Recently, I saw a collection of April Fools posts on Facebook by photographers who tried baking in some irony by sharing photos from a oft-photographed US National Park that they dubbed as their most creatively challenging, all while being derisive about the homogeny of photos being posted by others online. Now, while I know that these posts were mostly written in jest, I also believe that there is truth behind every joke, especially if you continued on to read the comments on each of the posts. As I read these posts, I felt a tinge of sadness because it was clear that the very spirit of their own photographic pursuits had been dulled amidst the jilt and jade of the Internet culture.
To help these folks out and to serve up this basic reminder about photography, I’d like to share this one simple tip: just be there and get the shot. To do anything otherwise, to be blunt, is simply you making excuses for yourself. I apologize if I come across as crass, it’s just that I’m in the process of writing a book that will be published later this year and a dominant theme within it is very much related to this topic at hand. My philosophy with photography has been and will always be: Until it has been photographed by me, it hasn’t been photographed. I don’t care if 400 people are standing right next to me getting the exact same shot. I don’t care if a Magnum photographer was standing exactly where I was a day earlier and got an even better shot. Until I have been able to employ my own creativity, personality, and sense of style, it hasn’t been photographed.
But, it’s easy for me to say this. Instead, let me share with you some examples of what a typical scene could be at a popular destination and what the results can look like if you simply apply yourself, make the effort, and be there.
Mesa Arch
Of all the complaints that I read from these posts, the busyness of Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park ranks way up there. Yes, most photographers have the intention of making it to the Arch to catch the sun bursting thru it. If you don’t give yourself at least 90 minutes before sunrise, you’ll likely find yourself working around a firing line of other photographers who simply got there before you. A scene like this one is not uncommon at all and is actually quite thin compared to other times that I’ve been there.
So what if you do get there and there is a crowd? What does that mean? Do you just turn around and head back to the parking area? No!!! You’re a human and most of the people in the crowd in front of you are humans too. Be polite, gracious and understanding and ask if you could fit in between them. Don’t expect that they’ll pick up and move but it’s totally fair to try and work with the others.
Look, most everyone who goes to Mesa Arch at sunrise is looking for the same photo. And why shouldn’t they get it? It’s a magical few moments and everyone who pays their park fees has the right to witness it and remember it the way they wish. I’m thankful for my opportunity to photograph it the handful of times that were available to me.
And once I got my photo, do you think I just stood in one place, burning the early morning light? Of course not! One of the most important things to remember is that you can do so much to put your own stamp on a scene that is photographed all the time. As soon as I was happy with what I got, I gave my spot up to another eager and thankful photographer and walked to the edge of the arch, putting on my fisheye lens. Not a single other photographer was standing there so I had the entire area to myself, which was great because the fisheye lens has a field of view of 180 degrees.
Angkor Wat
I never knew what a horde of photographers looked like until I photographed sunrise at the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I had heard stories but nothing prepared me for the throngs of people who descended upon the area. Fortunately, our guide was very knowledgeable and understood what our needs were, so he made sure that we were at our location at 4AM, several hours before the sun was due to rise. As you could imagine, we were the first ones there! And as you could imagine, just as soon as the first hints of blue began to appear in the sky, we were no longer alone.
Again, just because thousands of people on any given day want to try to capture the sun rising above Angkor Wat, does it give you a reason not to capture it for yourself? Of course not. Sure, you may hate yourself for getting up an an ungodly hour, but the effort of having your own beautiful memories of this legendary place is certainly worth it… especially if you’re lucky enough to have a masterful explosion of colors and clouds in the process
The Brooklyn Bridge
I saved this one for last because I was born and raised in Brooklyn. I’ve crossed this bridge more times than I could possibly remember and every single time I did, I’d have my camera with me. So would a billion other people. And that’s not counting the walking commuters, bicyclists, and other tourists. The place is a madhouse. But it’s also a marvel of architecture that makes for some of the most timeless photos ever. At any given time, day or night, you will be greeted by any number of people.
Again, these people have just as much right to cross the span and photograph it as you do. Does that mean that you shouldn’t get your own photos? Absolutely not. It just means that you need to challenge yourself to find a photo that is uniquely yours and that can mean a bunch of different things. It could mean that you’re hunting for a unique composition or it could mean that you’re applying your own processing style to a similar photo taken by millions of other people. Whatever the case, it is on your to figure it out. It’s the very goal of being a photographer. And wouldn’t you know it? One of my favorite photos that I’ve ever taken was of this very bridge and I’d never have gotten it if I subscribed to the defeatist attitude that I’ve seen pervade the Internet lately. Just be there and get your shot.
