving for.
Thank you all for the great replies.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Posted by John W. Wall on January 21, 2007 at 12:04 PM
There's a saying, "Wherever you go, there you are." So if you just go out there more, while bringing the same vision, you won't necessarily see new stuff. One of the things I love about this site and this group of nature photographers is that we are asking and examining these important questions. Anyway, another thought is rather than going out more, go out smarter. Plan ahead. While you're out, you might see something that in other light, in another season, etc., needs to be returned to. I don't think being out there a lot can hurt, in any case, even if you go out all day and shoot nothing at all. Even just becoming more intimate with a place will have its own rewards.
Posted by Darwin Wiggett on January 21, 2007 at 12:43 PM
Try this exercise. Pick a day when you have the house to yourself. Now spend the day exploring the light in your home and photographing the everyday stuff in your life. You will be amazed what incredible photos exist tight under your nose in your everyday 'crap' that you take for granted. Do this exercise once a week for at least a month. Trust me you'll learn to see the "magic in the mundane" and your photography willk soar. That is one of the things I did to help me learn to see better. (Thanks to Freeman Patterson for the inspiration for this exercise). Darwin
Personally I don't think about it in terms of levels. It's an evolutionary process and we all keep changing and improving as we go along. In my opinion the very fact that you are questioning and curious and ambitious to do something better already puts you a step ahead of where you were before. As a result you'll become more attune, more motivated, and more discriminating.
Yes, spend more time where the things that inspire you are. Keep this same attitude of wanting to learn and to discover and be critical of your work and you will progressively become better. There's no magic to it.
A big part for me is looking at photos. Spend a bunch of time looking analytically at those of a few photographers you admire. Ask yourself why they work, what you like, what you don't, how you would have shot it, where and when you have seen similar settings. Now look at a long span of your own photography asking the same questions.
It's a setup really, putting you in the frame of mind and habit of looking closer.
After all that, when you go into the field monitor your own feelings pretty carefully. When you react to a scene, ask yourself why, what specific element makes you feel that way, and what you could do to help others see and feel the same thing. Go ahead and shoot it right way as you normally would, but then use the opportunity to be a little more analytic about the setting and shoot some analytical shots as "brackets". Innately you will start to apply some of the things you have just learned in your photo reviews to that specific setting. You'll see very quickly that not only are your "brackets" of the same setting are better than your first instinctive shot in most cases. You'll also quickly see those lessons start to appear in your first shots.
Posted by Dan Borzynski on January 21, 2007 at 8:15 PM
Without wanting to sound like Yoda, don't try, just do. What the heck did I just say there?!?
For me, a large part of my process to improve has been two-fold: First, look a lots of other people's photos. Not just a couple of dozen here and there. I mean hundreds, if not thousands on a regular basis. Look at everything here, the good, bad and the ugly. One nice thing here is that you have the polished experts can show what a great photo really can be, most of the average photographers such as myself, and some not so good photo. Verbalize why a photo does or does not work for you, and if it does not, figure out how to shoot it better. Not just "better lighting", but if were standing there, exactly what would you do. Also, look for other websites with material that is interesting for you. Try looking at some of the online stock agencies for ideas.
The second one is to be more critical of your own work. What I have seen is that many people really don't know what their photographic weaknesses are. Sit done with 100 or so recent images and lot for patterns. Better yet, have someone else do it for you and compare notes.
Read everything you can get your hands on. Look at ads to see how they shot it. Read every magazine article you can. You are after ideas, even if you never follow up on them.
Try something new, such as shooting a festival or bike race, or try to simulate studio lighting with a small hotshoe flash, off camera cord and some foamcore. Know that you will probably fail photographically. Don't worry about failure - it really isn't that important.
And when you get to the field, don't worry about getting that killer image. If you are ready to see it, you will. Stressing about getting *that* image will gaurantee you won't. Your mortgage doesn't depend on it, and in the end, you are there because you want to be, not because you need to be.
Posted by Bill Chambers on January 21, 2007 at 11:44 PM
One of the best ways I've found to improve is to REALLY look at other images posted on NPN. The images you really like - study them to discover why you like them - format, perspective, comp, elements, etc. The images that don't really strike you - study them even harder and think about the reasons they don't really speak to you. You don't necessarily have to make these comments online but certainly learn from them. Quite by accident I discovered I learned MUCH MORE from critiqueing other imaging than by receiving critiques on mine, if for no other reason there's many more of them to look at and I can do so on a more objective level.
