Think ! (about your photo)

[arthurking83]

Do you use (or find you have any) 'down time' whilst out taking photos?

I'll define 'down time' as the time between when the light is not really any good for capturing good photos. that could be between breaks in the cloud, rain, say between 11 and 2PM or whatever.

eg. If you're out trying to capture some crepuscular rays, and the clouds are not playing the game for a little while, say half an hour or so, where it gets completely overcast and dull, but I can see that they'll produce their best once again very soon.. what would do you do?
Plan another scene, look around your current location for other interesting things to photograph, stand on the roof of your car scouting for other interesting location/subject matter(my car has lots of dents on the roof, and I really need a roof rack ).

generally I'll scout around for a new location or have a quick break, firing off a few frames via remote control from the comfort of my vehicle rolling a ciggy (whilst the camera is out in the gale force winds).
Even while it's not conducive to great photography you can still reframe a scene and shoot it as a test to see how it looks as a scene. You don;t necessarily need to keep those images, as they may only be test shots to see if the scene comes out as you expected. Zoom in, zoom out, change direction by a degree or so.. etc

I try to 'predict' the conditions about to unfold and try to place myself in a reasonable location to make best use of them, or a higher location to get a birdseye perspective or whatever, the point is to try maintaining a dynamic approach even though the time isn't perfect for capturing the image at that moment.

[bigbikes]

Because I take a lot of sports (Basketball ) shots and have probably been inside most of our stadiums in and around Victoria, I tend not to think about taking my shots. What I do have to think about is making sure that I have the correct setting in the camera before the game starts. I also get to games early so I can check the lighting, taking test shots before the game and sometime having to get permission to have access to parts of the courts as to were I want to be positioned.
With landscapes I like to put a lot more time into them and really think about what I want in my shot, also the time of day, lighting etc etc.
But I guess I should spend more time thinking about what I'm going to shoot and how.

[BJI]

I think a fair bit about shots and then often realise afterwards all the things I didn't consider and should have! Having to decide on and set up shots in a hurry I find is a recipe for disaster more often than not. THis tends to indicate a need to be more familiar with hte camera controls.

[41jas]

I find myself thinking more about that more and more. I suppose it's the experience of shooting lots and looking and learning with what you have already taken and taking in and remembering for the next time.

[oldfart]

My photography mentor once described my shoots as spray and pray.
These days I shoot a lot fewer frames and think a lot more.

Processing 1000-1200 frames from a shoot and shooting a few times a week soon cures you of just shooting from the Hip.

[Redgum]

Good one Old Fart. That's got more to do with old age than any technical issue. I know.

[Jaded62]

I think about the gear I need and I plan my shots (landscapes) but I can get lazy after a long walk or rush my shots when other people are around.......... and I always regret it afterwards in post processing.

[Luna-blu]

I like to think my shots through, but it can be frustrating working with people,

a little to the left - no a little to the left - just a little to the left,
(sigh) alright back to the right.

Then they have the nerve to get the irrits and walk away muttering words that are most uncomplimentary!!

[Allann]

I found that when I first started I used the spray and pray technique to shooting and though it gave me a few shots that "worked" each time I went out, I found I spent considerable time throwing away shots with very poor keep/junk ratios. I watched a podcast a few months back that made me take a step back and changed "the way" I looked at photography which has taken me to the next stage in my photo "career" (and i use that term very loosely).

Basically, I ask myself two questions now before I take a picture, and believe me when I say, this is REALLY hard;

1. Why am I taking this shot?
2. What story do I want to tell my audience with the shot?

I have a basic understanding of the technical aspects of taking a shot, but I wish I had been asking these questions from the beginning because I feel my photographs have been taking a different direction and "improving" since I started doing this.

I had to step back, and say to myself, "Why have I taken all these photos, if I am storing them on the HD and never going back to look at them, or print them, and in MANY cases never showing anyone"? And to me this was a very valid point as I have 10s of thousands of shots sittong on HDs and many will probably never see the light of day. And if I can't use them, why have them (generally speaking).

Don't get me wrong, the technical workflow required to take a photo is still if the back of my mind but as has already been mentioned, it starts to become second nature, instinctive, and even happens sometimes without active thought.

[Redgum]

Your workflow is determined by genre. Those working in the studio/weddings or any formalised setup will pay more attention to setup, scripting, planning and outcome. Photojournalism is all about opportunity, people, animals, situations where the difference between a great shot and everything else is but an unscripted moment in time.
Leopards are hard to spot in Africa and to see one in the open spans a time frame of 10/20 seconds. A snapshot of a VIP smiling/grimacing can be one in a million. You can't prepare for that moment to any great degree other than pre set your cammy for the location and when the opportunity arises press the trigger (and hold it down).
This is probably why so many "cover" shots are now lifted from HD video, 25fps. 1920 x 1080 resolution and 1500 shots per minute. How the tables are turning.
From a commercial perspective there is little return for one good shot. Look at the high quality of work on this website and look what that's returned. Sorry, I guess I've just defined the difference between a hobbyist and a professional. Both have a very legitimate place in the art. One for pleasure, the other for profit. Sometimes you cross that line. I guess that's the topic. We shoot differently purely to achieve an outcome.

[Jules]

...Basically, I ask myself two questions now before I take a picture, and believe me when I say, this is REALLY hard;

1. Why am I taking this shot?
2. What story do I want to tell my audience with the shot?

...

