Missed opportunities

[Dikkie]

I need to learn how to calm down a bit or get less frustrated in situations with "missed moments" or opportunities.

Moments when you're on the road driving a vehicle and seeing wonderful landscapes.
This morning I saw a nice sunrise with lots of fog down the hills, very beautiful.
But I couldn't put the car aside the road to get out and take time for a picture, too much commute traffic.
I felt sad I couldn't capture them to share to others.

It happens a lot when I'm in the car and someone else is driving and I see something funny happening around or a nice building. Can't just get the driver to stop so I can take a photo.

I've experienced so much missed opportunities already. I could have made a nice album of them... well actually not

I guess you all get in such a situation once.
How do you cope with this?

 

[Light Fandango]

"The ones that got away" is part and parcel of the game, and I try to treat it as such.

Think of it this way: it's only because you are so observant as a shooter that you see some of these scenes to begin with. It's the curse (or blessing) that goes with having roving "camera eyes"

I am thankful for the stolen moments I have managed to capture, and I know there will be more. There will always be many I won't get either, that's just reality. Can't be everywhere all the time...

C.

 

[RScottie124 38]

I feel your pain, often.

My work requires me to travel between three states daily. Heading north in to Ohio I see unbelievable sunrises all the time.

But, I am on a two lane road with cars behind me 99% of the time. And, there's nothing but ditch so no way to pull over.

I swear, one of these days I am stopping in the middle of the road if no one is behind me! Throw on my 4 ways and start shooting.

 

[24megapixseal72]

Those missed shots that you experience, are simply "Memory Moments"....my wife started that saying with us, during our travels....instead of the old cliche of the "Kodak Moment", we now have "Memory Moments"....and we laugh about how when we're old, we just have to dig up those "Memory Moments" again....so when I miss the shot, we look at each other, shrug, and both say it together!.... "Memory Moment!"....

 

[tinytmp]

I need to learn how to calm down a bit or get less frustrated in situations with "missed moments" or opportunities.

Moments when you're on the road driving a vehicle and seeing wonderful landscapes.
This morning I saw a nice sunrise with lots of fog down the hills, very beautiful.
But I couldn't put the car aside the road to get out and take time for a picture, too much commute traffic.
I felt sad I couldn't capture them to share to others.

It happens a lot when I'm in the car and someone else is driving and I see something funny happening around or a nice building. Can't just get the driver to stop so I can take a photo.

I've experienced so much missed opportunities already. I could have made a nice album of them... well actually not

I guess you all get in such a situation once find out more.
How do you cope with this?

Focus on enjoying the moment rather than capturing it. Practice mindfulness by noticing the details and feelings of the scene. Accept that you can’t photograph everything, and treat missed moments as memories rather than losses. When possible, jot down or mentally note what you saw to revisit later.

 

[Rickbb74 14]

Yep, it suckith mightily. I was working in LA one time, heading to my work site and passed by an entire hill side on fire, right beside the freeway. Just could not get stopped and all I had was a BlackBerry with the crap camera it had. Would have made a great shot, morning low light sun fire with spots everywhere. oh well.

 

[SunriseAvenue]

Oh, I hate that feeling and I could make a whole smartshow 3d slideshow of all the pictures I never took because I didn't have a chance or decided to do that later. I've come to realise that whenever you think "I'll photograph that next time/on my way back" the next time just never comes, so you either force yourself to take the photo immediately while you still have a chance but don't really want to, or let it go forever. Besting yourself up for not taking an opportunity is exhausting, so gotta work with what you have, you know