The photograph not taken

[ABrosig]

I've pressed the shutter button plenty of times that I've thought 'this is a photograph'. Upon closer inspection, near miss, aka drats!
How could I have been so wrong? Perhaps we're romanticizing the photograph not taken?
The problem is you don't know if it's a good photograph till you take the fricken photograph. Forget about the photograph that, odds are, didn't get away.

I really know the feeling. I have so many images that not only should they have not been taken, they should have been chased away when they first presented themselves!

But I do have a few where I forced myself to stop and make the photo and they've become some of my favorite images of all time.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Sometimes I have to force myself to make photos, other times they seem to just fall into my lap.

I think it's all about keeping my eyes open to the visions around me and my mind open to the possibilities.

 

[Prest_400]

I regret not taking more shots with B&W in the 60s and 70s. When I watch a Rockford rerun all I see are all those wonderful LA buildings and those great cars. Even the way people dressed is a missed chance.

There was a small cafe in my neighbourhood that a friend and I used to go to often for a few years, I never photographed it because it was so familiar. One day this winter while walking out I took a couple of pictures. Sure enough, the week after the cafe was closed with newspapers in the windows

When it's happening, and we're very familiar with it, sometimes we overlook its relevance in the future.
Sometimes because of the mood, risks (shady areas), or whatever else. I admit that it can be a bit frustrating.

I'm very happy with my smartphone as this way I have always a camera with me which can be used at any moment.

A personal frustration was at a celebration a couple of months ago... I brought my m43 in my jacket yet ended not using it as it wasn't quite appropiate for the mood. All the shots I've got now are just cellphone snaps.

 

[Archiver]

Entire periods of my life are photographic voids as I simply did not carry a camera at the time. I have no photos of my first date, my first girlfriend, my time in the final years of school or university, my first job, and on and on. Years and years of delightful experiences that exist now only as memories and fleeting journal entries.

For over twelve years, I've been taking photos of my daily life to document and remember. Hardly anything escapes me, now. Anything is better than nothing, but I aim to use the best camera that is appropriate and manageable for the time. If I can't use a rangefinder I'll use m43 or an aps-c compact.

And the constant documentation has come in handy, too. A friend who was getting permanent residency in Australia needed extra proof of how long he had been with his then-girlfriend-now-wife, and I was able to give them oodles of photos that went back for years.

 

[zuiko85]

Mostly I miss photos because, although I preach "always take a notebook with you" it is often forgotten and if I don't write it down to return I'll not remember past 15 minuites what I wanted to return to photograph. Even though I carry a camera almost all the time it is not always the tool I need for that particular photograph.

And yeah, you pass by a building many times in a year and when you finally decide to go back they demolished it.

Forgetful and a procrastinator, a deadly double whammy.

 

[Rob-F]

Here is one that almost got away. I took the photo a few years ago, shortly before they took the sign down. I didn't like it at the time that the truck was in the shot. Now I do.

 

[Prest_400]

Entire periods of my life are photographic voids as I simply did not carry a camera at the time. I have no photos of my first date, my first girlfriend, my time in the final years of school or university, my first job, and on and on. Years and years of delightful experiences that exist now only as memories and fleeting journal entries.

For over twelve years, I've been taking photos of my daily life to document and remember. Hardly anything escapes me, now. Anything is better than nothing, but I aim to use the best camera that is appropriate and manageable for the time. If I can't use a rangefinder I'll use m43 or an aps-c compact.

And the constant documentation has come in handy, too. A friend who was getting permanent residency in Australia needed extra proof of how long he had been with his then-girlfriend-now-wife, and I was able to give them oodles of photos that went back for years.

Just that.

My junior and earlier High School time has few documentation and I began to take a camera just at the very last year of senior HS.
But I guess what prompted me to document was losing some moments on trips, whose moments are just in memory. But that wasn't just about taking a camera, it's that it could be dangerous to carry one.
My family has very few pictures before my dad got his camera. I don't have many photographs of my late grandfather and relatives before that. So I grew with that tension. If now it's cheap to take photos, better!

What frustrates me a bit is taking gear, doing plans and coming back with little, and I've done that. 😱

I'm still at university and got a couple of years left, but I can see that perhaps in the future all of this documentation I have might be useful. Seemingly no other one is doing it.

 

[Archiver]

Rob, the truck totally makes that photo.

 

[Archiver]

Just that.

My junior and earlier High School time has few documentation and I began to take a camera just at the very last year of senior HS.
But I guess what prompted me to document was losing some moments on trips, whose moments are just in memory. But that wasn't just about taking a camera, it's that it could be dangerous to carry one.
My family has very few pictures before my dad got his camera. I don't have many photographs of my late grandfather and relatives before that. So I grew with that tension. If now it's cheap to take photos, better!

What frustrates me a bit is taking gear, doing plans and coming back with little, and I've done that. 😱

I'm still at university and got a couple of years left, but I can see that perhaps in the future all of this documentation I have might be useful. Seemingly no other one is doing it.

In years to come, you will be the guy with all the photos, and will be able to reconstruct everyone else' memory of what happened.

It took me a little while, but I developed a 'photo habit' that is triggered by changes in situation and circumstance. For example, sitting down to eat with friends, food arrives at the table, entering someone's house, etc. It is almost automatic for me to take a photo of something I find interesting, from car license plates to titles of books or magazine covers. The 'interest -> photo' habit is a lot of fun!

Not sure what kind of gear you use, but just having something small that is always with you is the best option for daily documentation. Thousands of self-absorbed teens take selfies and food photos with cellphones; if you document uni with an Olympus XA or Trip, all the better.

Keep your camera easily accessible, perhaps in a pocket or even in your hand. People will get used to it, and you'll have it ready to shoot something interesting whenever you like.

I never step out the door with at least one camera, usually two, sometimes three. On the weekend I had the Panasonic LX7 and Leica M7 with me. The previous weekend it was the LX7, Ricoh GR and Zeiss Ikon. This weekend it will probably be the LX7 and Contax T3. In years gone by, the Ricoh GRD III was my daily documentation camera and it held steady for four years.

 

[doubleimage]

sometimes i look into my gallery of photographs that i could have done....some are really beautiful hehe :bang: