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08/17/2007 02:45:33 PM · #1 |
Every time I go shooting in public my mind goes blank and I kind of forget the basics of exposure and composition. And I'm often standing looking at the camera wondering why it's not working only to discover the focus isn't locking or some other simple explanation. And I feel as if I'm rushing every shot. Is it some psychological thing? Am I the only one?
To give you an example. I just got back from Edinburgh castle, and I found that I hate most of the 200 shots I took. Blown out skies, bad composition, and sensor dust. I set it to A mode with the aperture at f/22 for half of the shots, and than I sat down for half an hour on a bench trying to remember why sensor dust was showing up. Took a bunch of test shots before setting the aperture back to f/8. Oh yeah, and don't mention the damn auto-ISO thing. I was trying to tweak the exposure using spot metering, only for auto-ISO to kick in and set the ISO to 1600 for a bunch of shots.
I'm complicating this for myself. I should have just set it to auto mode. :) |
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08/17/2007 02:50:18 PM · #2 |
have you tried using a tripod ?
Might slow you down enough to make you stop and think ? |
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08/17/2007 02:58:59 PM · #3 |
I have the same problem, but only when I'm shooting with other people. If I'm alone I don't feel the rush, and I can relax.
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08/17/2007 02:59:18 PM · #4 |
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08/17/2007 03:01:20 PM · #5 |
I kinda know what you mean. It's part of the reason why I seldom make people pictures or public places pictures. I tend to forget all sorts of stuff in public, sort of like getting camera tongue-tied. Or sometimes I get really silly, sort of like over-reacting.
One thing that's helped a bit is to just walk around for a while, not make any pictures, not even think about pictures, but look at what people are doing, and how silly they look while they're doing it. And look at all the stuff around me just for the fun of it. Then, after a while, maybe try a shot. They usually don't come out too good, but at least I got a shot in public.
Anyway, just so you know you're not alone. |
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08/17/2007 03:04:05 PM · #6 |
I think what you are referring to is 'mindfulness' while shooting. A checklist might be one way to go. Cannot tell you how many times I have done test shots at ISO 800 and then forgotten to switch back to 100.
There is a basic check list of settings that we all need to check before shooting and maybe writing them down along with what the settings should be for different shots could help you. Free your mind up for the more creative aspects. Eventually it becomes intuitive.
I agree with the tripod suggestion. It does WONDERS for slowing us down and helping us be very deliberate. Hard in public. The other thing is to learn to totally block out the 'public'. It is just you and your subject. That is also hard to do.
Message edited by author 2007-08-17 15:06:00. |
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08/17/2007 03:12:33 PM · #7 |
Wow, I have the same problem! I thought I was the only one. Sometimes before I shoot I'll think of a bunch of creative angles or different things to try, but it seems like when I actually get to the location all of that goes out the window. One problem I have is that I will get excited and start shooting without checking all of the camera settings. Then when I load the pics on my computer I realize that they didn't turn out well because the camera wasn't set up properly. Now before I shoot I try to run through all of the settings and put everything where I want it.
I think one of my problems is that I don't feel comfortable carrying around my camera. When I bring it places I always have to worry about it getting stolen, or about the weather, or what I'm going to do with it if I have to put it down. I think this makes me feel rushed when I start shooting. I've talked to some people who carry their camera with them everywhere they go. I think that is a little overboard, but I am going to try to keep it with me more and try to get comfortable having it with me. Hopefully this will help me not to feel so rushed when I'm shooting. |
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08/17/2007 03:16:06 PM · #8 |
| Totally a problem. A little bit like life itself. And sometimes I feel as if I'm 'stealing' something when I shoot in public. Strange that there are some dogs who do not like being photographed too, confirming some weird superstition. Hope practice will take care of the technical problems, but the other...? |
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08/17/2007 03:25:35 PM · #9 |
That's the learning process. You only make these mistakes a few times before you learn from them. Basically, the worst mistake, the better you learn.
Keep on making the mistakes. Make sure you make really big mistakes. I keep on making small mistakes and I never learn it until i download the pictures and realize the focus is off.
Edit:
Hey, try going manual. I know it sounds silly, but I just started taking every picture in manual mode. It really makes you slow down and concentrate on the settings and shot.
Message edited by author 2007-08-17 15:27:53. |
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08/17/2007 03:46:22 PM · #10 |
I think the main thing about shooting in public is being too self-conscious. Once you get over that then you can relax and slow down.
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08/17/2007 03:47:34 PM · #11 |
Guess I'mma weirdo, cuz' I do the opposite.
