Trading one enjoyment for another :-(

chrisv2 · Aug 31, 2015

So, the air show I went to on Saturday. I took around 250 pictures and yielded around 10-20 I thought were "ok".

I'm finding this a lot lately, especially at spectator events (sports, etc.) -- I end up experiencing the entire thing through a viewfinder because I really want to get that elusive great photo. It's not a wonderful experience.

I'm very much liking this whole learning photography thing. But after the event I sort of feel like "did I really enjoy this event?" It's weird, like I really wasn't there - even though I have the pictures to prove I was.

Do you guys feel the same way?

goodguy · Aug 31, 2015

Oh I go to many places without really being there but for me its perfectly fine because I go there to shoot, photography is a big reason I am out there, if I didn't have a camera in my hands I would feel like I didn't really was there.
Everybody is different, if you feel the camera is in your way to enjoy then either leave the camera t home or develop a system that makes you enjoy both worlds.
Like deciding half the time I will spend shooting and the second I will enjoy being there with out the camera.

tirediron · Aug 31, 2015

^^ That ^^ My problem is if I go to an event without a camera (1) I feel naked; and (2) I'm constantly looking around and thinking, "What a shot!" and "Damn, if only...". It's really a matter of deciding where your priorities lay. FWIW, in my books, an almost 10% keeper rate in the digital age is very good indeed.

JacaRanda · Aug 31, 2015

I shot some at my sons first varsity football game Friday. If I did not have the camera, I think I would have been yelling and screaming like a maniac - just like most parents were doing. :biglaugh:

goodguy · Aug 31, 2015

tirediron said:
^^ That ^^ My problem is if I go to an event without a camera (1) I feel naked; and (2) I'm constantly looking around and thinking, "What a shot!" and "Damn, if only...". It's really a matter of deciding where your priorities lay. FWIW, in my books, an almost 10% keeper rate in the digital age is very good indeed.

WOW, thats EXCACTLY how I feel!!!
Whether my camera is on me or not my eyes always instinctively look for "a shot" and when I am out without my baby on me I feel utterly naked.
I am at my happiest with a camera and 2 lenses on me................................god I LOVE photography :1247:

OmbreFox · Aug 31, 2015

I love photography but my family often feels like I'm not in the moment with them because of it. It's definitely a balancing act - if you don't take your camera then all day long all you can think about are the "shots you missed" but if you do take it you're experiencing the world from another dimension (TTL)

I created a rule for myself that I can take my camera BUT I have to pretend I only have 2 rolls of film. When I find myself calculating the risk/benefit of taking a photo I find myself engaging more in the experience and less on the photography because I only have a limited number of pictures I can take. It also cuts down on space & storage and time reviewing the collections.

JacaRanda · Aug 31, 2015

Don't let the photography get in the way of family time. Let someone else get the snapshots sometimes. Make sure you are in the picture.

soufiej · Aug 31, 2015

chrisv2 said:
So, the air show I went to on Saturday. I took around 250 pictures and yielded around 10-20 I thought were "ok".

I'm finding this a lot lately, especially at spectator events (sports, etc.) -- I end up experiencing the entire thing through a viewfinder because I really want to get that elusive great photo. It's not a wonderful experience.

I'm very much liking this whole learning photography thing. But after the event I sort of feel like "did I really enjoy this event?" It's weird, like I really wasn't there - even though I have the pictures to prove I was.

Do you guys feel the same way?

No, I don't. If I go to an "event", I'm there for the "event". If I take my camera, I'm open to when I might want to take a shot. But I certainly do not view the entire thing through a viewfinder.

Maybe I'm just not as dedicated as some but 250 shots certainly would be excessive several times over for me if I were at a street fair, parade, public gathering, etc. IMO that's just snapping photos to be snapping photos.

Maybe I'm still thinking of my film days when I had to pay for every shot. Frugality makes you more selective in what you shoot.

But, particularly if you come away with less than 10% of those shots not being worth a damn. What's the point? You weren't there, only your camera was there. Seems a waste of time.

You would have wasted a lot of cash buying and developing that film.

Either you see a good shot or you don't. You don't just snap a shot on the off chance something interesting will wander in front of your camera while your aiming.

Either you frame a shot to be interesting or it's not.

Don't get me wrong, if I take my camera somewhere and my intention is to take photos, not every photo is Pulitzer Prize material. But I look around and observe what is around me that's interesting first. I get my ideas about what can be done before I ever even take my camera out of the bag.

Then I keep my eyes open during the time I'm there for something I think would make an interesting photo. I spend far more time with my camera at the ready than I do just snapping away.

I don't hunt but your description reminds me of the dove hunters here in Texas who go out and just blast away at flocks of birds. Geez, what a way to have fun.

No, I suppose I'm much more selective in what I want a photo of than some folks. Certainly so when it comes to "events" where I'm taking photos of other people.

tirediron · Aug 31, 2015

OmbreFox said:
I love photography but my family often feels like I'm not in the moment with them because of it. It's definitely a balancing act - if you don't take your camera then all day long all you can think about are the "shots you missed" but if you do take it you're experiencing the world from another dimension (TTL)

I created a rule for myself that I can take my camera BUT I have to pretend I only have 2 rolls of film. When I find myself calculating the risk/benefit of taking a photo I find myself engaging more in the experience and less on the photography because I only have a limited number of pictures I can take. It also cuts down on space & storage and time reviewing the collections.

Take the camera, leave the family!

OmbreFox · Aug 31, 2015

tirediron said:
Take the camera, leave the family!

LOL I try but they're like sand burrs you just can't seem to shake them all off.

SCraig · Aug 31, 2015

You actually can do both. Unless you are being paid to cover the event you don't have to get a photograph of absolutely every airplane or every car or every batter or every tackle. It's an easy trap to get caught in though.

I went to an airshow a couple of years ago and shot a bit over 2,000 photographs that day. Two cameras, one on a tripod, one around my neck. I got photographs of every airplane that flew, multiple photographs of them, but it was too much work and I decided I wasn't going to do it again.

I went to a drag race last Saturday and only shot about 300 photographs because I spent as much time watching the races with my camera in my lap as I did taking photographs of them. It's a lot more fun that way.

Bottom line: Don't let your enjoyment get in the way of your enjoyment.

vintagesnaps · Aug 31, 2015

Doing hockey I'd maybe take pictures early, sometimes during warmups, then just watch the game (unless something worth photographing happens). I used to be able to get what I needed shooting a couple of rolls of film, unless it was a weekend of special events, pregame ceremonies, etc. Then maybe I'd use 8 rolls (24 exp.). I think it helps to figure out what you need and how to get the shots needed, maybe it takes time to develop skills to get to that point.

goodguy · Aug 31, 2015

Here is a thought, get your spouse a nice camera and teach her how to use it correctly, you might find soon that you will be the one complaining she doesn't give you enough attention :1219:

Designer · Sep 1, 2015

chrisv2 said:
I'm very much liking this whole learning photography thing. But after the event I sort of feel like "did I really enjoy this event?" It's weird, like I really wasn't there - even though I have the pictures to prove I was.

It all depends on how or what I intend to do to enjoy the day.

For instance; today I'm going shooting. I have to carry my rifle, my ammunition, my spotting scope, targets, a stapler, and bench blankets. This outing would no doubt offer opportunities for photography, but for me to carry all that stuff plus my camera bag is starting to sound like a lot of work. So I'll forego the photography today, and take the camera sometime when I'm not planning to shoot.