Getting out and working

without an assignment I really struggle to get out and shoot regularly. There’s really not much of a tip or trick that I’ve found helps 100% of the time, and even once I’m out it can be difficult to maintain the energy to last more than a few hours - especially with the increasingly hostile weather patterns.

When I started shooting seriously I had a nebulous goal to get more comfortable shooting strangers. I shot candidly and asked for portraits and came to learn the differences in execution and results. Portraits allow the time required to position and set the camera and can yield a higher hit-rate (100% is a reasonable expectation), but confront the issue of interacting with people head-on, which I have struggled with all my life. the keeper rate for candid photos is a lot lower as the effort required is significantly higher and opportunities are fleeting (especially in lower density places), but the pictures contain an energy and movement that just can’t be found when the subject is waiting for the shutter.

So here I am wallowing in the fact that it’s hard to get what I want. I will go out and take photos today. If I lean into just candids I may get lucky, but if I want to come away with anything I may have to talk to some people.

AS far as controlled experiments, I have been spending time in the studio on a new self-assignment. The technical challenge is tiring but more easily rewarded (for now). Working with inanimate subjects is a lot less stressful than humans and I’m hoping to have my setup and technique dialed by the time people are brought in. Whatever I end up with will be on display in late September.