From: Ann Sanfedele
Christine Aguila wrote:
> It depends what I'm shooting. Photowalks are seldom planned. I just
> pick spot, wander around, see what I can find. Travel is probably
> 50/50. ...
>
> ....
>
> So, it depends what I'm shooting. Different strategies for different
> shooting situations.
> In the end though, I would say that the best photography comes out of
> good planning AND an eye for the unexpected.
>
> Cheers, Chrisitne
Maybe it comes down to a definitiion of planning - I kinda interpreted
Larry's original question as grab-shot versus
pre-visulation.
My planning would be making sure I have a kit likely to be the best for
where I'm headed and how Id get there. Make
sure I have battery charger, extra CF cards, extra batteries, note pad,
etc...
I do think about enhancing a theme I've found in my photos from previous
shoots... and right now I'm into street shots
and zoo shots. But I virtually never think about a specific shot ahead
of time (Mark will cite an exception to this) I"d like to get a photo
of the moon coming up under the arch of a bridge ... e.g. but I know I
wont do it.
But I sure don't agree that planning is at all necessary, other than
being prepared with equipment , for the "best" photography to
happen... since most of my favorite photographers are those who capture
the decisive moment of something happening a second before
they click the shutter - Bresson, Erwitt, Friedlander, Robert Frank. And
the newly discovered Vivian Maier would certainly be someone
who shot in that vein and captured wonderful images - more interesting
to me than any sort of photo shot in a studio, no matter how
well crafted they may be.
2 cents from ann
Again it depends ... sometimes planning and perseverance pay off in the
field.
I'm sure I've showed both of these before. The first is in the 2008-2009
PDML Annual.
I worked to *make* this image for more than 20 years.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jb_sessoms/5408480357/
I had the idea to photograph a perspective shot of a column of soldiers
marching into the camera in 1981. I went out and set myself up to
photograph the idea again and again at Ft Bragg, Ft Hood, Ft Carson,
Camp AP Hill and Camp Shelby. But every time I attempted to make the
photograph, something kept the results from realizing my idea.
During my deployment to Iraq in 2004, photographing half a dozen award
ceremonies and memorials, I had 50 failed attempts trying to capture an
image that could realize my idea.
I got some good photographs, but none of them matched the idea I had
conceived back in 1981. Until this one.
It's one of 6 photos I managed to squeeze off as I ran to position
myself in front of the formation as they marched off the field at the
conclusion of the ceremony. The other 5 are garbage. But this photo
finally realized my idea.
I didn't know I *had* finally gotten it until I got back to my hooch and
looked at the image in Photoshop.
The second one is an idea I had when I found out I would be able to take
my R&R leave in Scotland. I had the idea, and a month later made the
image I wanted during my first attempt.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jb_sessoms/5409147446/
When I got to Scotland, I inquired at the tourism office where I might
find a castle perched up on hill that I could photograph from down
below. I was directed to Stirling.
The double rainbow is a bonus for my perseverance in trying to find the
location that would allow me to make the image I had in mind. The "plan"
was to make an image of a castle on a hill.
Getting there, getting directions and finding the location to make the
image I wanted, I walked about 5 miles in off & on pouring rain. I was
shooting with the camera in a zip-lock bag with just the lens hood
sticking out through a hole in the side. If you look closely you can see
the blurry spots where the rain was splashing down on the polarizing
filter as I was taking the photo.
In fact, I already had an image I thought was the one I came for and was
walking back to the rail-road station, having by that time figured out
the shorter route was to continue on around the circle. When it started
to rain again, I looked back toward where I had taken my previous shots
from and saw the rainbow forming.
I ran to the nearest spot where I could frame the castle with the
rainbow. It's the decisive moment, but without the plan, I wouldn't have
been there to see it.
I didn't see the secondary rainbow. I only found that when I opened the
image in Photoshop.
But, the ideas came first, and "planning" was what made both images
possible.
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