A thought... Do we compose or do we experience?...

So, I had an interesting gentlemen from Scotland in my lounge last night. Apparently he owns a castle.. .. (I told him to wink at me when he starts fibbing.. ) After random conversation revolving the quality of American beer and whisky vs. Scottish Or Irish..

He brought out his little matchbook point and shoot and chimped a few photos of his recent trip to Spain... I was impressed at his compositions and said so... that ofcourse started a conversation about other cameras and places to shoot which lead to my what I shoot with... I suggest that he maybe look at a better camera if he liked shooting as much as he seemed to..

Here was his reason for keeping it simple... He said that he knows photographers a few of them professionals and very talented guys but he thinks that they get tunnel visioned and miss out on where they are or miss the experiences that are in front of them because they're too busy shooting to really look around.. After a few minutes I realized that he has a point. I suppose that I do miss out on certain things by shooting. I think that we are all guilty of not seeing what's not in our viewfinder I know this debate has been done already but here's my thought... Do you regret it?.. shooting instead of participating? Or are the other folks that aren't taking the time to document and capture what we see those that really miss out. How often do you manage to put the camera down and just be where you are at?.. For me I suppose the answer is simple.. I don't regret any photo i've taken.. allthough i've been to concerts where I don't remember the music or been to birthday parties where I forgot to sing happy birthday I think that the joy for me anyway is in keeping those moments forever.. instead of reliving them in my mind... So, lets hear it folks... what's your thoughts, opinions, excuses or justification for composing our lives through the camera?..

sari

Sari - this is too deep for me at the moment... we've just woken up on this side of the pond... and the caffein hasn't kicked in but such intriguing thoughts... I must review these on my next outing...

Seriously, I think I've missed a few interesting things mainly because I was too busy taking pics... but like you, I don't regret it.

I think there is some validity to his points. It used to be for family holidays (Christmas, birthdays, 4th of July, etc.), I'd be running around with a camera in my hands shooting everyone and everything, and it all had to be perfect. The last couple of years, I break out big camera (DSLR) for just a few shots, then being out a couple of digital point and shoots for everyone to use and then I just try to enjoy the company of my family.

I've also tried to be better at differientiate trips for pleasure/relaxation vs. trips for photography. It really helps.

Mark

He does have a point, although I think I was more guilty of this when I was shooting video than I am with my still camera. But on the other hand, I think I see more now that I have gotten more serious about taking still photos. I tend to look at my surroundings and the smaller details, looking for a unique composition, rather than just looking at the "big picture". So in the grand scheme of things, I don't feel like I've missed out on anything. I just look at it in a different way than I used to.

It's a very individual thing in my view. A few times, I was so busy shooting, that's all I remember. But many times, I've gone to events and met folks b/c I wanted to shoot. Otherwise, I may have stayed at home and watched TV or something.

There have been few times where I've takend a step back and tried to soak in the event/what's going on, but I enjoy shooting so much, it's more fun. I guess if you have a family, this equation will change. Hence it's an individual thing. I guess we all make decisions and prioritize our time and effort we put into things.

Lets hope it's in right proportions of shooting vs just enjoying the moment.

i always shoot paties, and sometimes i miss out on the fun stuff

saravrose wrote in post #2362560
I think that we are all guilty of not seeing what's not in our viewfinder

Sari, the answer is simple. Get a fisheye.


Only thing I missed out on because of shooting was my brother's wedding. I regret that, but what's done is done.

Ronald S. Jr. wrote in post #2364319
Sari, the answer is simple. Get a fisheye.

Only thing I missed out on because of shooting was my brother's wedding. I regret that, but what's done is done.

.. nah I don't like the distortion... a wide angle sure fisheye don't think i'd have much use for.. ..

sari

I find that I cannot go to a new place and jump straight in and start shooting immediately. If I do so, the first dozen shots are pretty much guaranteed to be junk and useless.

I need to soak it in for a few minutes at the least (the more the better), experience it for a while, then start shooting. Usually at events or on location I walk around for a while, ignoring the camera and try to 'see'. Of course this doesn't apply if I am taking pictures of something very mundane (ie. another lens to post ). So I find taking time to absorb the place helps me a lot.

Also, there's plenty of 'camera down' time, when I can enjoy the ride, so to speak... I seldom if ever shoot continuously.

back in october, on the advice of a pro photographer, i went to a place that i found driving around in the summer that i thought would be interesting and spent 1.5 hours at that same spot. i just looked around and walked around and saw the place from every different angle. it was a 20 ft wide stream that emptied into lake michigan. i soaked in all the cloud formations and tree lines, dead trees on the ground, birds in the sky everything. i took shots too from those different angles and each time i moved. i did about 150 photos altogether. as i did this, i noticed three or four prime views that i definitely wanted to capture. all said and done i ended up with about 5 pictures that i think were a turning point for me in photography. i narrowed those down to three which i printed and matted. the reason i took over 150 photos was just in case i missed something at the time that later looked good. in the end though, the three i picked as my best from this spot were taken towards the end after i soaked in the location for that hour and a half.

interesting end to this also, the very last picture i took was one of my three best. as i was walking along the path back to the road, i turned to look over my shoulder and saw a rainbow that just showed up to the north, an area that i photographed 10mins earlier.

so i soak in a location, take photos along the way and get a feel for the different areas and views and angles.

SgWRX wrote in post #2364894
back in october, on the advice of a pro photographer, i went to a place that i found driving around in the summer that i thought would be interesting and spent 1.5 hours at that same spot. i just looked around and walked around and saw the place from every different angle. it was a 20 ft wide stream that emptied into lake michigan. i soaked in all the cloud formations and tree lines, dead trees on the ground, birds in the sky everything. i took shots too from those different angles and each time i moved. i did about 150 photos altogether. as i did this, i noticed three or four prime views that i definitely wanted to capture. all said and done i ended up with about 5 pictures that i think were a turning point for me in photography. i narrowed those down to three which i printed and matted. the reason i took over 150 photos was just in case i missed something at the time that later looked good. in the end though, the three i picked as my best from this spot were taken towards the end after i soaked in the location for that hour and a half.

interesting end to this also, the very last picture i took was one of my three best. as i was walking along the path back to the road, i turned to look over my shoulder and saw a rainbow that just showed up to the north, an area that i photographed 10mins earlier.

so i soak in a location, take photos along the way and get a feel for the different areas and views and angles.

I wanna see the photo..

I feel that same way, sometimes I do tend to look through the viewfinder too much or stand there composing shots in my head while I should really be walking around and experiencing the situation. My girlfriend has often commented that it's "you, me, and the camera". As SgWRX so eloquently put, sometimes the ideal photograph is taken at the culmination of the experience, just when you feel most relaxed and you're intimate with the mood of your situation.

Last year, after a long drive, Ali and I were walking along the beach at the end of the day, it was such a relaxing, warm, romantic feeling to be there. As we were walking back to the car, we stopped to watch this family playing in the surf, with a dog on the beach doing it's own thing. I've reposted this plenty of times, but I still love it.

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when I go to event's I like to take a camera. otherwise I would find it boring. the camera gives me something to do. I have been to an air show a few years ago and I enjoyed being there. I loved the sound of the planes and the event itself. even tho I spent most of time thru a viewfinder I still enjoyed it. At the same time I shoot motorsports and don't if I don't have a camera to use. I couldn't think of anything more boring than just to watch cars.

Everything else I see around me that I find interesting I will shot. Due to the size of the camera I perhaps I don't take it out with family outings, but the other side of that is my family really doesn't have outings. when we do they are boring. so again the camera gives me something to do.

I guess another way of saying it is, taking photos is another way participating. we have had cameras for over 100 years. just think of the history missed, even personal history if no photos were taken. is there anything wrong with it. I don't think so. I think it just another way of seeing the world around us. sometimes the camera can also open our eyes to things we would normally miss

I avoid taking my SLR when I'm going out with friends or when I want to just talk to the person I'm going out with - if I still want a camera I borrow my sister's point and shoot which does a fantastic job of keeping memories. I do find that I focus a lot on shooting and less on the overall experience when I have my DSLR with me though there is something I can get through that that I don't when I don't have it... I went to a gig the other day for the first time in months without my DSLR and I actually really missed it.. that's one situation where I feel I get more out of the experience with my camera on me.

Just for dinner, parties or nights out though the camera is just a distraction and takes away from the experience, at least for me...

It's frustrating as heck not being able to control aperture etc. with the point and shoot but I'm getting used to that... the size and convenience of it are beginning to grow on me though. Now that I'm starting to be paid more often for shooting, too, I'm appreciating the time where I can relax about photos and just take the jpegs straight out of the camera, no or minimal post-processing...

As soon as I can afford it I'm going to purchase a new point and shoot of my own so I can have the opportunity to shoot "properly" or in a relaxed fashion when I want to do either.

here are the three that i found to be the best of the location. the rainbow isn't really _my_ favorite but it is nice.