Roll with it

© 2010 Simon Hucko

If you've been on this planet for more than a few days, you know that things don't always go according to plan. Murphy manages to work his way into everything, including photography. No matter how well you prepare for a shoot, there's still a good chance that something unexpected will happen.

Last week, I got the idea that getting up for sunrise on Saturday would be a good thing. Every time I checked the weather, it got better and better - cold and clear. Friday morning the sun rose in a clear sky, and I started getting excited. Any thoughts I had of staying in bed evaporated, and when my alarm went off at 6am on Saturday I hopped up and got ready to go shoot. The minute I pulled out of the driveway, I knew my pre-visualized shot was ruined. The streetlights were blazing in the fog, and the sky had absolutely no pre-dawn glow. The whole town was covered with fog (see here). I could have turned around and gone back to bed, but I decided to stick it out and see what else I could find. When I got to the river I noticed the wisps of fog swirling around the bridge, and knew I had my shot. I had to wait a bit for the light to be right (bright enough to balance with the lamps on the bridge), but it got there and I made a few decent images. I also took the time to shoot a few images for a pano (above), which I think turned out pretty well.

The lesson here is that even when things don't go as planned, you can still make great photographs. Preparation for a shoot is essential, but a lot of times the unexpected shots are the best ones. Being in the right frame of mind to adjust and adapt and take full advantage of your situation can help ensure that you walk away with something good, and possibly even something great. Don't give up just because things don't go your way.

~S

[title of blog] on flickr