Sunday School: Just Shoot It

 

Back when I used to shoot with a film SLR, I often agonized over shots before I actually took them because a) film wasn't cheap; b) decent processing/printing wasn't cheap; and c) I had no idea if my settings were capturing the shots the way I wanted to or if I was wasting my entire roll of film.  I still have deep respect for the film format, but I have to admit that I'm glad to be living in the digital age when it comes to photography.  

Since I usually carry around enough memory to shoot as many photos as I could possibly want (and then some), I like to practice what I call Just Shoot It.  Basically, that's when I devote a period of time (say, 5 minutes or so) to pressing the shutter without thinking too much about the framing, the subject, exposure, etc.  I'll walk around and go *click* *click* *click* *click* in rapid sucession, sometimes without even looking through the viewfinder.  There's no pressure to get that perfect shot during these few minutes.  There's no worrying about missing a Kodak moment.  It's actually quite freeing, especially if you are in the middle of a somewhat stressful shoot like at a wedding.  

Some folks may feel like that's just a waste of memory.  Others may feel like it's faux-art if you don't put enough thought into it or scrunch your forehead just so while you're shooting the photo.  Years ago, I probably would've agreed.   Now, however, I know that there is a particular brand of joy derived from finding a gem of a photo in post-processing that you didn't even know you had taken.   In fact, I now get excited about going over my Just Shoot It photos because I never know what I'll find. 

The photo above is an example of what I'm talking about.  It was taken during several minutes of freestyle shooting at my husband's cousin's wedding.  I fell in love with it the moment I saw it during post-processing, and I knew that I could've never taken that shot if I had been thinking too much about it. 

Do you have a favorite photo that you took without too much thinking or didn't even know you had taken?  Please share with us!

P.S.  If I could set this post to music, it would be to  Click Click Click Click by Bishop Allen.

Comments

[christie]

I also like the funky exposures that sometimes come with shooting randomly!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/enckline/2305759132/

[Shelli]

What a wonderful photo! If it wasn't for my digital camera, I probably wouldn't be taking any photos now. I remember spending so much money on developing! Yikes!

Since I just putter in my yard taking photos, and I take gobs of my active little boy, I have gotten in the habit of shooting quickly without thinking about it. I also have tried lowering my camera and pointing up at my subject without looking through the viewfinder, just to see what I might get. When I took this picture of my cat, I did just that, and I was pleased with the results.

http://www.mamaofletters.com/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy.html#8

[maya]

For a couple of months now, I've been taking little excursions to the small towns around my city that I would probably never visit otherwise. I roll down my window, put my camera on my shoulder and shoot anything that looks like it might be interesting. I rarely look at the photos until I get home. I find this exhilarating.

I've gotten lots of shots that I love, but this one (once I cropped and added some texture) I especially love because it doesn't feel like I took it.

http://flickr.com/photos/23558661@N03/2283797741/

And this one I like because I just couldn't believe the framing - didn't have to crop it or anything.

http://flickr.com/photos/23558661@N03/2281064560/

Fun!

[gkgirl]

omg
what a fantastic photo!
there is so much energy and fun
and so much going on....
everyone you look at is
in some state of animated motion...

i love this idea of the click/click/click!

[Melody A.]

I don't think you could ever miss!

Here's mine. We were out yesterday taking pictures. I don't know how many pictures I took of Natalya just playing and this ended up in there. My first reaction was to delete it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hipmommatexas/2335585417/

[Devan]

I went to the rodeo recently. They move so fast that all I could do was point the camera in the right direction and click away! It was really fun sorting through, finding the gems. Here's one. It looks best viewed in the largest size.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/devangrayson/2328089208/in/set-72157604101403963/

[kt]

First off I love that wedding photo! So much life in that shot!

There is a little carnival every year down the street I take the kids to. Here I decided to just shoot randomly at the swing ride and caught some kids goofing around on the ride.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10921854@N05/2337052679/ kt

[Anali]

I love that shot! You caught all the life, movement,and joy in it.

I was on the train and took these photos from the window. http://www.flickr.com/photos/analisfirstamendment/sets/72157604057517683/

[O]

You described the "film vs digital" dilemma perfectly. And now, I do just what you wrote, "click/click/click" all the time. You never know when the ordinary will turn into the extraordinary and it may take just a photograph to make that happen. :) And, the thing I love most about digital? I can click/click/click and go through and delete/delete/delete! ;) I'll post a picture in a bit. Thanks for this 'Sunday School' entry, btw. The photo is FAN-TAS-TIC!

[natala]

http://atheart.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/flying-colors/

I think often the best shots are the ones we didn't plan on :)

Wonderful photo ! :)

[melody]

Such life in this shot.

Off to click randomly. :)

[natala]

oops... my photo is also here, I JUST am figuring out flickr :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24485353@N08/2338279730/

[heidi]

Love that shot! Like a whole wedding condensed into a single picture.

I didn't have a tripod or much time, so I rested my camera on the bridge railing and hoped for the best. It turned out to be one of my favorites.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hstender/2057227401/

[Kate]

What a great idea. I've found that with kids, it's great to have the continuous shutter on - used sparingly (because it reeeeeally adds up..) it helps so much to take four or five shots in quick succession - to catch just the right expression, or the right moment in motion. And plus I love the sound. Harkens back to the video for Duran Duran's 'Girls On Film', and if that doesn't make you feel cool and funky, what can?

:) Great shot!

[leslie]

OH! sarah-ji - this shot is simply fantastic!
I have nothing accidental that even holds a candle.
I am inspired, though, and will start to click-click-click-click
without thinking more often starting today.
:)

[nicky thomas]

ooh i love that wedding photo. so much going on.

heres one, a little blurry one, where i just kept the button pressed down while madam ran.

i love it because she is just lost in the moment.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickythomasphotography/2268997059/

[Wendy]

I agree, that's a neat photo. Great job.

[jen lemen]

sarah, i totally subscribe to just click it as a personal philosophy.
and truly, your taste in music is unrivaled!! love this song.

[jen]

Itook my camera to the pool one day when junior was doing swimming lessons. I took quite a few and I really love this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaycee/2200611263/.

Even though I've got a camera that I can tell it to take a few photos in quick succession, a camera that would let me control this process would be ideal.

[Secret Agent Mama]

I do tons of click-click-clicking, and often times I get something that I LOVE out of it.. Here's my most recent: http://secretagentmama.com/blog/2008/03/16/just-clicking/

I think I'm going to start doing this, on my blog, weekly.. Show a few pictures that were "just clicked".

[Julie]

Excellent photo....going to have to see if I have one of those stuck somewhere. I loved the post on negative space and have a few to post myself. Maybe tomorrow...

[Christina]

I find that my best shots are usually the ones I didn't plan!
This is one such image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinator/2301427686/

[andrea scher]

Love your philosophy girl!
Mine is "shoot the shit out of em!"
:)

[spencercasa]

i LOVE the picture! it is like everything that could possibly be going on at once is! fantastic!

[simply]

http://bp3.blogger.com/_A1Xbjk4uEks/R81_AXxD1DI/AAAAAAAACi4/bKg3Ns9KttY/s1600-h/simply+taken4+036bb.jpg

"in the city"

everything seems to be so busy...it's funny to see everything so still...

http://bp0.blogger.com/_A1Xbjk4uEks/R819TnxD1AI/AAAAAAAACig/0xrUQI3Mi50/s1600-h/simply+taken4+047bb.jpg

~simply~

[Lawyer Mama]

Oh, yes!

I took this one driving in the car. I knew what I was trying to do, but I didn't even look through the viewfinder.
http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2296786303/in/set-72157603638375698/

Another accident. I was just shooting street scenes without thinking during a Mardi Gras parade. I was too busy watching out for my son and friend's daughter (in the photo):
http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2248247114/in/set-72157603849298828/

This was one I didn't discover I had until almost a month after I took the shot. I was just taking some sunset photos on the way back to the car after I'd been taking some candid portraits of my son. I was shocked to see what I'd captured in the water....
http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2316090544/in/set-72157603643073069/

This one was also a total accident:
http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2244430535/in/set-72157603849298828/

[krystyn]

This is the BEST. I can't believe it's random... there's so many elements that are just perfect. What a great moment you captured!

[Michelle Potter]

When you do this, do you generally shoot in Auto?

[Paige]

What a happy accident to just click away and then find a treasure. I discovered this one of my sister a few years ago. I had actually been taking photos of her daughter who was sitting next to her when I noticed what a pretty shot she made sitting there unawares. It's one of my favorites of her.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cartwheelsatmidnight/288191045/

[Sheri Bheri]

I took this one yesterday and thought of this post immediately.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoezoo/2344379788/

It's my 3 y/o DD throwing snow at me, I could NEVER have timed this shot this perfectly. The anticipation of it, would have ruined it.

[Sheri]

i love this post because YES. i always do this, and it IS exciting. oh the magic!

here are two i took last weekend while driving. of course, i can't take my eyes off the road, so i just kind of point my camera in the right direction, hold my breath, and click, click, click. i love them.

http://todayispretty.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/goose-duo/
http://todayispretty.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/trailer/

[elizabeth laufer]

here's my just shoot it, a few days late!http://www.flickr.com/photos/23478522@N05/2355338863/

[elizabeth laufer]

oops that's not it try this! http://www.flickr.com/photos/23478522@N05/2356179986/