Shoot It Till Its Dead

by Jon Wason   copyright 2013

I am not a violent person but my philosophy is “shoot it till its dead.” As a photographer I am driven by the desire to capture a great image. Let me explain a bit more.

Last week I spotted an interesting, old, pickup truck parked along the highway so I stopped for a closer look. There is a center console next to the driver’s seat in my Toyota and my camera is almost always there ready for action.

Almost everyone is familiar with electron microscope images of sperm fertilizing an egg. What you see is the large round egg completely surrounded by the wriggling sperm cells. Similarly, when I find a good object to shoot, such as that vintage, red pickup, I shoot from all angles like the sperm attacking the egg. I shoot from straight on and slowly move around clicking from all angles. Another thing I do is and zoom in on some details like the chrome plated grill and the big round fenders. Also use a wide angle for some shots. Be sure to move back and get some distance shots, too. If you fortunate enough to have a bag full of lenses, mount ‘em and use ‘em.

The great thing about digital capture is that later you can delete the images you are not pleasing to you. A few years ago when I was using film, I shot less images because processing a roll of 36 exposure film was about 10 to 15 dollars. With digital a camera this is not a concern, so shoot all you want. However, keep in mind that you will spend some time holding your camera and reviewing images and deleting the ones you don’t like and later at your computer spend more time editing the images from your shoot. So there has to be some balance between quantity and quality.

Don’t be a violent person, but when you are out there with your camera remember to shoot your subject until it is dead.

Keep Your Camera Handy, Andy

Copyright 2013 Jon Wason

“I wish I would’ve had my camera with me,” is a common lament. I don’t know how many people have said that to me after describing some amazing sight such as a bald eagle, a rare Ferrari or a famous celebrity. It has happened to me, but not too often.

            During my daily commute my camera is within easy reach. One recent morning, I was driving to work on a foggy morning. Some of the route is rural and takes me past a reservoir. As I pulled up to a stop sign I looked to my left and caught a glimpse of a pleasant reflection of a tree in the mist.

Instead of saying, “I wish I had a camera,” I pulled over, put the car in Park and grabbed my camera. I shot a few frames out the lowered window and continued on my merry way to work. That evening I discovered that I had captured a nice image.

Another morning I was passing near the railroad tracks when I saw the Amtrak Acela coming my way. I stopped the car and grabbed my camera. Unfortunately, there was no memory card in the trusty EOS, but I had one in my pocket. As quick as a bunny rabbit, I popped it in, and clicked off two shots. It is a good thing that the fastest train in the USA is forced to slow down to a crawl as it passes through my town.

I used to drive a minivan and my camera fit under the seat. Now I have a Toyota RAV4 with a center console that is a perfect hiding place for my camera. This is also a protected location where food and drink cannot be spilled on it.

My advice is to keep your camera (with good batteries and a memory card inserted) close at hand while you also keep your eyes peeled for photographic opportunities. Go get some good shots.