Do you sometimes have a feeling of resistance before a photo shoot? It happens to me when a lot of work is involved in getting a photo, and this resistance tries to prevent me from heading out. Over the years, I found that the bigger it is, the larger the reward.
What excites me the most about landscape photography is spending time in nature, embarking on long hikes, and chasing special light. It also pertains to uncertainty and doubt: How difficult is the hike? Is the view worth the effort? Will the conditions be good? Those are just some questions that creep into my mind as the adventure approaches.
Recently, I went to the Alps for two days of hiking and photography. I was excited about the trip and had already scouted several viewpoints via Google Earth. I had gathered the information I could about the hikes and the views I wanted to photograph. But as the tour date approached, this excitement turned into doubts.
The weather forecast was still ok. But on the arrival day, it was forecast to be rainy. Two days later, thunderstorms would approach. It would provide the perfect window of opportunity with one beautiful day in between. But would it? The morning before the drive, as I was studying the weather, I asked myself if I should rather stay at home. After all, I didn't want to be caught by a storm in the mountains. And a rainy day with deep clouds would obscure the views I wanted to photograph.
This mind game is typical. During my travels, it usually starts the evening before a sunrise shoot, for which I have to get up in the middle of the night, do a long drive, and/or a long hike. Sometimes, I even hope for rain so I can stay in bed and sleep in. Thankfully, I usually don't give in to these thoughts. And you should neither.
Although I often don't get the conditions I crave for my photography, I never regret heading out. Once in motion, the doubts are usually gone, and the excitement is back. All it takes is getting past this initial barrier, this resistance. The more you do it, the more often you'll also be rewarded. The rewards don't always come in the form of spectacular light. Sometimes, it's just a great hike, the exhilarating feeling of standing on top of a mountain, or the knowledge that you found a view nobody has photographed yet.
Whatever it is, it'll help you build confidence to overcome the resistance the next time. And don't get disheartened by failure. Use it as motivation, and don't accept defeat. The conditions might not have been great this time, but if you keep trying, the opportunities for great photos will come. As I wrote in another article: "Thrive in the process, enjoy your time out there, and be grateful for those rare, magic moments."
I'm also curious: Does this sound familiar, or have you never felt this resistance? Let us know in the comments.
Michael Breitung wrote:
"The weather forecast was still ok. But on the arrival day, it was forecast to be rainy. Two days later, thunderstorms would approach. It would provide the perfect window of opportunity with one beautiful day in between. But would it? The morning before the drive, as I was studying the weather, I asked myself if I should rather stay at home. After all, I didn't want to be caught by a storm in the mountains. And a rainy day with deep clouds would obscure the views I wanted to photograph."
I am a little confused by what you write here. I have always heard that the best weather for landscape photography is for storms to be coming and going. And that the worst weather is a clear sky. Yet you seem to be implying the opposite of this - as if you dislike the storms that most landscape photographers long for, and desire the clear sunshine that most landscape photographers dread.
Can you please clear this up for me, and give some insight as to why it seems that you have a contrarian view about what is good and bad weather for creating dramatic landscape images?
Normally storms and dynamic weather are preferable. But I also had to sleep up on the mountain to get those photos. And I avoid the peaks when thunderstroms are approaching. Thats the reason for my internal mind game ;-)
Oh yeah, sleeping on the mountain in storms would definitely give me a feeling of resistance!
Michael Breitung wrote:
" ..... don't get disheartened by failure. Use it as motivation, and don't accept defeat. The conditions might not have been great this time, but if you keep trying, the opportunities for great photos will come. As I wrote in another article: "Thrive in the process, enjoy your time out there, and be grateful for those rare, magic moments."
I'm also curious: Does this sound familiar, or have you never felt this resistance? Let us know in the comments."
I very much agree about not accepting defeat. As a wildlife photographer, I am at the mercy of the conditions and my subjects. So there is not much I can do on any given day to ensure success. But, what I can do, is when I plan a trip I can make sure that I plan for a lot of days afield, and that way, by spending enough time out there trying, I can put myself in a position to eventually have success. For example, I will be photographing Whitetail Deer again this November, during their mating season. I am planning the trip now, and the dates I am tentatively arranging for are November 2 thru November 26. That gives me 25 days out there, which is long enough to outlast any spell of poor weather or any lull in deer activity.
I don't really feel the resistance that you speak of when readying myself for most of my wildlife photography.
But there are a few exceptions. One of the places I go to for Rattlesnakes comes to mind. The drive to this place is only two hours, but it is a horrible two hours of extremely congested highways and jammed up intersections. And then when I get to my destination, the walk from the place I park to where the rattlesnake den is is over a mile, with no trail, thru heavy forested undergrowth. And it is steamy and humid and hot and infested with mosquitoes. So I am drenched with sweat and itching like crazy after that hike! And most of the time the rattlesnakes are not out, so I get nothing, and have to make the long grueling hike back to the car without any photos to show for it. So yes I feel resistance when planning that venture, and sometimes give it a pass in favor of an easer photoshoot for another species.