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Photography Question 

BetterPhoto Member 		 

Fear


 
 
I think, for me, the biggest fear in photography is realizing that the picture I’m about to take may be my greatest picture of all time, but that I’m not really sure how or if it’s going to turn out. I might take the shot and realize that, after it’s developed, the flash was too bright, or not bright enough. Or I might find that I rushed the shot in order to get it, and there’s something in the background that I didn’t notice; that ruins the shot. What can I do about that? How does one overcome that fear? I've added a picture to demonstrate what I'm getting at. I felt this was a great picture of an antique fire truck taken shortly after 9/11. I was disappointed with it in the way the building appeared (which I've learned to watch for), but the disappointment was compounded by the person who walked into the frame as I shot. I guess I need to develop a better "eye" - any suggestions?


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December 29, 2003

 

Bob Cammarata 		  Hi Rich,
First of all, I think many of us share your fear that the photo you're about to take may be your best. For me, it happens just about every time I lift the camera to my eye. Fortunately, I am usually wrong, and I think that is part of what drives me to keep trying.

One thing I've learned, is to visually scan the perimiter of the scene I'm about to shoot for distracting objects in the background. (It's disheartening to shoot a half-roll of film of waterfowl at a community park and, upon viewing the images later, discovering a trash can or spot-a-pot in the background.) It's easy to get caught up in the moment, and get distracted from everything except the main subject.
I've trained myself to visually check my backgrounds from each corner toward the center for unwanted clutter. Often, a slight adjustment of the camera angle or a wider aperature setting is all that's needed.

If I'm not sure of my choice of exposure, I bracket a half-stop each way. On studio shots, (or anywhere I have complete control), I'll sometimes keep track of each exposure setting in a log, and compare the finished results. Whatever setting I like best, will become the starting point for the next project.
With the digital medium...you have the capability of pre-viewing what you just shot. If you're not happy with what you see...you can shoot it again.


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December 29, 2003

 
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