Shoot alone or with friend(s)?

[sf]

Shoot alone or with friend(s)?

I sometimes think I would ask a fellow photographer/friend if they would like to join me on one of my day-long treks around the city or elsewhere. But, then I think about my style of shooting, my mentality, and it occurs to me that I am a more solitary person than I think, perhaps.

How do you prefer to do things? Alone or with another?

 

[ywenz]

i likes to soot alone because other ppl get in the freakin' way yo! jman

 

[Dougg]

Seems a solitary pursuit in general

 

[oscroft]

Definitely alone

 

[Ash]

I completely disagree!! You should ALWAYS have someone!

I love taking photo's of people, and whilst shooting alone can get you doing what you want, faster, having someone there is just plain better. The most memorable photo op's (and some of my better photo's) have happened when shooting with a friend.

You can fire ideas of each other, jump on their shoulders, get a leg-up over a "do not enter" fence, get them to complete a photo which begs for a human somewhere in it or just plain block the path from others walking into your way or be on the lookout.

There's a sense of adventure when you're with someone else as well, and if they love photo's as much as you do, then you'd be happier shooting with someone than alone.

 

[Silva Lining]

I used to ONLY shoot alone, mainly because my missus would get to impatient saying, "You've photographed that cloud 10 times...cant we move on now??" I have developed my style so that now, when we are out together I prefocus and shoot reportage style. When I go out on my own I revert to my more ponderous pace.

Interestingly, I think I get better pictures from my faster, reportage style approach..... strange.

 

[traveller]

Having company can be fun and it is sometimes a good thing to see motives through another eyeset. In some parts of the town it can be a good thing to have a second pair of eyes looking after the gear. Not to mention it's also nice have someone around for a smalltalk 😉

But it can be a PITA if the other person is not really interested in shooting or is only interested in the obligatory picture from a church or things like that.

 

[taffer]

Just as life, it's sometimes better with company, some others, it isn't 🙂

 

[quizzard87]

i enjoy shooting with others...if there are no good subjects to shoot you can still mess around with your friends. not to mention that they are definitely an inspiration.

 

[rover]

I really enjoy going out and having time and the freedom to shoot alone, what I want and how I want to. That said, it is nice too to get together like I did yesterday with some RFF friends and to hang out and shoot with other photographers. Being able to ramble around, watch other people shoot, what and how they shoot and talk "shop talk" is fun too.

Shooting with others doesn't work for me if they are not focused on photography too. I went to Boston with a friend and we talked and enjoyed the day, but without the shared interest in photography I didn't get any real shooting done.

 

[robin a]

All by myself,it's a solitary thing.

 

[nomade]

Both ways work for me actually, but shooting with a friend makes you more comfortable around here, people won't find you wierd, and will not have to worry about the freak who could be taking a photo of them, puts you in the normal frame with respect to thje other people, so yes it makes your job easier...

But sometimes you are just not in the mood, i mostly shoot alone, because all of a sudeen, i feel an extreeme need to go and do something, also because my friend are not that inrested in the act itself, for example, i've an architect who would go get pictures of buildings and interiors, i look for things that are totally different, but we are together anyway...

I thought at first it's difficult for me, because i'm used to do things alone, i don't wait fro a compagnon...

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

I enjoy photographing by myself. But when possible, I find that photographing with my wife adds even more to the experience. She sees things differently than I do. I learn and consider new compositions and subjects that I otherwise would have ignored.

 

[Socke]

Both!
Once a month I go shooting with one of my friends.
Four eyes see more than two and each of us sees different motives at the same place, we have different shooting styles and choice of focal length etc.pp.

Comparing the pictures later, usualy with a beer at our favorite pub, is fun, too.

 

[Ash]

I was with Lauren, a female friend who loves art more than I do, (and I love photography more than her) we work great on shoots.

We were taking photo's by the train station and walked through the car park - there was an old subway underpass thing all fenced off, about 6-8ft drop (I'm 6ft and it was slightly above my head when I stood against the wall).

I was desperate to venture down there, and too much of a wuss to go on my own. It was great, we had each other to get all scared and excited with (since this area was seriously not nice).. what an experience! I love being impulsive and adventurous and someone being up for the adventure too - its a lot safer.

It wasn't THAT interesting, but I would have had "what if...?" the rest of my life otherwise.

 

[Mackinaw]

Always alone.

Jim Bielecki

 

[back alley]

almost always alone, very infrequently with a buddy but never with a non photographer.

 

[Richard Black]

My wife or friends may accompany me, but they are not photographers. I wander around and away from them and return when I've caught the images I want. Some involve them, some not. I've found carrying around a good camera can lead into some nice conversations. This summer, in Santa Fe, I met a couple of guys from Ca., neither knew the other, while shooting some buildings. We had a great conversation about cameras, grandkids, and travel. I don't think this would have happened with a p&s with wife in tow.

 

[BrianShaw]

Mostly alone. Occasionally with my brother (another photog). Rarely with wife and kids.

 

[VictorM.]

Mostly alone. I've yet to find anyone, photographer or not, that didn't get in the way.