Darwin, I had thought of Freeman Patterson the moment that you mentioned that great photos are to be had in every kind of light. I recalled his suggestion that we dispell all previous notions we may have had about "the right time to shoot" and deliberately go out at noon. Wether or not he meant going out during the harsh light of a sunny summer day, I am not sure. Anyway I find the assignment you give me (with thanks to Freeman) interesting and will try it.
The advice here is strong. Asking yourself questions with why, what, where, when, and how is part of the learning and improving process. One thing that helps me is to imagine myself in the photographer's shoes and seeing the shot through the viewfinder or ground glass as he did.
In reality, the advice on studying the work of other photographers is pretty close to how I go through the images in the galleries. This has been a tremendous learning experience for me.
But there is more and what is seldom mentioned is passion. The accomplished photographers, whose work I so admire, have one thing in common. A passion for photography. They don't just do photography, they live it. It is part of their identity. If you have that drive then you will be well on the way of becoming great in photography, or anything else you want to strive for.
Yes, the size of the rat in your gut (Galen Rowell's term) is really what separates the wanna-bes from the ones that actually do photography. It is a lifestyle, a driven passion, an identity. It is more than a hobby - it is like some crazy beast in your head that won't let you turn off the seeing. If you have that drive you will soar in photography. Getting the drive can not be taught, you have it or you don't. Darwin
Posted by Marc Adamus on January 23, 2007 at 6:17 PM
Will, what a great series of questions and the responses have been
interesting and very informative. Would we expect anything else from this
bunch here at NPN?
I applaud your efforts to evolve your style. I agree that spending more
time in the field is important and also would agree very much with the
comments that suggest shooting in all types of light. After all the world
isn't just beautiful and interesting during a few hours each day, is it?
What I would suggest, that might help you, is to go out in the field, quite
often, with no camera. Leave it at home. It won't be long on your outing
that you wish you had it of course and there are bound to be many times
that you will miss some great photographic opportunities. However I think
there are many advantages in doing this on a regular basis.
One advantage is that it will help you to really question and evaluate your
subject and your reaction to it.
Freeman Patterson is a wonderful artist and yes he is passionate about
photography of course. But, in my opinion his wonderful sense of "vision"
developed "off camera". His passion also developed
long before he even picked up a camera. You see, like many children growing
up in our "have not" province of New Brunswick, his family did not a lot of
money. A camera purchase was out of the question. Like many other children
in rural areas , his playground and schoolyard was the local woods ,fields
and river. It was in this setting, without a camera but wishing for one,
that he lay
down the foundation of the artist he would become.
I know many people will scoff at my suggestion. I believe you need all the
skill you can muster and master to control your camera. Proper equipment is
important, as is the knowledge of composition
and a passion and work ethic to succeed.
However I think the most important thing you can carry with you, out in
Nature , is the "sense of wonder" of a child.
If you notice the great photographers at this site, and there are many,
possess the practical skill set to succeed, so do most of the rest of us.
What really sets them apart is , similar to Mr. Patterson, the sense of
reverence and appreciation for nature, then they use their skill to relate
that emotion.
That's my belief anyways , great topic!
Tim
Posted by William Vrolyk on January 27, 2007 at 10:09 AM
Tim, I think you have touched upon the very foundation of nature photography. A love for, a reverence and appreciation for nature, wherein lies the ability to see beauty in the mundane and at all times of the day, is the prerequisite to excell in nature photography. We must learn to see nature for what it is through our eyes first and then we can look through the lens.
Discussion
24 repliesIs that the "secret"? Be out there frequently and you will reach that next level?
What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you for your replies.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Another thing to think about is if dramatic moments are really the next step. What if the next step is going away from these defining moments to piecing together your portfolio of photographs to showcase the absolute essence of the places that you shoot?
Either way..the more you are out there..the better your chances.
All 'moments' have their magic! The trick is to see them! Certainly, your odds go up the more you're out there, but what I think is really required is the sharpening of one's ability to see. I am still working on it!
"To be able to really see, one must not only open one's eyes. One must above all, open one's heart" Gaston Re'buffat-French Alpinist
-PB
Great photographers can find wonderful images in situations most of us would pass by. I agree with Preston, learning to see is the key. The more time you spend in the field the more likely you will develop this ability if you open your mind to the mundane as well as the spectacular. Darwin
Amount of time has little to do with that in my opinion. It's more about state of mind.
However, that said, about three months ago, I too decided that I wanted to pay far more attention to the technical details. I have a goal--I want to become a really good photographer and that requires paying your "dues" so to speak.
I go out and shoot as frequently as I can. I've spent countless hours reading web pages and the "manuals" that come with the camera. Each time I go out, I focus on another camera feature. I pour over the variations in my shots and I'm becoming even more critical of my own work.
After only a few days on NPN, I'm discovering that looking at the submitted photos, together with the comments posted by both the photographer of the shot and the replies of other photographers is invaluable. I'm submitting my photos to NPN and commenting on the other submitted photos.
I'm also learning that it may take one or two or even three visits to a location. I have a small contract to shoot a scene for a business card and stationery. The customer wants to capture "Peace and Tranquility," whatever that is ;^) Late this afternoon I drove my a site I had in mind, mostly to check out the afternoon light which I had thought would be the perfect time of day. Oops. That site is going to acquire a morning shoot and probably a couple of visits. I'll need to find some place to park (no room to simply pull over and park) and I'm going to have to carry a tripod, camera, and a couple of lenses around. I have my work cut out for me.
One of the lessons I'm learning is a lot of patience and perseverence is required.
Go for it and enjoy every moment.
Carol Hyman
I think the more important thing to do is to find out exactly what the "next level" is for you (it will be different for different people) and then try to find a way to get there. I don't think simply getting out more will take you there, unless that next level for you is to make a lot more pictures.
For what its worth, I have found that my photography improved after I started making fewer photos. Of course, this will not work for everyone.
In my own photography I found that after years of essentially repeating what I already knew I could do competently I started looking for something more too. In addition to working to improve my craft level (all the tech stuff) I started trying to get more of the art into my work. Currently I try to have my avian images show an interaction with the bird which really increases the amount of time I need to spend out there with any one specific bird. It's a continual challenge, and I freely admit I do frequently fall back into creating technically competent stuff that doesn't really reach into the art spectrum. But occassionally I do have moments where I seem to make progress.
The way I judge that progress is not by my own reaction to my images but rather how others respond. Like so many of us I've shown more images to more people than I can remember over the years. I've heard a fair number of positive comments and have won various awards in competitions from local to international level. But when I know I've managed to do that extra something is when I hear a gasp from the audience when an image is projected. Those involuntary "wows" are when I feel I'm on the right track - much more than when I hear considered commentary after the fact.
As to what that moment is - I'd love to be able to define it. I've had the same reaction to some of the work I've seen here on NPN. After about 1 1/2 years as a member (or is it closer to 2?) there are still a handfull of images that really spoke to me and that I still can bring to mind. Through the local camera club scene I've learned, critiqued, taught workshops and seen thousands of images over the past decade but those magic moment images are few and far between.
I'm sure you've heard that old chestnut: "f8 and be there". Another version adds: "and you can forget f8". It looks to me like you're on the right track in thinking that you need to spend a lot of time at it. Being out shooting, thinking about what you're wanting to create, working on your mastery of the craft, looking analytically at as many images as you can and following your own vision of what makes that magic image are all part of it. As your vision and skill grow your expectations will too and your concept of the magic will evolve. So like the rest of us I think you're in it for life. Enjoy.
Will-- you GO! boy!
Lightshows and fireworks are great but they also tend to make you blind to the details. Bright lights are the easiest way to hide the lack of content. For me, great photographers reveal beauty and complexity in things that I wouldn`t see or notice. Don`t let common knowledge tell you what is noteworthy or dramatic. I mean, how could you transcend the normal as a photographer if your work (however excellent technically) keeps telling people things they already know?
I am still searching for this elusive synergy I think it is a search that will occupy the rest of my life.
I always thought learning to see is one of the primary goals in photography, so I have strived in that direction since the beginning. So I do see the magic in the seemingly insignificant things but only by the way the light falls on it. So when I read there is great stuff to be had everywhere, in every kind of light, I take notice.
I tend to see beauty everywhere and in everything in nature. But the only way I can show that vision is through the light. Without that the subject is too trite. Every morning and evening the sun cloaks nature in the beauty of its light. So I find it hard to seek images at other times, except to scout out and become familiar with locations that have photogenic potential.
To see the magic in all moments is a level worth striving for.
Thank you all for the great replies.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Yes, spend more time where the things that inspire you are. Keep this same attitude of wanting to learn and to discover and be critical of your work and you will progressively become better. There's no magic to it.
Guy
It's a setup really, putting you in the frame of mind and habit of looking closer.
