Evolving Photographer: Becoming a Better Photographer By Not Taking Pictures

The afternoon and first evening of the photo workshop took us to Central Park South, 5th Avenue, and the top of Rockefeller center. After the amazing experience of the morning, this was something of a wake up call. But, more than that, it was a moment where I finally thought, "Wow, I'm stuck. There isn't anything I want to make a photograph of. But that's ok. I won't force it, but I'll find it."

That afternoon and evening were frustrating as anything. Central Park South was beautiful and filled with people. But it didn't grab me. There weren't any scenes that or people that made me want to take pictures. Sure, I took some. But very few of them were, in my mind, keepers. Night time at the Top of the Rock was very much the same. I got some spectacular images of the sun setting over Manhattan, and was able to build a great night panorama of the southern end of the island.

One place made me feel happy to have a camera, however. On the penultimate level of Rockefeller Center, there is a room of LED lights that reacts to motion, setting off random combinations of colors throughout the room. I was lost in there, trying to get longer exposures of people enjoying the lights. With hand holding the camera and without any form of mechanical stabilization. The best shots were at 1/8 and 1/13 shutter speeds, but even then, they weren't perfectly crisp. But crispness wasn't the goal in playing with light that way. It was about creating images that could be literal, but could also be a bit abstract - and I loved it. Of course, now, in addition to my outdoor photography plans when I go backpacking, this night just made me want to purchase a small, easily transportable tripod. Maybe someday...

The next morning, we had to present 20 images to the instructors that, straight out of the camera, were our best. I won't lie. I struggled to find 20 that I found worthy of saving, much less showing to other people! Even from those 20, some lacked sharpness, some lacked interest. It was a rough lesson to learn, but it has made me that much more appreciative of the moments that scream "take photos now!" I don't just see what I like, frame it quickly, and shoot. I now take the time, examine the viewfinder for extraneous objects or bad cropping.

I'll post more in a bit, but this weekend I spent at a horse steeplechase event in Virginia. I brought along my camera and found that in addition to spraying and praying as a couple thousand pounds of equine sped by mere inches away, that I was preparing myself, even in those instances, for good framing of the scene. When you don't see photos, it turns out it helps you to prepare even more for the times when you do see photos!