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MattKing
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Yes!
(both - depending on the photographs)
Do you consider a photograph obtained when one goes to an interesting location or event and then explores the photographic possibilities to be a planned photograph or a happy accident photograph?
(both - depending on the photographs)
Do you consider a photograph obtained when one goes to an interesting location or event and then explores the photographic possibilities to be a planned photograph or a happy accident photograph?
That's funny, I've had a similar thing happen a couple of times as well. For some strange reason, it's often the case that the pictures I think may not be good at the time I take them often turn out to be the ones I like the most - and the opposite is sometimes true as well. Photography is full of surprises.
The only part of the plan was to take a camera.
In the past there were many happy accidents, as I have gotten more skilled most to the best photographs are planned.
Some are planned, meaning I spot what I think will be a good image, plan the time of time, day of the week, maybe waiting for the right weather. When freelancing a shoot might be planned by an art director. When working as a PJ, action as it happened.
Probably most of the best were by taking advantage of a sometimes rapidly changing subject.
No kidding. I picked up large format not too long ago (with the help of jnantz), and I've taken very few photos... all planned. A lot of the speed graphic guys might disagree that they have to be planned, but it's the only way I can do it. Unfortunately, I have nothing good to show from it yet.
That's happened to me as well. One of my favorite shots (it's probably in my gallery here) was shot in B&W to use up the roll so I could load a roll of color for basically the same shot. I much prefer the B&W over the color one.
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i do my best to immerse myself in the exposure making process to such an extent that i don't know the difference between a happy accident and something that is planned
its the same thing.
its the same thing.
I’m the same. I don’t have too many ‘best’ shots but at least a couple resulted from me wanting to finish the roll and thus was a little more free to shoot beyond what I normally do, resulting in much more interesting photographs.
Here is one of my favourite "finish the roll" pics. I hadn't long had my first medium format camera (Mamiya 645 Super) I'd been out photographing, got home and was ready to develop the film when I realised there was one frame left. I was looking at some lame flowers when I noticed these two old bottles that had been dug up in the garden and I'd left them on a bin where they had been filled with rain. The way the backlight was shining through them intrigued me so I took a quick pic.
all my photographs were pannen in advance.I do not believe in serendipity.
My only plan is to wander with the camera and watch the interaction of the light, the place and the photographer.
How does one 'accidently' set up a camera? Then accidently expose film, develop it, then make a print?
How does one 'accidently' set up a camera? Then accidently expose film, develop it, then make a print?
My only plan is to wander with the camera and watch the interaction of the light, the place and the photographer.
How does one 'accidently' set up a camera? Then accidently expose film, develop it, then make a print?
How accidental the end image is seems to strongly depend on the subject matter.
One of my best loved photographs had been planned to be two roller derby players coming round the second corner, hip checking each other while the crowd cheered in the background...
The photograph I got out of that moment was both players landing on their backsides laughing their heads off...
They are planned, but not necessarily in the same way that others may think.
I decide which camera to bring and which lens I want on it. I decide which film to use and which filters I may want to use with that film.
Based on those basic choices I will decide where I want to go and how I want to photograph. I think of the types of images I have in mind.
However, the exact photo may not be planned per se, but it will always be a result of all the advance preparation put into my outing. Since I overwhelmingly use manual cameras then exposure, focus, and perspective are determined before I push the shutter.
Of course there are always those days when I grab a camera when I am headed out the door, usually a rangefinder with a 50mm lens of some sort, with no clear plan whether or not I will even take a picture. I can't remember any photographs off hand that I really like that came from this method but there could be a couple I'm not remembering.
I decide which camera to bring and which lens I want on it. I decide which film to use and which filters I may want to use with that film.
Based on those basic choices I will decide where I want to go and how I want to photograph. I think of the types of images I have in mind.
However, the exact photo may not be planned per se, but it will always be a result of all the advance preparation put into my outing. Since I overwhelmingly use manual cameras then exposure, focus, and perspective are determined before I push the shutter.
Of course there are always those days when I grab a camera when I am headed out the door, usually a rangefinder with a 50mm lens of some sort, with no clear plan whether or not I will even take a picture. I can't remember any photographs off hand that I really like that came from this method but there could be a couple I'm not remembering.
Cool! Luck favors the prepared...even the luckless! They had the 'accident', you were prepared for it. If shutter had fired without you meaning it to as the two of them landed on you -- that would be an accidental photo!
Ha! I guess we are delving into a philosophical discussion of "Accidents". Maybe a better term would be "not as intended".
Either way, forgetting the semantics, hopefully most people know the intent of the question.
The fact that "luck favors the prepared" is a very good point!
Either way, forgetting the semantics, hopefully most people know the intent of the question.
The fact that "luck favors the prepared" is a very good point!
I will hold to the view that accidents leading to an 'unintended photo' can happen on either end of the camera.
Either something has changed in front of the camera compared to what you were intending to capture in the next exposure, or a mistake was made with configuring or triggering your camera.
My girlfriend rather loved one of my early photos from when I first got my TLR: I had taken it out on a windy and dreary looking day in early spring to a walking trail, and framed up a simple image that was as much to test the camera's functionality as it was to be artistic. Clicked the shutter release on my C330, but didn't hear anything - Assumed that I had actually forgotten to properly cock the leaf shutter, and retook the image from almost the same location over the same frame. The result is a rather ghostly and kind of trippy look due to how the snow and frost plays over and blends through the dark patches on the trail and trees...
Another favoured image was of a bunch of mostly out of focus lights taken somewhere downtown. As far as I can tell I must have bumped my rolleicord against something while trying to squeeze through a crowd of tourists.
While thinking about this topic a bit more, I am starting to get the impression that my girlfriend may actually prefer my total failures over images I actually like and think worked well...
Either something has changed in front of the camera compared to what you were intending to capture in the next exposure, or a mistake was made with configuring or triggering your camera.
My girlfriend rather loved one of my early photos from when I first got my TLR: I had taken it out on a windy and dreary looking day in early spring to a walking trail, and framed up a simple image that was as much to test the camera's functionality as it was to be artistic. Clicked the shutter release on my C330, but didn't hear anything - Assumed that I had actually forgotten to properly cock the leaf shutter, and retook the image from almost the same location over the same frame. The result is a rather ghostly and kind of trippy look due to how the snow and frost plays over and blends through the dark patches on the trail and trees...
Another favoured image was of a bunch of mostly out of focus lights taken somewhere downtown. As far as I can tell I must have bumped my rolleicord against something while trying to squeeze through a crowd of tourists.
While thinking about this topic a bit more, I am starting to get the impression that my girlfriend may actually prefer my total failures over images I actually like and think worked well...
With LF, I have developed film to find a blank sheet and a unintended double exposure -- accidental or brain-fart, sometimes they are worth printing!
Wandering around in the desert with the 8x10, I have come across photographers (in places like named canyons in Death Valley) who are surprised I did not scout the area first, nor have an app to predict sun position, etc. They did not seem to understand the concept of wandering...perhaps if I used the word 'saunter' instead it might indicate I am aware of my surroundings and not 'wandering aimlessly' with 60 pounds of equipment! "All who wander are not lost", as written in the LOTR.
I have no idea how Dorian got dragged into my post, but one of my favorite books and best 2nd hand bookstore finds is 2 Saunters: Summer and Winter by Jack Fulton. No connection to the seller: https://www.vincentborrelli.com/pag...k-fulton-2-saunters-summer-winter-1978-signed
Wandering around in the desert with the 8x10, I have come across photographers (in places like named canyons in Death Valley) who are surprised I did not scout the area first, nor have an app to predict sun position, etc. They did not seem to understand the concept of wandering...perhaps if I used the word 'saunter' instead it might indicate I am aware of my surroundings and not 'wandering aimlessly' with 60 pounds of equipment! "All who wander are not lost", as written in the LOTR.
I have no idea how Dorian got dragged into my post, but one of my favorite books and best 2nd hand bookstore finds is 2 Saunters: Summer and Winter by Jack Fulton. No connection to the seller: https://www.vincentborrelli.com/pag...k-fulton-2-saunters-summer-winter-1978-signed
Sometimes I specifically start work without an intention because I don't want my intention to cloud my vision. Other times I go over in my head and my imagination every little detail I might encounter with an idea and then do exactly as I planned... but even then I leave room in my plan to change my mind depending on what i encounter.
Andrew O'Neill
Moderator
For large format, I plan to be there, with an idea of what I may see, but not sure how I'll react. Broken (in my gallery) was unplanned and happened while driving in the Great Sandhills in southern Saskatchewan to the next "planned" location. I can only do so much planning, then let things just happen.
However you compose and plan every photograph. You are not taking haphazard snapshots. That is exactly the point.
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