Are Your Best Pictures the Results of Planning?

[giganova]

When I look at my best pictures, I realize that they were the results of either planning, travel for the purpose of making pictures, or special events I attended for the sole purpose of making pictures. Very few of my best pictures were sependipitous and I start to question the value of just roaming the streets and hoping it will lead to good pictures. My feeling is enforces by looking at the photos of famous photographers who inspire me, which are almost always the results of planning (e.g., Robert Frank's "The Americans", a sponsored road trip; Sebastião Salgado's trips around Africa and South America, Steve McCurry's journeys through war-torn regions, Dorothea Lange's depression-era work, Bruce Davidson and Gordon Park's civil rights movement photos, William Claxton and Herman Leonard's photos of the jazz age, etc).

This makes me wonder what the best approach to photography is? Is it planning vs serendipity?

 

[kbg32]

A little of both.

Like life, some best laid plans can get sidetracked. Some days I have a destination in mind, most times it's just being where you are. Living life and having a camera with me, allows me to find my best images wherever I am.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Unplanned ones are coming if I press shutter release accidentally. 😀

 

[kxl]

When I look at my best pictures, I realize that they were the results of either planning, travel for the purpose of making pictures, or special events I attended for the sole purpose of making pictures.

This makes me wonder what the best approach to photography is? Is it planning vs serendipity?

True for me; however, serendipity also happens while on a planned trip. Also, while I do have a camera with me at all times, I'm not really a "carry a camera for a walk and see what shows up." I know that works for others.

"Have a camera with you at all times" is probably a good approach. 🙂

 

[MCTuomey]

the way i think is that my best shots result from shooting and my shooting is a result of planning. so, i believe the more i shoot, the more "best" shots i'll make.

i guess you could say planning --> shooting --> good/best shots. not to be annoyingly logical or anything 😉

i love herman leonard's photos (think Lena Horne or Dexter Gordon). he brought his lights to rehearsals whenever he could and made the most of the time he had, and shot when the opportunity presented itself. luck favors the prepared, I guess.

 

[Pioneer]

Good fortune usually happens to me when I am prepared. I also find that when I am out and about with the intent of photographing that I am more attentive to potential opportunities and I see more of them.

Although I do carry a camera regularly, just having the camera is not the only prerequisite to a good photograph. Strangely enough I also have to pay attention and have the camera ready.

 

[daveleo]

With my still life and tabletop stuff, yeh, planning rules. But I'm shooting a lot less of that now.
The only planning I do these days is "get outside and shoot something" .... and I'll go out and shoot.

My best pictures are however are really the result of pretty brutal editing (by me) and postprocessing.

 

[FrankS]

For me, my modus operandi is to find pictures rather than plan them. Once I find an interesting subject/situation, I choose a perspective, composition, framing, and moment.

 

[Hsg]

Photography is a search and if one does not narrow down the areas of interest, the right equipment and finally the subject matter, that search might not lead to any discovery.

Taking your camera all the time is putting pressure on yourself that you must be ready for anything. To me that is a waste of energy. I only take my camera to the locations where I search for photos. When I don't have a camera with me, I don't look for photos.

 

[gns]

Some of my best pictures may have been planned...But they didn't come out as planned.
If they aren't a surprise in some way, they can't be very interesting.

 

[x-ray]

In recent years the majority of my best images have been heavy researched and planned although I have many that were spontaneous. Much of my documentary work requires sometimes years of research and planning.

 

[icebear]

If taking the camera with me when I attend a concert amount to a plan ...
I don't consider almost all of my shot planned. For me planned shot are staged, i.e. I arrange subject, light background etc. That's not my style...

 

[shimokita]

By making a decision to carry a camera or not, it forces me to think about what might be interesting during the day or what might be interesting in general... which I believe leads to photos that I like and/or might not have noticed without that thought process. It works that way for me.

Casey

 

[FrankS]

I often carry a camera when going out of the house. I feel no pressure to take photos. If I see something interesting, then I'm usually prepared.

 

[photomoof]

I don't plan vacation photos, but all my "serious" photos are planned, sometimes over months, or even years. However there is still a lot of luck and chance involved, it is the nature of photography.

 

[FrankS]

Some photography is more conducive to planning. With other types, the best you can hope for is to be prepared.

If you are building sets, then yes, there is plenty of planning.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

One of my plans involves always carrying a camera. The second part of the plan is that it's a P&S as they can be taken out and used quickly. Usually an A4, Leica mini 3, XA2, µ-I or II etc...

The other plan involves putting my serious cameras on a P&S setting for grab shots.

All the other plans are what you'd expect when you've had a few minutes to think about it and get the camera ready, and bracket if need be.

Regards, David