I'm not a "real" photographer, because...

[oaktree]

Two recent incidents proved to me that I don't have the zeal right now to be a "real" photographer.

1. Sun is setting on a cloudy day and I'm looking out the window to a row of leafless white oak trees. Suddenly a shaft of yellow light hits the grey toned trees and make some of them glow like gold. I tell my wife "Boy that's a nice shot!" but didn't run upstairs to get my camera and take the shot. The light was gone in about 5 minutes.

2. About 2 weeks later, driving to church at 9:30 AM. A light snow fell during the evening, so snow coated the branches of all the trees, but the roads were clear of snow. I say to my wife, "The Japanese Garden must to beautiful right now with all this snow and we can actually drive to it with the roads clear". (A lot of times when it snows, the roads to the Garden are impassable). But I didn't have my camera and we're headed for church. I should have dropped my wife at church, gone home to get my camera, and driven to the Japanese garden before the snow melted.

Being a "real" photographer takes a lot of effort! I miss too many great photo shoots by being lazy. Should have had my camera with me, should have driven to the garden :(

Oh well, I hope this changes when I retire :)

[Headshotzx]

Having a flock (or *insert word to describe group*) of egrets within 5 feet of you, and not have a camera with you (or not even bothering to go back and grab the camera, since the house is 2 minutes away). Surely that must count.

[FlyingPhotog]

There was a documentary done on one of Nat Geos photographers and he made a strident point regarding the number of family dinners, lunches, breakfasts, birthdays, etc that he's excused himself from or missed completely in order to "get the shot."

Yeah, it can take some serious single-mindedness sometimes...

[mbellot]

Two recent incidents proved to me that I don't have the zeal right now to be a "real" photographer.

Depends on what kind of "real" photographer you want to be...

Personally I'm not into the landscape/still life "art" type myself, so the two scenarios you describe wouldn't generally occur to me.

Although I did have one moment driving to work several months ago... The storm clouds and light breaking through were just "right" for a really cool shot of the local Medieval Times castle. I lacked the camera and the desire to stop since I was on an expressway doing at least the posted limit.


Being a "real" photographer takes a lot of effort!

No argument there. Every time I shoot an event I swear I'll never do another.

My next one is the last two weekends in February, both Saturdays and Sundays about 3-4 hours each day. :oops:

[S.Horton]

If being with that person means more than getting the shot, are you not making the right choice?

[Vascilli]

Walking out of the house in suburban Calgary to go to school, only to see a family of deer across the street, and not missing the bus and getting the camera is not what a "real" photographer would do.

Then again a "real" photographer wouldn't have had just an XTi and kit lens plus 75-300 to take those pictures with.

[GSansoucie]

Great thread. . .

Driving into work on a very snowy morning with all my camera gear in the back seat. Noticing a flatbed service truck with two cars side by side on the back, thinking "that's odd". Getting closer and realizing that the car on the left of the flatbed has a set of skid marks through the snow leading up to it. Getting even closer and realizing that the car on the left only has it's right two tires on the flatbed, the other two are on the ground. Realizing that it would have made for a great photo about 100 yards too late. . .

Of all the "I wish I'd captured that" moments, THAT is the one I regret the most (aside from all the missed family shots).

Of course, there was the whole argument about safety, I probably would have been flattened by a truck on the highway trying to get the shot.