My Grandma is a wonderful, no nonsense, “my way or the highway” sort of woman. I remember once when I was little, working on a puzzle with her, and she was determined that a particular piece fit where she had it (it didn’t). She just forced the piece in until it fit. Needless to say, the rest of the puzzle didn’t go together correctly, but that’s my Grandma for you.
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that photography isn’t like putting a puzzle together–if something doesn’t fit, the shot isn’t going to come together for you. One of my biggest struggles as a photographer is to think outside of my pre-conceived box. In my mind’s eye, I visualize the shots I may want on an upcoming shoot, and if things go south, I’ve learned that forcing that proverbial puzzle piece simply does not work.
Our recent Sierra Nevada trip was a perfect example of that piece not fitting, and having to look elsewhere for the proper fit. Because I was going to the Sierra for the specific purpose of fall color, I envisioned spending 3 days in aspen groves, with perhaps a short side trip or two to some of my favorite places. However, the grand display of colors never materialized, and in the groves I was able to find it felt chaotic…like I was forcing that puzzle piece into a place it simply didn’t fit. So, I was forced to look elsewhere. On the second day of our trip, I abandoned aspens, and had some lovely hikes at Mono Lake, Yosemite National Park, and in Devil’s Postpile National Monument. The hike in Devil’s Postpile was especially neat because they essentially closed the gates behind us for the year. Having the feeling of being the year’s last visitor was a special one.
So, I’m getting better at stepping outside of my comfort zone, and making the best of things. I guess I have my Grandma to thank for that lesson.
Minarets at sunset, Sierra Crest, California, October 2009
Great post and a very important concept. It can be difficult to balance working in a focused way to find the shots that you built in your mind beforehand with the reality that something else might be working better once you are on the scene.
This aspen season was likely a learning opportunity for quite a few folks in this regard. My example came from my first morning driving up from Bishop towards North Lake with a plan of shooting that area at dawn. As I drove up 168 I saw this really lovely light and wonderful clouds over Basin Mountain and the crest, but I almost continued on with my original goal. I can remember saying to myself, essentially, “Hey, stop! There is a REAL shot right in front of you – and that’s better than a possible shot somewhere else.”
Lucky for me, I drove a minute back down the road, took this alternate route, and came back with some totally-non-aspen photos of the eastern escarpment that are among my favorites of the season.
Dan
Nice piece Greg.
I fight this all the time. I try to go out shooting with an open mind, thinking I’ll take whatever mother nature gives me. But somewhere in the back of my mind those preconceived ideas are always brewing and I often end up trying to force that square peg into the round hole. Being aware that we do this helps us to overcome it though.
As long as you had fun and found nature to be a source of relaxation & inspiration it should be considered a successful trip. While conditions are certainly a central factor to getting photos of an anticipated subject it is often ones ability to see that makes or breaks an outing. At its core what I mean is that one should always be looking, experimenting and learning. Did I mention having fun? 🙂 Considering your frustration I think you did well from what I’ve seen of your posted photos. Devils Postpile is always fascinating and your sunset photo of the Minarets is stunning.
Thanks for the Comments, guys. Jim, you’re absolutely right. As long as you’re having fun, that’s all that really matters. Coming home with good images is just gravy. As soon as I got frustrated, I realigned my focus and did just that: had fun!