Focusing ON camera - missing the action ?

[dee]

I realise that I use a camera to edit/contain a confusing world .
I wonder, however , if I am missing out on the action , for example at an Air Fair trying to get that shot .

I say this because I failed to get that definitive snap shot of Spitfires taking off from Biggin Hill ,[ too close to the end of the runway and planes overhead ] but was still immersed in the atmosphere when I just gave up !
Maybe I have been missing out by this situation , but it's a comfort habit which is dee'ficult to break .

Is this sensible ?

dee

 

[zuiko85]

Yes. When viewing any scene, and I'm fiddling with a camera the missus will tell me to put the toy down and just enjoy the experience. Good advice. Although I always have some camera with me, I don't want to get so engrossed in exposure and framing that I forget what wonders life holds.

 

[shimokita]

Sometimes it is a matter of missing (or getting) the shot you set out to get... but often at the expense of missing (not seeing) the shot (the opportunity) that is right in front of you. It happens to me all the time ; )

Recently I am trying not to judge (pre-judge) what I am looking at / looking for... it tends to free things up a bit... still working on that approach ; )

 

[unixrevolution]

I can agree that sometimes, you should let the camera hang for a moment and just enjoy the experience.

By the same token, having a camera with me makes me more likely to enjoy the experience as a whole, and will give me photos to recall the memories later.

There's a balance.

 

[jsrockit]

That's why I leave memories to my memory

 

[dee]

Thanks . Recently , I have been questioning the situation with cameras / snap shooting
and the situation with ASD , deafness [ isolating in a group ] and guy/girl stuff .
It was not until I became more accepting of the erratic nature of my snap shots that I can begin to explore it , it's something of a pre 70s awakening !
Two sides to this - less perfect snapshots at Air Show , rare holiday photos however blurred etc, creating an atmosphere which helps with memory fragmentation , as opposed to ignoring the camera and enjoying the moment - LIVE !!
Hence asking so many stupid questions !
dee

 

[farlymac]

If you go somewhere to get a particular shot, sometimes you need to block out other things to make sure of the exposure, framing, etc. However, one may also need to be cognizant of what is going on around them so that if something/someone unwanted gets in the frame, you can adjust accordingly.

Still, there have been times I've just left the camera alone/behind. You can't record everything in your life.

PF

 

[Ronald M]

Set the camera up before . Stand with your back to sun.

 

[Scapevision]

Set the camera up before . Stand with your back to sun.

😀
tencharacters

 

[wakarimasen]

Whenever I've taken photographs of my sons' football or rugby games, I get to the end and feel like I've 'missed' the game somehow. I think it's exactly what you describe.

Sometimes it's better to watch and enjoy.....right up to the point when you are asked 'did you get that?' 🙂

 

[Godfrey]

The best tools are the ones that become transparent in use, that allow you to see 'through' them to the work at hand. This is why I value simplicity: in controls, in features, in ergonomics ... to eliminate distractions and let the equipment become invisible to my eyes and mind.

G

 

[Pioneer]

In some circumstances having and using a camera inserts me squarely into the action. I am far more involved with what is around me.

But in these situations my focus is on the camera and on what is happening around me...not on my wife. This is typically when she starts asking me to "put down the toy and enjoy the experience."

I am already enjoying the experience so what she is really saying is..."start paying more attention to me than that stupid camera." 😀

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

There will be another air show next year and you'll know what to do then, where to stand f'instance and can enjoy it and photograph it.

Regards, David

 

[dee]

Hmmm ...

Within family , I had to be behind the camera . In retrospect , being transgender [ there out with it ] , I can't relate to photos of ' me ? . Believe me ,it's as crazy on the inside !
It also prevented others from trying to make me 'join in' , anti social plus !!
But it's clouded my approach to events on my own when there is no such pressure .

I realise that I am missing the action due to an unnecessary 'protection'.
At least , now that 'I' [ 'I' is very fragile and out of phase ] am aware , hopefully I can retrain to be less camera dee'pendant and live in the now .

David - we used to get concessions for locals at the Air Fair in Biggin Hill , but it's now over £20 post retirement .
There was a place just outside the runway on the main road , but there were screens this year due to increased health and safety - in fact , should an aircraft fail to take off , it would have ploughed through dozens of spectators . I shall not forget a vintage plane nose diving into the woods behind the field some years ago .
Very unsettling .

Being at the bottom of a valley with trees as our horizon , several times a day , a two seat Spitfire takes off from the ridge above and circles around past the house . I never get tired of running to the window .
I need a very long lens ! A 300mm just does not do it - especially as the distance creates a misty effect with little contrast .
I must try when the sun is glinting on the plane ...
£2750 per 20mins . a bargain for someone .
dee

 

[:: Mark]

I realise that I use a camera to edit/contain a confusing world .
I wonder, however , if I am missing out on the action , for example at an Air Fair trying to get that shot .

I do not see anything problematic with using a camera in this way, nor with choosing to not use a camera and just enjoying the environment.

Why not try both and then choose to do whatever you like the most?

FWIW, I often find photography a valuable way to help deal with confusing social or chaotic environments. But mostly I photograph because it just seems right to try to make interesting pictures and visual narratives...

 

[dee]

Thanks Mark. Now that I recognise the situation with cameras v being in the moment,I shall try to balance both .

 

[jvo]

i would get much better photographs, if i didn't enjoy the sights around me and worked at capturing images, which i view as a fun, part time job.

i often struggle with spending more time with a subject to get that really amazing image that result!

 

[x-ray]

I rarely carry anything more than a point and shoot when on vacation. Events like air shows, I rarely carry a camera. I realized years ago that I never did anything with the photos I shot at events and the only thing done with vacation photos was my wife put some in a photo album. Also I got tired of dragging a heavy bag of equipment around. I found I was involved in makng photos like I was on assignment. I wound up focusing all of my attention on making images and not enjoying the moment with my wife. Now I get much more enjoyment focusing on where I'm at and who I'm with rather than making photos that I never did anything with.

 

[akptc]

Not at all

Not at all

If it wasn't captured, it didn't happen, ergo you didn't miss anything 😀