at what point do you just take the photograph

removed account4 · Jan 19, 2019

photography is a technical sort fo thing. there's a gadget to attach the camera to to keep it steady
some cameras have gyroscopes in them to deaden the shake, there are zoom lenses, and some
modern cameras have like 3 or 4 different kinds of metering systems built in, or of course the hand held
spot or half dome ... its easy to get swallowed up by the whole process of the preparation to push the button
so much that when taking a group portrait of IDK 60 people at a family reunion someone might yell "take the photo already"

at what point do you just take the photograph? its all a battle of compromises anyways ...
(im not going to ask when you know if your print is done cause nothing is ever done )

Peltigera · Jan 19, 2019

I never get hung up on technicalities. I am looking to produce a picture - I do not really care if it is 'pin sharp', I do not worry about blown highlights or blocked up shadows, I am happy to take photographs in fog, I frequently take photographs with manual cameras and guess the exposure and use scale focus.

I have, today, been looking through the photographs published in Steiglitz's Camera Work in the early years of the 20th century - much heavy shadows, much blur, not much in the way of 'rule of Thirds' - but all considered to be amongst the best photographs being taken at that time.

Sirius Glass · Jan 19, 2019

Technical details do not slow me down. At this point it is almost automatic.

slackercrurster · Jan 19, 2019

On the street you have a blink of the eye or two to get the shot. Not much time for mental masturbation. Elliott Erwitt said it best...I just take pictures and hope something comes out of it. If you can't figure it out, best to go into landscaping or table top photography.

Maybe this guy is better suited to answer your question...

Brendan Quirk · Jan 19, 2019

I think that this might be your best photo yet! Seriously, I see this a lot at historical reenactments (especially in groups), while I sneak around unnoticed in uniform with an old Nikon Ftn or Pentax 67.

Bill Burk · Jan 19, 2019

Out at the king tide today I took pictures of waves. I sensed that the interesting time wasn’t the crest of the crash as I always used to do. So I took a cell phone movie and replayed it, noticed that the interesting picture would be as the water draws out and forms rivulets.

That’s the moment I took the next picture.

Ko.Fe. · Jan 19, 2019

I'm still having no problems to use FED-2 I started to use decades ago. And I learned how to print only some years ago.

awty · Jan 19, 2019

When you see the backs of there heads.
Im so good at multi tasking that I have already set up a 8 hour still life exposure, contact printed a landscape and now Im just about to depart to the big city with a couple of barnacks with both types of film (hp5 and fp4) and going to take random pictures of people at the decisive moment that there doing nothing interesting...... how good am I.
Sometimes I cant decide when to shoot, thats when I set to bulb, so not to miss anything.

Pioneer · Jan 19, 2019

Ran into this the other day at the park. After spending a couple of hours walking the streets looking for photo opportunities, and finding a few, I was returning to my car parked at the City Park. As I walked through the parking lot I noticed a small family group gathered for a group photo near one of the old ranch wagon exhibits. A young lady had a digital SLR set up on a tripod and was working over it evidently trying to get ready to take the picture. This must have been going on for a bit because one of the gathered group, seeing me with my K1000, yelled at me to take their picture as I got a bit closer. So I did. I walked up, raised the camera, framed the group stepping a bit closer, then snapped the shot. I then waved and walked away. Took about 4 seconds at most.

Later, developing my roll, I found the photo had turned out great. I should have gotten their address so I could have sent them a print.

I think some people are paralyzed when faced with too many decisions, or are overwhelmed by the technical aspects of their digital cameras, and somehow afraid to just take a shot for fear it won't turn out.

Of course I had the advantage in that situation. There aren't a whole lot of decisions to make with a Pentax K1000. Once you have chosen the film you are going to use, you get the needle settled in the middle, make sure the composition looks decent, then push the button. That is pretty much all there is to it.

You gotta love it!

jtk · Jan 19, 2019

Brendan Quirk said:
I think that this might be your best photo yet! Seriously, I see this a lot at historical reenactments (especially in groups), while I sneak around unnoticed in uniform with an old Nikon Ftn or Pentax 67.

Yes...sounds right:.Nikon Ftn and Pentax 6x7 users are attempting historic reenactment .

jtk · Jan 19, 2019

jnantz said:
photography is a technical sort fo thing. there's a gadget to attach the camera to to keep it steady
some cameras have gyroscopes in them to deaden the shake, there are zoom lenses, and some
modern cameras have like 3 or 4 different kinds of metering systems built in, or of course the hand held
spot or half dome ... its easy to get swallowed up by the whole process of the preparation to push the button
so much that when taking a group portrait of IDK 60 people at a family reunion someone might yell "take the photo already"

at what point do you just take the photograph? its all a battle of compromises anyways ...
(im not going to ask when you know if your print is done cause nothing is ever done )

John...at what point do YOU just take the photograph?

Me, I hardly ever "just" do that.

Arklatexian · Jan 20, 2019

Peltigera said:
I never get hung up on technicalities. I am looking to produce a picture - I do not really care if it is 'pin sharp', I do not worry about blown highlights or blocked up shadows, I am happy to take photographs in fog, I frequently take photographs with manual cameras and guess the exposure and use scale focus.

I have, today, been looking through the photographs published in Steiglitz's Camera Work in the early years of the 20th century - much heavy shadows, much blur, not much in the way of 'rule of Thirds' - but all considered to be amongst the best photographs being taken at that time.

