I had to re-educate my way of thinking and shooting back to my film days. Now I have to shoot in an anticipatory methodology. I have to see the shoot before it happens, I have to get into position with enough time to focus and wait for the peak of action
Isn't THAT the skill of photography? Any dam fool can point the camera and press the shutter. To see an image before it happens, to put yourself in the proper place, to set the camera up to capture your vision... those are skills that require practice, and experience.
However, in many ways those processes are the same that make for good drivers, and good tradespeople, and safe workers: be aware of the surroundings and context, anticipate the actions of those around you, and the things THEY will react to, and place yourself where the proper result will be achieved.
Yes and no. It depends on the genre, those skills always come to play, but in some genres they are more important than in others. In Street, for example, speed is a very valuable asset, sometimes more valuable to react than to anticipate ... more valuable to shoot than get into position ... waiting for peak of action in landscape can be tedious in landscape, usually time of day and lighting is more important than peak of action.
The are many skills of photography. Each skill's importance to a particular shot is determined by the content of the shot. Example, in most of Ansel Adams photographs, composition is a paramount factor in creating the exceptional image (yes, exposure and processing skill are fundamentally important as well, but were not addressing that end of the photographic spectrum) ... as opposed to Eddie Adams Pulitzer award winning shot of the ARVN general shooting the VC suspect in the streets of Saigon. That shot and genre, composition and lighting is of little concern, it is all about timing and the peak of action.
To an Ansel Adams type of photographer, shooting Street is more of "any damn [sic] fool can point the camera and press the shutter" ... and vice versa, ad infinitum between genres.
You made a general remark, which I actually do agree with, but the degree of importance to shooting in an anticipatory fashion as opposed to a reactionary fashion is dependant upon the the genre, the particular shot and the equipment being used. Even if I was using a slow camera like the XP1, I would have shot many many more images, different angles, different exposures, different lenses knowing that I can cull out the best in post. With only 12 frames per roll, I have to mentally perform all that culling before I release the shutter.
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