Back Up Plan.

Shooting on film has taught me a patience that stays with me even while shooting digital, whether it be with a DSLR or a phone. I’ve never been the type to shoot and shoot and shoot and see what I’ve captured; it’s always about waiting for the right moment and capturing what I see in my mind. At times, I wait until I see the right person or group to shoot. Many times it pays off. On this day, I sat in the shadows and saw a well dressed man alone who would soon step into the light. Twenty feet behind him, was a mother and daughter walking slowly, until I readied for the shot…

As soon as my composition was exactly as I’d seen in my head, the mother and daughter broke out into a sprint, running into the frame and then stopping out of no where as if on purpose. Still, I took a shot although I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. Before this moment though, I spotted a group walking down the same street, headed toward the same slice of light. Knowing my ideal shot may be ruined, I took a photo of the group as a “just in case.”

Once the mother and daughter entered the frame, my entire mindset was thrown off and I missed the shot I’d envisioned. So, not the photo I wanted, but still better than nothing; and, a group of 3 appears more visually interesting to many; myself included. You never know when your “perfect shot” may be ruined by a random passerby. At any moment something simple can change it all. Always have a back up plan.

Choosing Your Shot Vol 4.

Whenever I’m shooting digitally, there are times where I’ll take at least 2 or 3 photos that are similar. Not a “spray and pray” where you’d shoot many photos randomly in hopes of actually capturing something; but a more precise idea where I want to capture something specific, as well as the moment before and after. Those are the times where I’ll have to choose which photo works best for my eye.

In every instance where I shoot through the moment, the photos are almost exactly identical; maybe the step a person took had changed or they were a foot closer or farther in the frame and I’m examining which I like more. Today I did just that when I saw this man walking on the sidewalk. Right away I crossed to the other side of the street and started walking next to him, waiting for the moment. I took 3 shots that looked almost exactly the same and was I satisfied. I continued walking and then saw another possible shot with the same person (something I never do.) Again I ran to catch up, but this time I took only one photo. 

This time, I had the same subject in two different scenes and had to choose between them. In the first photo, I have him mid-step, almost dragging his bag and a bit dreariness as the clouds were overhead; yet it felt “off” to me. In the second photo, the clouds slightly parted giving a bit of a warmer tone; I’ve missed his step and his bag isn’t visible but this feels more real, making me pick the “imperfect” photo. It’s all down to you of course. Our eyes see different things, and the shots we choose, are the shots we choose. 

Always Shooting.

About 5 hours into a flight from New York to Egypt, I woke up and saw that almost the entire plane was dark. Everyone else was also asleep, except one man who was off to my left. 

His light was on and he was reading a local Egyptian paper that had been passed out earlier in the flight. The light from above lit only his seat in the darkness and I knew there was a photo. He was exactly how I envisioned the shot to be when I grabbed my phone and in the time it took for it to turn back on, he’d finished reading that page and was now in a different position. With nothing but time on my hands, I sat in the darkness and waited for him to finish reading an entire page and for him to be exactly how he was, almost 10 minutes earlier. He folded the paper over and even bit his nail which to me added an extra layer of depth to his character. I took the shot and it was how I had seen in my head. To the world, it may just be a man sitting and reading a paper, but to me, I saw a man heading home, catching up on current events relative to his life. For any shot you have in mind, you need to always be ready. Always shooting. 

A Semi-Split Second.

Physical light, is what makes a photo possible. Lighting, on the other hand or the lack there of, is what gives a photo it’s depth and mood. I’ve always found myself chasing light and shadows and finding the balance where they play well together, and Manhattan always provides constant opportunities. The variety of building heights creating shadows and reflections of sunlight in addition to the time of day, gives you plenty of angles to work with. Throw in a slightly cloud day, and things begin to change quickly. 

Walking up and down city blocks, I found this slice of light almost perfectly lined up with the pillars on either side. I took a few photos, seeing how the light and shadows worked in the image and then spotted a woman making her way into the frame. I waited, then took a quick burst, finally selecting this image. Almost immediately after that, clouds moved in front of the sun and the entire scene changed. 

Gone was the color vibrancy; in its place were muted tones that still worked very well. This time, a man crossed from the opposite side and again I shot another burst of photos. So close in time were these two images, that the woman in red from the first photo is just barely in the second. Two totally different moods, two totally different color palettes, two totally different photos, separated by just a semi-split second.

