My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Photography Outing

[sm4him]

Warning: This is long.
Okay, I admit it. That is a gross exaggeration of how things went. But it WAS one of those giant FAIL kinda days, where you realize that sometimes perhaps you should just leave the camera behind.

It's been HOT here lately. Blazing hot. Which I LOVE. While everyone else moans and complains, I revel in it.
What I do NOT enjoy is the fact that while it is 100+ degrees outside, my office is like a meat locker. It is usually about 62 F when I come in; with the thermostat all the way up, my portable heater on full blast, and the window open, I can usually get it to a searing 68 by the end of the day. No joke.

So, a couple of days ago, I'd had it and decided to go take a Photography Walk around downtown at lunchtime. For several hours. I love my lunchtime photography walks; I almost always find something new to shoot.
But, this particular day was such a FAIL--I found plenty of interesting things, I just couldn't seem to take decent shots. Seriously, I think I should have just set the camera on "auto" because my brain was CLEARLY not up to the task of manual that day!

The Walk, in Digest Version:
Oh, look at that, that's cool. Click. Why's it dark? Oh, because you're on ISO100, f/32, in the shade. <changes settings> Click. Ugh, that's awful; why didn't the flash fire? <turns ON flash> Click...no, no click. The bug has long since flown off now. Finds a dragonfly. Click. Still too dark. <turns flash back on--how did that get turned back off?> While playing ninja to quietly get super close to the little dragonfly, suddenly gets interrupted by a guy who asks what I'm doing. He's a biologist, and just wonders what I've found. HAD found, anyway, as the dragonflies takes off during our conversation.

A short distance further along: Oh, those are pretty. Click. WHY is it still dark? Didn't I turn that stupid flash on?? <turns on flash, again> Click. Don't like that angle, try a few others...a few clicks later, remembers to look at the results. GOOD grief, I KNOW I turned that flash on!! <looks at flash, and realizes batteries have died. Replaces batteries>

Finds pretty flowers. Click. Err, ISO400 and f/32 doesn't work nearly as well for flowers in the bright sun as it did for a macro insect in the shade. <changes settings, again> Click. Interrupted AGAIN by someone wanting to engage in conversation about what I'm doing.

In the end, the entire 3 hours went pretty much like that, and I got MAYBE 20 keepers. I also had more people come up and ask me questions about what I was photographing than I have ever had before; it was kinda weird, actually. On the plus side, I found at least two things that I want to go back and reshoot when my brain decides to work a little better. And of the 20 or so "keepers" at least 2 or 3 of them I'm really quite fond of. So it wasn't a TOTAL bust.

Just to reward you for sticking with this story, I'll throw in a couple of the photos, fails and successes.

1. First shot, after adjusting initial settings:


Lol...look closer:


2.


3.

 

[jowensphoto]

I like number three. You're really getting good at that style.

 

[sm4him]

I like number three. You're really getting good at that style.

Thanks, I appreciate that! I am enjoying the fresh perspective I get from creating those types of florals. I've been trying a number of different things lately--the soft florals, abstracts, insect macro. I'm loving all of it and feel like I'm "creating" more than I was, as compared to just re-creating what I saw. If that makes sense.

 

[Forkie]

We all have days like that! We can't all be perfect all of the time! The Damselfly shot turned out fine!

 

[sm4him]

Thanks Forkie, and yes, it's a damselfly NOT a dragonfly. I am guilty of often using the two words interchangeably; I should stop that. I did get this one and another that turned out pretty decent...after about four shots that look like they were taken at midnight without a flash.

And I figured/hoped that others could identify with my comedy-of-errors kind of day--or, if they ARE always perfect, at least they can laugh at my expense!

 

[mishele]

People seem to forget that great photography isn't a dime a dozen.
So don't feel too down when an outing doesn't get you a wall hanger!! It's a lot harder than a walk in the park.........lol

 

[laynea24]

I personally enjoyed your story and I'm sorry that it had to be at your expense! Lol. As far as pictures go, I like the third one. Very sharp!

 

[matt62485]

hey, ive seen worse from self proclaimed pros lol. ive started to learn even the best photogs have their days. when i see a lot of people on here say they take hundreds of shots to get a few or so they like/keep. doesnt make me feel too bad. granted theirs may be better than mine, i still got a long ways to go. not bad though!

 

[slackercruster]

Sometimes you don't get much. Every shoot does not produce great shots. Photography is relaxing or can be relaxing anyway. Just keep blasting away and don't let the camera cause you to sweat anymore than you get from the heat.