As Steiglitz picked the pictures for Camera Work, that is what he liked at the time. Later, he came to like A. Adam's work and was one of the first "Easterners" to encourage Adams to continue taking pictures. Opinions on what makes a good photograph has changed several times over the years and will probably continue to change......Regards!

mgb74 · Jan 20, 2019

I'm more likely to just take the shot (and then another) if shooting 35mm. I'm more deliberative with 120. Maybe I should be just as deliberative with 35mm.

But you family reunion photo is a great example to consider the purpose of the photo. In this case, it's not intended as art - it's intended as a memory.

BrianShaw · Jan 20, 2019

Pioneer said:
Ran into this the other day at the park. After spending a couple of hours walking the streets looking for photo opportunities, and finding a few, I was returning to my car parked at the City Park. As I walked through the parking lot I noticed a small family group gathered for a group photo near one of the old ranch wagon exhibits. A young lady had a digital SLR set up on a tripod and was working over it evidently trying to get ready to take the picture. This must have been going on for a bit because one of the gathered group, seeing me with my K1000, yelled at me to take their picture as I got a bit closer. So I did. I walked up, raised the camera, framed the group stepping a bit closer, then snapped the shot. I then waved and walked away. Took about 4 seconds at most.

Later, developing my roll, I found the photo had turned out great. I should have gotten their address so I could have sent them a print.

I think some people are paralyzed when faced with too many decisions, or are overwhelmed by the technical aspects of their digital cameras, and somehow afraid to just take a shot for fear it won't turn out.

Of course I had the advantage in that situation. There aren't a whole lot of decisions to make with a Pentax K1000. Once you have chosen the film you are going to use, you get the needle settled in the middle, make sure the composition looks decent, then push the button. That is pretty much all there is to it.

You gotta love it!

I’ll bet that they meant for you to use their camera, not yours. Ha ha ha.

faberryman · Jan 20, 2019

I guess I think about a lot of technical things in the background, but I've been at this long enough that when I look through the viewfinder I am focused on framing and composition.

removed account4 · Jan 20, 2019

mgb74 said:
I'm more likely to just take the shot (and then another) if shooting 35mm. I'm more deliberative with 120. Maybe I should be just as deliberative with 35mm.

But you family reunion photo is a great example to consider the purpose of the photo. In this case, it's not intended as art - it's intended as a memory.

yes it was ( not art ) !
i figured it would be more memorable taken with a 5x7 camera
and even like 15 seconds! of people standing and waiting is "hurry up" territory .. LOL
you can only go so fast when you are dancing with a tripod

removed account4 · Jan 20, 2019

jtk said:
John...at what point do YOU just take the photograph?

most of the time ...
=
i realised pefextion was
an elaborate hoxe
years ago.

MattKing · Jan 20, 2019

Maybe a better question: "At what point do you let the photograph just `happen'?"
(actually a very slow "just happen" - it is a pinhole image on old Vericolour):

Nodda Duma · Jan 20, 2019

When I’m testing emulsions: As soon as the freshly coated plate is dry

Theo Sulphate · Jan 21, 2019

Unless I'm making a Very Serious landscape or architectural photo, I barely think about the technical aspects. Most of the cameras I use these days are fully manual, the only luxury ... sometimes ... is a meter or aperture priority.

Typically I am always using just f/8 or f/5.6 and choose the shutter speed based on experience. All that's left for me to do is compose, focus, and trip the shutter at the right moment.

guangong · Jan 21, 2019

Same here. Acquired most of my cameras in 60s,70s and early 80s. Speaking of automation, i don’t remember two of my late friends, Bernie Boston ( then dean of White House photographers) or Louey Stettner ( a major retrospective show right now at San Francisco Musem of Modern Art until May 26) ever using a meter. Me, I’m a little less skilled and use a meter, but still prefer the computer in my head, even if some believe it’s historical.
On the other hand, I put my digital camera on full auto, otherwise the plethora of choices only slows me down.

Vaughn · Jan 21, 2019

The process of making an image starts when I make the decision to set up the camera and ends when I frame the print. I do not mentally break up the process into steps other than for convienance.

warden · Jan 21, 2019

Last year I photographed dancers regularly (friends of mine) while they rehearsed. When to take the damned picture was always a struggle because I was using film and obviously couldn't machine-gun medium format film. But it was fun for sure. I used fast film and slow, tripod an no tripod, flash or natural light, etc. In the end there were formal images and loose ones too, and my favorites were like this one, where I had iso50 film and just walked among the dancers hand holding 1-2 second exposures while I walked and they danced. This approach, once I refined it, was their favorite too. It was the most spontaneous and related best to what they were doing on stage.

Sirius Glass · Jan 21, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
Technical details do not slow me down. At this point it is almost automatic.

But there are times when I am traveling and will not be able to work on art as I grab my two Nikon AF cameras with color and black & white and just enjoy the trip.

jtk · Jan 22, 2019

jawarden said:
Last year I photographed dancers regularly (friends of mine) while they rehearsed. When to take the damned picture was always a struggle because I was using film and obviously couldn't machine-gun medium format film. But it was fun for sure. I used fast film and slow, tripod an no tripod, flash or natural light, etc. In the end there were formal images and loose ones too, and my favorites were like this one, where I had iso50 film and just walked among the dancers hand holding 1-2 second exposures while I walked and they danced. This approach, once I refined it, was their favorite too. It was the most spontaneous and related best to what they were doing on stage.

I like that a lot. How large have you printed it, and did you tone it?

at what point do you just take the photograph

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency