Planning your Photographs

"If I ONLY had my Camera!"



I hear this so many times, but even if you DO have your camera, how many of those images actually come out like you hope? Any of them?


So what do you think: Is it just bad luck? Is it just "being there?" Is it lack of technical savvy? Or is it lack of prepartion and planning?


My guess is the latter. Luck, skill and "being there" are all possible contributors to a magic picture moment, but you can't just expect the image to be planted in front of you, or for the picture to be welcomed to your camera to live for a while.


This never happens.


Images are not captured, they are made. They are planned, anticipated, and ultimately crafted lovingly by people who take the time to understand what they are doing.



This pretty little church in Paxton, MA, was not a simple snapshot.



We drove into town the Friday before Easter, and I saw this little church on the far side of the woods, bathed in weird pinkish floodlights against an indigo twilight sky. I spent a piece of the next day working on equipment and planning where, and how I would capture the image.



I spent about an hour and a half just walking the site to get the exact angle. Then another half hour waiting for the lights to come on and the sky to settle into exactly the indigo shade I wanted. A cloud passing over at the wrong moment would have ruined the look I was after. I
was prepared to come back a second night if nature didn't cooperate.



My students hear it all the time - "If you want the extraordinary image, you have to get uncomfortable." You have to give your time, your creativity, and your comfort level a shake down. Sometimes this means lying down in the mud or snow to get the angle you want. Sometimes it involves cliffs, ladders and other places it is difficult to get to. Sometimes it involves just waiting... and waiting... and waiting until the perfect seconds tick into place.



Other times, you have to get up at 4 AM to get the first rays of dawn illuminating a waterfall or a flock of geese. Just like the post office, photographers have to be out there in snow, rain, and hail. Each element has it's own difficulties, and rewards.



Anyone can stand up, point a camera, and get a fair snapshot. It takes planning and persistance to capture the extraordinary image.

Until Next Time,

Monroe