Allan this is brilliant in its simplicity.

Photos you have taken yourself will be viewed in light of your own experiences, memories and the knowledge of the intentions with which you shot the image in the first place. Other people won't necessarily interpret the image the same way you do and the message you wanted to convey may be lost. Simply considering the audience before you take the photo could make all the difference.

[Kym]

Redgum you make some great points.
This was purely opportunistic - http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...ad.php?t=17503 but happened on a meet where I was thinking a lot about what I was doing.
I guess have your camera 'ready' (mode, ISO etc.) is pre-planning and then it depends on the Genre as you say.

[Kerrie]

Sometimes. I also experiment with ' I might try this and see what I get ' . Being new my thinking is still limited due to lack of knowledge, and just doing is a great learning tool.

Of course I think of ap,exposure,comp, etc. if I'm planning a certain genre shoot, I set camera before I go too.....but still play around with settings. I also do a lot of ' on the go' stuff, so I don't know what I'm shooting until I see it. I think if I slowed down, set up planned shoots, I would get different results, possibly better too. But spontaneous is ok too.


Always learning.

[Allann]

Allan this is brilliant in its simplicity.

Photos you have taken yourself will be viewed in light of your own experiences, memories and the knowledge of the intentions with which you shot the image in the first place. Other people won't necessarily interpret the image the same way you do and the message you wanted to convey may be lost. Simply considering the audience before you take the photo could make all the difference.

Thanks, you got it. And that is the difference I think between getting a good shot and a great shot. Once you understand the basics of composition (e.g. 1/3 rule, 80:20 rule, etc) this should be in the forefront of your mind as you shoot.
It's true some styles use the machine gun approach to good effect but I'm sure that when the shutter is pressed, knowing why your taking the shots will still help. If you wAnt to sell those pics to a magazine, I'm fairly sure you considering their requirements.

[Tannin]

I have bit of a problem with this question. First, the possible answers are non-exclusive. Yes, I usually think my shots through. Yes, I need to think more. Which one do I vote for? Both are true.

Second, Ithink there is a hidden current flowing through here: an assumption that thinking and dedication to quality results has to do with not taking bad shots. In film days, when your number of shots was strictly limited, it was very important not to take any bad ones. But with modern equipment, the number of shots you can take is more-or-less unlimited, and the best strategy for producing quality work has shifted from the negative (avoid bad shots) to the positive (take good shots).

The number of bad shots you take today is irrelevant! (Except from the point of view of the amount of time you can afford to spend sorting and discarding.)

Don't ask "is there a chance something could go wrong with this shot, should I take it?" Ask "is there a chance everything could go right with this shot? If yes, then don't stand there thinking, take the damn shot!"

Of course, this all depends on the circumstances. It's very obviously true with sport/action/wildlife/event photography, where the only thing you can absolutely guarantee is that if you don't press the shutter at the significant moment (cutting the cake, breasting the tape, striking the prey) you won't get the shot. On first sight, something like landscape photography is very different. You have any amount of time to think everything through. No you don't! Light can change constantly, and quite often, even with landscapes, there are many, many times when you really do need to seize the moment.

Seize the moment without thinking? Hell no - you still think, but the sun is about to go behind a cloud, you better think fast!

[michaelclements]

Of course, there is a subjective amount of thinking, but again as others have mentioned it is entirely relative to the type of shooting taking place.
If I am shooting documentary or photojournalism, stills and video, I am more watching rather than thinking, the decision has been made to be in a certain place at a certain time, the only thought that counts to me in this circumstance is how best to portray the story through framing, all the other stuff like apertures, shutter speed, flash etc etc, should be second nature. It is the observing that is paramount in this situation (personally speaking) and consideration for those viewing the end results and empathy towards the subject matter.
On the other hand, I think a great deal about technical stuff, conceptual application of it, what if I was to shoot a model this way or shoot her that way, absolutely, I'd be a fool not to think about it. But these are very different circumstances.

[Astroman]

I need to think more, because I have already voted on this poll but don't actually remember doing it. Whats even worse, I cannot remember what I voted on LOL! But I would have voted on thinking more, some shots I do tend to rush, without thinking, ruining perfect shots because of poor setting choice etc...

[Darchangel]

One of my all time favourite books on photography is David duChemin's "Within the Frame". Basically, gear and technical knowledge is mandatory but figuring out what you want to say with a photo is the key to beautiful photos that transcend technicalities and perfect composition. Highly recommended reading.

Having just bought a new camera, I'm current concentrating on memorizing where everything is so that it's second nature and I don't have to remove my eye from the viewfinder. That way I can concentrate on what and why I'm photographing rather than how.

The other thing I've found greatly helpful is taking notes when I review the photos during processing. I don't lose sleep over missed or poorly exposed photos, but I do take notes on how I can improve and carry the note book with me when I shoot. That way I'm constantly making new mistakes and avoiding remaking old ones


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wilky]

Hmmm mostly don't think about it at all. I just take camera virtually every where I go. I find shots usually come to me, as in I very rarely go looking for things to photograph but I am always looking for things to photograph......hmmmm I think that makes sense.

[Gremlin]

I think about which action figure I havent shot yet, does it make me giggle the shot, yes, what am I doing this for, fun, will I one day get out and shoot real people doing similar things, perhaps,
so do I think about my shots that Im brave enough to post here, quite possibly!
Although thinking is something I prefer not to have anyone accuse me of, next thing some will call me a grown up