Run With It.

A lot of times, you’ll be shooting photo after photo and have a decent idea of what your finished product will be. Maybe more of a moody vibe, maybe accentuating a certain color or maybe you focus on the shadows. Sometimes you have an idea, try it, then add to it. Eventually it morphs from one thing to another, and in the end it’s become something totally different. 

I started with the photo above; lately I’ve been pixelating people’s faces in an artistic expression but when I took this shot, the man was actually running to cross the street and his face looked very stressed, (I knew I would pixelate it).  

The second image with the pixelation was where I thought I’d leave off, but for fun, I chose to pixelate his hand as well and before finishing that thought, another popped into my head. 

I pixelated his entire body and instantly loved the look of the photo. It gave me strong feelings of how linked our virtual and real lives are and this man running and yet “frozen” made me think of a video that hadn’t yet finished loading. I went through a few versions of this full body pixelation before settling on this one with the shadow included, and will probably do others similar to this in the future. Sometimes you’ve got an idea from the start, other times you get one idea, then it grows, then changes and eventually becomes your finished product. Whatever crazy thought you get, if it works, run with it.  

Choosing Your Shot Vol 3.

You have something in mind, you move to make it work and in that moment, it does; but only in that moment. You take the photo you thought you wanted only to realize that it’s missing something.

Heading back from lunch a bit early in order to make use of the light for some quick photos, I spotted a woman in a red hat and decided to see if a photo would work.

I walked in the street along side her, then took this photo and was very happy with it, I liked the slice of light as she peaked out of the shadows and felt satisfied by the image, until she stepped fully into the sun.

Once out of the shadows, her hat and bag became full of rich color and right away I took another photo and that time, it felt right. Both photos are identical in framing, with only a second or two difference in time and sunlight peaking through the clouds. On any other day, I would have gone with the first photo and been happy with it. I don’t like my first photo any less than the second, as they both fit a certain mood. One being geared more towards a dark and moody tone while the other leaning more towards light and vividness.

In the end, choosing which shot works best, is up to you and no one else. Go with what makes you happy. 

A Second, Second.

Rarely do things turn out perfectly after the first try. Conditions change constantly, especially when it comes to getting a photo you have in mind. City scapes rarely stay the same as the evening buzz picks up.

The very same street corner can look totally different, even after a few moments and taking a few shots spanning just a short time, can produce completely different images. The photos below were taken on the exact street corner, facing the same direction, not even two minutes apart. 

The first photo is nothing spectacular; just a woman crossing the street carrying her yoga mat. I took the photo on a whim, because I liked how the shadows seemed to cling to one side of the people crossing the street. I was satisfied with the photo but rather than leave and head to another location, I chose to stay and wait. Those extra few moments, paid off.

The sun had fully come from behind a building, shining more light and adding more contrast between the street and the shadows. Additionally, I spotted a better character for my photo and everything tied together very satisfyingly to my eye. 

The same corner, slightly different moment in time, completely different outcomes. I could have headed somewhere else after the first shot, but I stayed put and it worked out in this case. It’s never promised that you’ll capture a photo you like in the first shot. Take one, then take second; if in the end you’re still not fully satisfied, wait just a moment and take a second, second. (It’ll be worth it.)

Happy Accidents.

Painter Bob Ross once said “there are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” Many times in photography, that’s the case. We may have an ideal shot lined up, lighting and shadows are what we’re looking for, the moment is perfect, you take the photo, yet something doesn’t go as planned. We’ve all been there; here is my happy accident. 

I’d gone out to shoot on a cold February morning in lower Manhattan; the night before, I’d been trying to photograph the stars and had forgotten to cancel the 2 second shutter delay, meaning that if I pressed the shutter to take a photo, it wouldn’t be taken until 2 seconds later. Being the first photo of my day, I went to take the shot I had in mind and instantly remembered the delay. I could have put the camera down and taken a photo of the floor, but I left my hands in place. I’d wanted to get a shot of the cab coming out of the shadows which is why the focus is set a bit further back; but just as the 2 seconds was up, this woman walked into the frame.

Before the shot, I didn’t even see her in her bright red coat, she appeared out of nowhere; instantly changing the shot from an out of focus and delayed mistake, into a happy accident.