We’ve all been through it. You head out on the family vacation, very excited about the chance to make some striking new images of a new place. But then you find out all the tours leave at Noon and the venues are all crowded.
Or you head off to photograph that nice field of flowers only to realize that today is very windy.
Sometimes, as hard as it might be, the best photograph to make is no photograph.
Bad light is always going to be bad light. And as we used to say, “The slides won’t get any better sitting in the drawer.” The same rule applies to memory cards.
You won’t have much chance of shooting an award winning landscape at Noon during the summer in bright light, nor will your flower photos look good when the high winds cause so much movement you couldn’t get any subject sharp.
So don’t shoot. Chalk up the experience as valuable in some other way. Don’t measure your success on that outing by how many photos you made. Instead, use the time to simply enjoy your surroundings without regard for photography, and try again another day.
It can actually be counterproductive to shoot in terrible conditions. It can leave you frustrated and demoralized and I’ve seen it actually zap people’s passion for photography.
Better to wait for the right conditions and improve your chances for success than to force something that just won’t work no matter what you do.
So avoid high contrast situations, poor lighting, or opportunities where weather harms (rather than enhances) your shot. Wait for the best light, look for the best background, find the willing subject and then shoot. Otherwise, just scout or enjoy the day. Your keepers will go up and your frustration will go down.
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I have to totally agree with you there Scott. I found in myself that I became too frustrated over poor conditions that it began to get my depressed about the place I live. Now I just wait and watch my surroundings for that better day.
I also took the opportunity on days like this to experiment with different things like Time Lapse rather than looking for a shot.
I have to disagree to an extent. True that you might not get the shots you had initially intended to take, but why not take the chance to experiment. A cloudy day may no be good for landscapes… so why not focus on what is on the ground around you instead, you may be surprised with what you see. And if it is too windy to take pictures of the flowers, experiment with the shutter speeds and see what you get.
I will agree that bad conditions could frustrate and just enjoying the day make sense. But if you really want to take pictures that day, experiment and you may learn something new.
Hi Scott,
i kind of disagree with you.
You’re right that you can’t change the environment and you won’t making great shots
either but if you don’t expect that you still can make nice pictures. Experimenting without
the burden of great conditions produces also great pictures since you don’t expect them!
I think it all boils down to what you expect when going out for a shoot!
For me it is always: I try the best i can but i don’t expect anything. If there is a really
great shot made, happy i am. Otherwise i am not disappointed since i didn’t set a bar
to get over before shooting!
Have a nice one,
Marc
@Matt and @Marc you provide a valid counter-point to my argument.
I think adverse conditions forces us to be creative, and shifting our expectations about what we shoot versus what we were planning can result in experimentation and perhaps a new direction in our work. Not shooting at all could mean missing an opportunity to create the shot of a lifetime that comes from pushing our boundaries. That said, I agree that if we continue trying to get the shot we planned when the conditions don’t allow for it, it’s likely to end in frustration.
Both arguments are valid. If things don’t work out as you anticipated, be ready to either try something different, or even do something other than photography. We all love photography, but sometimes its best (in my mind anyway) to avoid possible frustration when conditions are really looking bad and just find something else. If I do this, I find that the next time I go to shoot, I’m twice as excited to get out and try to make some great photography. (“Try” is the operative word in that last line)
Scott,
I appreciate your post. I teach photography at a university in Texas, and while shooting a great deal is one of the keys to improving your work, knowing when not to work under sub-optimal conditions is just as key. I will agree with the above posts in saying that you can find a photograph in any situation, I believe it all comes down to what you are shooting and context. I’m glad to this issue being discussed. I believe this to be one of the strongest things I have learned from my long-time mentor and business partner, Wyman Meinzer.
Thanks
Since I am a noob, I like to experiment in every condition. I don’t shoot professionally and don’t really know what I am doing half the time, so I am often disappointed in my shots. But the more I shoot the more I learn. The more I go out and shoot the more I see an improvement in my photography. I can imagine at your level Scott, that when you go and shoot you know exactly what you want. If the conditions won’t allow it then you would rather try again. For me though, I only go out and shoot maybe once a week. So if the conditions are not perfect I still need to practice and see what I can get.
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What Pat said perfectly expresses my own feelings.
Yep, bad light can be colossal bummer alright.
I was out hiking with a friend the other day in such god-awful November light, that I actually wondered if I could monetize the the shots I was getting for their epic horribleness. I even thought about checking if the domains “www.flatlight.com” of “www.god-awful-photo.com” were available, so I could make sites edicated to showcasing the most drab, dimensionless, monochromatic captures of photographic depression in my collection.
Oddly enough, when I eventually looked at the shots of the river, some of them kinda didn’t suck…in fact, they sorta had something that was a cross of capturing very subtle shades of pink in the sky and ice, combined with the overall mood of the image. They weren’t award winners, but they were still keepers. (The rest had to be deleted as hazardous waste.)
This all reinforced the idea I formed over the years about shooting even when it seems utterly hopeless…sometimes you get surprises, especially when you don’t try and apply your regular diligence in creating a shot.
Along this idea, another technique I use as I walk along, is to just stick my arm out in a random direction and angle and fire the shutter away. About 95% of the resulting shots are rubbish, but now and then you get one that’s so unique it makes you go: “Oooh! That’s cool!” :cool:
I think this falls under the “if life gives you lemons” rule…just shoot other things or close ups. Learn to work around the challenge and take different types of photos than what you planned.
Just go to flickr and search on “rain” or “snow” or your choice of bad weather conditions and you’ll get some really good inspiration to go out and shoot!! Remember…. Look at 10,000 before shooting 1. :)
@Bill nothing in my post should be read to say that I think rain or snow are bad conditions to shoot in. In fact, I prefer both for most cases. But had either been present when I was making my Crane’s in the Fire Mist photo, it would have ruined my chances. There are lots of times where allegedly adverse conditions make for great photos. But when you have something specific in mind, those conditions can ruin your day.
Scott, when I encounter the situations you describe: wrong light, too many people, or when I don’t have the right equipment, I remember what my father once told me: “take a picture with your mind.”
It sounds silly, but it gets to your point. The situations you describe interfere with the process of making an image. In these cases, it will be hard or impossible to make a photo that captures what you’re seeing in front of you.
I agree with the readers above who remind us that we can’t control light or weather. In these cases, shoot what will make a great image. For example, if the scene is too crowded, document the crowd. However, what I don’t like to do is “get lucky” by doing the things I’d do in ideal conditions. Ansel Adams taught photographers to pre-visualize their images. He used the technique primarily for exposure, but we can use it for composure and subjects. When I “get lucky” after just carelessly shooting, I feel just that, lucky. I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything. By previsualizing my image and working to achieve that image, I’ll get something I can be proud of and learn along the way.
I certainly agree with all the arguments about when not to photograph. However, shooting at noon in bright light can be overcome by bracketing and shooting for HDR purposes. Furthermore, in low light situations, the D3 loves it and you can make some great clean shots. The world of photography has certainly changed.
it’s funny how i needed someone to tell me that for me to realize that
If the light isn’t right, you’re not going to get a good shot, but I’ve never encountered a situation where I couldn’t create or find lighting good enough to make some cool photographs. When your plans are challenged, it’s not time to give up and walk away, it’s time to improvise. ;)
@Jon – but HDR only helps to increase the latitude of your exposure. It’s not going to make crappy light good. And light is what photography is all about – midday, cloudless light will never be made into good light, regardless of your HDR technique (unless of course, you want harsh, midday light!).
Using that time ‘not photographing’…is usually very well spent scouting for a future shot, I’ve found. Especially when dragging friends or family along that are not photographers, it is rarely conducive to being deliberate and patient in getting your shot.
Scott:
I love this essay!
In my opinion: As to whether it applies to you is determined by what kind of photographer you are.
As for me I mostly take photos, when something looks to my eyes “like a photograph” or when I am at my best, when the world before me looks “like a painting”.
In any case, yours is a thought provoking argument.
Levent
I love this post and the great discussion. Thanks Scott for sharing your insights.
I want to add more more twist. I live near the Great Smokey Mountains national park and one my favorite places to take photos which is a loop road in a valley around lots of fields. I have made the trip around the cove many times and I am always aware that I have limited time when the light is optimal. Sometimes it is better to not stop to take that picture of deer in the field, especially if you already have that shot in your portfolio. You never know if there is a better opportunity just around down the road. You also need to know when it is time to leave a spot because you have already taken all of the best photos.
@Matt, Marc & Scott
I think it boils down to: If the condition is not what you thought it would be, or expected in your mind then what do you do? feel frustrated that conditions are not what you wanted them to be, or indeed, try to be creative and go for something you didn’t expect to be shooting.
I find myself a lot of times in such condition, it depends a lot on my mood at that time if I decide then to go creative or to give up ;-)
But i do agree: in case even the creative stuff would turn out crap, best to leave it at that and do something else… or end up with a pile of useless one’s and zero’s on your card you’ll never look at anyway.
I’m gonna’ disagree. The article seems to assume a great picture is in perfect light, in perfect conditions with perfect weather.
I say shoot some pics! Are the flowers blowing violently around in a 20 mph breeze? Then use slow shutter speeds. Try to “use” the motion instead of fighting it. We’ve all seen pics like that, some with abstract elements, that look great.
When you come home with that very nice abstract image of the purple flower blowing around in front of and interacting with the yellow one, you will not be frustrated. You will be even more pleased and proud that you succeeded in adverse conditions.
Besides, trying to create good art in bad environments is good practice. It will make you a better photographer all the way around – including when conditions are perfect.
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I think in the days when it cost money to simply take photos, because of the cost of film and processing, Scott’s point would have been valid. Today, I shoot whenever my trigger finger gets itchy. If not for practice, pushing my creativity, or taking a chance anyway, I have a photo that sucks and reminds me to go back and get a better shot when conditions improve.
Also, I’ve noticed on more than one occasion that everything can change in a split second. Lanscapes change, building are torn down, access to areas becomes limited. So why not have something to show rather than nothing at all. My saying is, “It’s better to have it than not.”
Keep up the great work, Scott.
Reading the opposing arguments, I’ve realized that I should have more directly qualified this post by saying this is the typical behavior of a pro or aspiring pro. If you’re just an amateur, shooting for the love of it, I guess there are few times when you wouldn’t just go ahead and shoot SOMETHING. Happy accidents are fun when you’re not on deadline.
But when I am on assignment, SOMETHING won’t do. I need EXACTLY what the client wants. And shooting for the heck of it won’t help me.
Of course I also realize that had I taken the opposite position in this post, a number of folks would have switched their position just to be able to counter my point :)