Once I have the settings, I concentrate on studying the people, and recently switched over to P-Mode with -0.5 EV compensation, in RAW, just so I don't have to think about the camera. As a result, very few pics end up in the bin. I'd rather shoot candids/public any day and P-Mode is my #1 choice now.
As an example, I was doing an impromptu shoot for a local band last weekend, and other than a few tweaks in the raw conversion, didn't really do much in the way of post-processing these in CS2 other than crop and sharpen:
Candids are what fuels my passion:
Cityfest 2007
SD Gay Pride Festival
B&W Adults / Teens
B&W Children
Color
Message edited by author 2007-08-17 16:03:41. |
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08/17/2007 03:52:45 PM · #12 |
I hate shooting strangers in public. Photos come out over- or underexposed, they're all OOF because I was shaking too much and people just don't seem to like me, haha!
Just gimme a model, a studio or a wood or whatever and my cam and let me think of something to shoot.
Then it will all be ok ;) |
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08/17/2007 04:01:55 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by biteme:
...they're all OOF because I was shaking too much and people just don't seem to like me, haha! |
They must not like mutzes. ;) |
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08/17/2007 04:08:09 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by _eug:
Originally posted by biteme:
...they're all OOF because I was shaking too much and people just don't seem to like me, haha! |
They must not like mutzes. ;) |
Ha, that's got to be it :P |
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08/17/2007 04:09:44 PM · #15 |
Practice makes perfect.. sometimes when I'm shooting an event I don't get a chance to try different settings like I normally would shooting things that don't really move, so you have to look around and try to envision what settings you need to use to capture it the way you want. Just check your settings, adjust them to what you think they should be, and then shoot.
I don't really know what to suggest, other than practice. I'm uncomfortable shooting people in everyday situations when there's not any crowds around or anything obviously photo-worthy happening, but I usually manage to get the photos I want, more or less. A tripod helps, but it also makes everyone pay more attention to you, and candids are less likely to be possible if that's what you wanted.
If I'm not shooting people, I'll just shoot away to my heart's content and it's no big deal.
Just look around and constantly play with your camera, looking through the viewfinder and stuff, and people won't really think they're being singled out for a photo of them to go on some porno site or who-knows-what. |
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08/17/2007 05:18:01 PM · #16 |
Ah, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one! - And a lot of what I'm reading here sounds exactly like what happens to me. I went into the fringe festival the night before and saw *loads* of good stuff I could have shot. But I'd left my camera back at the hotel cause I was worried about it getting stolen. How stupid was that?
I did see one guy walking around the castle with a tripod. In fact, he just had a P&S on it. But it did slow him down enough to give him a chance to stop, check out the angles, and set up the shot. And he also zoned himself out from the hundred or so people trying to squeeze past him.
I did one thing towards the end of the visit which helped me relax. I found an interesting dungeon-type place and ended up sitting on the ground trying different angles through some bars. I just sat there and ignored the people walking past. I spent my time checking the shots and looking through the viewfinder for the angle on the next shot. After ten minutes of this I felt as if there was nobody else in the place.
So as long as I can find a dungeon to shoot from, I'm okay. |
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08/17/2007 05:53:23 PM · #17 |
Don't take this the wrong way, it's not meant to be harsh at all.
I think too many people feel that to be a "proper" photographer means shooting everything with manual settings and fiddling with this or that before each shot.
And yet we spend a lot of money these days for cameras which are pretty darn sophisticated and often make better decisions than we do.
Not always, of course. It's important to understand what the camera can and cannot cope well with in automatic modes so that you know when it's worthwhile adjusting the settings manually and when not.
But, at the end of the day, if you're not doing a good job when fiddling, stop fiddling and simplify it down a notch.
I shoot in P mode a lot, though I do fiddle with just two settings a lot (and a couple of others less often).
I use exposure compensation all the time, in response to what I am shooting and also in response to the histogram for the last shot. And my camera allows me to adjust aperture/ shutter whilst in P mode so I can quickly spin to a shallower or deeper depth of field (or motion blur/ frozen motion).
I also adjust ISO manually, of course. If I'm not able to achieve the speeds I need I go up. If the speeds are higher than I need I go down.
I don't feel any shame in using P mode a lot. I used to use Aperture priority the majority of the time on my previous cameras (digital and film) but now don't need even that given what I can do in P.
But I think there are some who do feel a kind of shame in using P mode and feel they have to adjust everything manually all the time or that great image they captured isn't down to their skills!