I resonate with you every bit. Your shot, is your baby, irrespective of how many have been done before. I wanted to share two pictures with you, but I realise that I cannot to do so in comments. I use Canon 60D as of now. I observed the SAME aspect that you have talked about. I clicked the photographers, and then I had my own clicks of the subject too. Here is a link to it. Please feel free to edit it out, in case it doesn’t conform to the rules of your blog: http://aborrowedbackpack.com/2014/03/16/my-holy-holi-at-nandgaon-and-barsana/ Thank you for sharing such… Read more »
The one thing I always try to do when out shooting is find my own view, my own version, my own perception of where I am. I live near Chicago, I’ve shot The Bean a billion (well maybe not quite a billion) times, but every single time I take someone else there to shoot, I try to find yet another and different way of seeing and shooting it. On occasion I am able to do that. If we stop trying to put our own unique personalities and views in our work we may as well stop shooting. Great article, good… Read more »
Thanks much, Laurie! The Bean is a perfect example. They installed it shortly after I moved out of Chicago but even though I’ve seen three million photos of it with thousands of people roaming around at any given time, you could be damn sure that it wouldn’t stop me from creating my own rendition of it. :)
I agree 100% with you, Brian. I want to get the shot myself and I want to put my own stamp/composition/uniqueness to it. I actually look at books and photos of the places I will be going to see what others have done or what can be photographed. My goal is to go there MYSELF and photograph that area. You are also right to go ahead and photograph the typical perspective and then look around. Some of my favorite shots were while standing waiting for my fellow photographer and looking around and snapping a unique perspective. Thanks for putting these… Read more »
You’re most welcome, Mary. It sounds like you’ve got a good philosophy going for your photography. I’m not worried about you getting jaded… it’s not worth it. God knows the Internet has enough jaded people already. :)
Brian…this is too good and simple advise. Loved it.
Thanks, Sudhir! Glad you enjoyed it.
Well said, Brian. To it I would add one more point. I have photographed certain things over and over and over again. I probably have hundreds of shots of, for example, Blazing Star, a wonderful wildflower we have here in Louisiana. But ever time the Blazing Star are in bloom, go out and photograph them, always looking for the angle I never noticed before or the more perfect bloom or the pollinator hovering…. Over and over again I shoot the same things because this bloom and this moment in time and this light are another opportunity to create something new.
Great point, Bette. The thing is, especially with any sort of outdoor photography, there are SO many variables to factor in that the opportunities to get a unique shot of the same subject are exponential!
Not bad…just show up at f/8…
You know it, Mike!
“…does it give you a reason not to capture it for yourself? Of course not.”
Thank you for this post. For the last decade i have been taking photos for myself and myself alone. It is only now i am thinking about starting to share some of my photos that i find myself getting tired by the thought of competing with lots of other cameras for a perfect shot.
So thanks for the positivity! Just take the shot!
Brian thanks for your post. On the creative options discussion, if I may add another thought. I really really like panoramas. And most photographers I meet don’t take many pano’s. I was one of 4 people photographing a Sunrise service this past Sunday. I took a break from the “normal pictures” to take 8 pictures that when combined, captured the crowd, the musicians and the speaker, with a combination of park lights and pre-dawn sky colors. Of all the pictures taken and submitted (000’s) it was the only pano submitted and was one of the first to be posted to… Read more »
…looking on those images I feel sad. I feel sad for myself. I remember 5 years ago before I start doing full time photography for a living I was on a spot and was waiting for a sunrise or was doing a long exposure shots at night. And now I end up taking pictures only if someone pays me :( hate myself! I forget already when I took camera in my hands just to take some pic of my family. I miss those good times when I were going somewhere in early morning with termos full of coffee to get… Read more »
Your post is spot on! I’ve led a number of workshops at iconic locations and I keep coming up with the same responses. The client has every right to get “their” shot regardless of how many times it’s been done.
Such timeless advice, reminds me of when I first got a Speed Graphic almost 60 years ago, and was told set it on f/8 and be there. I live in Cincinnati and have photographed the Roebling’s precursor to your bridge many times, never tiring of it. Always fun. Say hello to Matt for me.
Couldn’t agree with you more Brian. We visited Mesa Arch as part of a Southwest swing March 31st. When we first arrived there were probably a dozen shooters on hand and I quickly staked out a spot. But things got real interesting when dozens of people from a Chinese tour bus arrived about 10-minutes before sunrise! It actually added some to the experience to share that amazing moment with others who had traveled a LOT longer to get there than I had. The tourists, many shooting with their phones and iPads, generally deferred to us with full setups, and even… Read more »
I totally agree with you, Brian! Almost every place we visit has been visited and photographed by millions before us. We choose our travel destinations, because others were there before, and we saw pictures of the place. There is a reason why many of the iconic pictures are taken at iconic places. Travelling to such iconic places like Angkor Wat, and not trying to get your own “iconic shot”, is stupid. Especially when you most probably can never come back. It´s not always possible, but if I want to visit a popular place, I try to go there, when I… Read more »
Great Article Brian. This one is a well timed read for me.