After all that, when you go into the field monitor your own feelings pretty carefully. When you react to a scene, ask yourself why, what specific element makes you feel that way, and what you could do to help others see and feel the same thing. Go ahead and shoot it right way as you normally would, but then use the opportunity to be a little more analytic about the setting and shoot some analytical shots as "brackets". Innately you will start to apply some of the things you have just learned in your photo reviews to that specific setting. You'll see very quickly that not only are your "brackets" of the same setting are better than your first instinctive shot in most cases. You'll also quickly see those lessons start to appear in your first shots.
For me, a large part of my process to improve has been two-fold: First, look a lots of other people's photos. Not just a couple of dozen here and there. I mean hundreds, if not thousands on a regular basis. Look at everything here, the good, bad and the ugly. One nice thing here is that you have the polished experts can show what a great photo really can be, most of the average photographers such as myself, and some not so good photo. Verbalize why a photo does or does not work for you, and if it does not, figure out how to shoot it better. Not just "better lighting", but if were standing there, exactly what would you do. Also, look for other websites with material that is interesting for you. Try looking at some of the online stock agencies for ideas.
The second one is to be more critical of your own work. What I have seen is that many people really don't know what their photographic weaknesses are. Sit done with 100 or so recent images and lot for patterns. Better yet, have someone else do it for you and compare notes.
Read everything you can get your hands on. Look at ads to see how they shot it. Read every magazine article you can. You are after ideas, even if you never follow up on them.
Try something new, such as shooting a festival or bike race, or try to simulate studio lighting with a small hotshoe flash, off camera cord and some foamcore. Know that you will probably fail photographically. Don't worry about failure - it really isn't that important.
And when you get to the field, don't worry about getting that killer image. If you are ready to see it, you will. Stressing about getting *that* image will gaurantee you won't. Your mortgage doesn't depend on it, and in the end, you are there because you want to be, not because you need to be.
I have often said that I I ever write a book its title will simply be "Being there".
With...
"Stop looking, Start seeing.
Stop doing, Start thinking.
Fill frame, Press shutter"
T
The advice here is strong. Asking yourself questions with why, what, where, when, and how is part of the learning and improving process. One thing that helps me is to imagine myself in the photographer's shoes and seeing the shot through the viewfinder or ground glass as he did.
In reality, the advice on studying the work of other photographers is pretty close to how I go through the images in the galleries. This has been a tremendous learning experience for me.
But there is more and what is seldom mentioned is passion. The accomplished photographers, whose work I so admire, have one thing in common. A passion for photography. They don't just do photography, they live it. It is part of their identity. If you have that drive then you will be well on the way of becoming great in photography, or anything else you want to strive for.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Will, what a great series of questions and the responses have been
interesting and very informative. Would we expect anything else from this
bunch here at NPN?
I applaud your efforts to evolve your style. I agree that spending more
time in the field is important and also would agree very much with the
comments that suggest shooting in all types of light. After all the world
isn't just beautiful and interesting during a few hours each day, is it?
What I would suggest, that might help you, is to go out in the field, quite
often, with no camera. Leave it at home. It won't be long on your outing
that you wish you had it of course and there are bound to be many times
that you will miss some great photographic opportunities. However I think
there are many advantages in doing this on a regular basis.
One advantage is that it will help you to really question and evaluate your
subject and your reaction to it.
Freeman Patterson is a wonderful artist and yes he is passionate about
photography of course. But, in my opinion his wonderful sense of "vision"
developed "off camera". His passion also developed
long before he even picked up a camera. You see, like many children growing
up in our "have not" province of New Brunswick, his family did not a lot of
money. A camera purchase was out of the question. Like many other children
in rural areas , his playground and schoolyard was the local woods ,fields
and river. It was in this setting, without a camera but wishing for one,
that he lay
down the foundation of the artist he would become.
I know many people will scoff at my suggestion. I believe you need all the
skill you can muster and master to control your camera. Proper equipment is
important, as is the knowledge of composition
and a passion and work ethic to succeed.
However I think the most important thing you can carry with you, out in
Nature , is the "sense of wonder" of a child.
If you notice the great photographers at this site, and there are many,
possess the practical skill set to succeed, so do most of the rest of us.
What really sets them apart is , similar to Mr. Patterson, the sense of
reverence and appreciation for nature, then they use their skill to relate
that emotion.
That's my belief anyways , great topic!
Thank you and thank you all for the response.
Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada