Try Being a Lazy Photographer

Most photographers are very hard-working people, but sometimes, it is ok to be lazy. In fact, it might even improve your images, and this great video discusses why. 

Coming to you from Maarten Heilbron, this interesting video discusses the benefits of being a "lazy" photographer, namely, setting your camera to automatic and letting it loose. Of course, the idea is not that you should always do this, but rather that occasionally removing the cognitive effort that goes into constantly monitoring and adjusting settings will allow you to focus more on composition and finding interesting scenes and ways of framing them. Modern cameras are plenty capable of getting most images in the ballpark, especially in good light, and when you are just taking shots for your own enjoyment and practice, the gains you get in using manual mode might not always be worth the cost of the cognitive resources you devote to managing the camera. And beyond that, getting out of the "photographer" mode and back into the simple fun of looking through the viewfinder might help you rediscover some of the enjoyment of photography if the professional side of things has been stressing you out lately. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Heilbron. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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1 Comment

Well said. I use Mindfulness approach. That is I am fully aware of my surroundings, here and now, and then capture. I have a cognitive disability, so for me to alter settings on my camera would deteriorate from the creative aspects of my shot.