I like to be able to concentrate more on what I'm getting into the shot and I can't do that as well if I'm over-focused on camera settings.
It's about finding a balance and not feeling uncomfortable with the balance you choose.
I should point out my style/ preference is for travel photography, street photography, candid stuff. I'm not a big studio shooter and I am sure I'd shoot very differently if I were into that kind of photography.
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08/17/2007 06:08:25 PM · #18 |
As Kavey said, it shouldn't matter what you use. What's important is getting the shot.
When I'm out shooting candids I almost always use the viewfinder. I've tried shooting from the hip and all I seem to get is just the sky or the ground. I swear I could be using a fisheye lens and I would still miss the subject.
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08/17/2007 06:20:50 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by yanko:
When I'm out shooting candids I almost always use the viewfinder. I've tried shooting from the hip and all I seem to get is just the sky or the ground. I swear I could be using a fisheye lens and I would still miss the subject. |
That's hilarious. I used to be good at shooting from the hip and I don't know what happened. Maybe it's the lens choice. Since I my walk around lens is now the 50mm 1.8, I tend to chop of heads and stuff like that. lol
Maybe I should test shooting from the hip with the 28-80 and see if that was what happened. |
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08/17/2007 06:28:20 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by yanko:
As Kavey said, it shouldn't matter what you use. What's important is getting the shot.
When I'm out shooting candids I almost always use the viewfinder. I've tried shooting from the hip and all I seem to get is just the sky or the ground. I swear I could be using a fisheye lens and I would still miss the subject. |
I agree and mentioned in my reply that P-Mode is my default now, unless I'm trying to control something.
2 of my all-time favorite pics & I've ever taken were shot with my camera at chest level or thereabouts.
 
Sometimes ya' get lucky.
My camera takes really good pics of the sky as well Richard :) |
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08/17/2007 06:34:54 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by Brad:
My camera takes really good pics of the sky as well Richard :) |
You see my clouds don't come out looking like that!
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08/17/2007 07:23:15 PM · #22 |
No no no - those were my sky outtakes. 
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08/17/2007 07:40:55 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by Brad:
No no no - those were my sky outtakes. |
Hmmmm... What're ya doin' shootin' the sky from the hip? You afraid the sky is gonna notice you and chase you down? LOL! |
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08/17/2007 08:10:29 PM · #24 |
Heh. For candids, one thing that I really like is an angle finder. I find it really messes me up for a couple of minutes due to confusion as to where the camera is actually pointing, but after the initial moments, I can take pictures a bit easier and people seem to have a different reaction to the camera when you are just looking down into it.
I got the idea after playing with a friend's Bronica with a top-down viewer. Nothing like that of course, but still interesting to try.
I've tried something similar with my S2 IS, but it's a bit more obvious when it's an LCD flip-out screen.
The angle finder is great for kids as well as they really don't get that you are taking a pic of them and you can get great moments. Helps combat the height disparity issue too.
As far as shooting in public, for me it's a pressure thing. I get fuddled up pretty easily when I'm under the gun. I need a check-list to get everything right. I usually go through my checklist before I leave for the day and set up my camera early on. This doesn't help me practice getting set up on the fly, but at least the first set of pics usually look OK.
At home my checklist:
Batteries
Equipment (flashes, reflectors, lenses, filters, CF cards)
LCD brightness (always best to use Histogram, but I've messed up my fair share of shots with the wrong LCD brightness and not using me brain)
Starting ISO
Camera mode
Correct lens for the situation.
On location checklist:
ISO
Camera mode
Focus points/focus mode
Aperture (I usually shoot Av mode, sometimes M in difficult situations)
Drive mode
Once I am set up with those, I can rest a lot easier and things can usually get into a bit more of a rhythm. I mentally go over the things that can change (light intensity and light direction) and look around for additional places to stand and practice moving my settings quickly with the wheels and dials before I jump into just shooting.
Of course, under pressure, I invariably forget large portions of these lists and usually end up messing something up :) |
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08/17/2007 09:21:51 PM · #25 |
I don't know why would I ever use P-mode instead of A (aperture priority, that is). A-mode is still automatic,in a sense that it selects the shutter speed for you, so not much thinking is involved after you set the mode up anyway. If I want to go even more "automatic", I'd rather do auto-ISO, because a bit of extra noise can be dealt with later, but a wrong aperture - can't. When I shoot candids, I generally like to set the widest aperture available, mostly to isolate my subject (and increase the shutter speed, too).
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