I recently watched this short video by professional photographer David Johnston in which he provides an interesting suggestion to improve your photography. The next time you go out shooting, he suggests having no agenda, no list of shots you want to get, and no expectations. In other words, slow down and take your time. This allows you to eliminate the stress of getting “the shot,” tap into your creative side, and don’t produce the high quality images you want.
Now, this may sound like nonsense. After all, when we’re out shooting, time is limited. In order to get the most out of that limited time, we need to go out with a plan. Otherwise, how do we ensure we get the shots we’re trying to get? But, when I consider my own experience, my usual photographic approach, and the resulting images, I can attest that David is on to something.
Many times when I go out shooting, I often have a specific photograph or type of photograph I’m trying to get, and I put pressure on myself to achieve that goal. During these outings, one of two things will happen. I either get what I was trying to get, or I don’t. In the first instance, I will be satisfied and go home. In the second circumstance, I will become frustrated and discouraged and go home.
In both situations, though, is a single undeniable fact. I become focused on getting that image, and I don’t notice other opportunities that are right there in front of me.
However, I will occasionally realize that I’m trying too hard to get my shot and putting pressure on myself to get it. That’s when I will force myself to slow down and pay attention to what’s around me. And, when I do that, I usually find myself making more creative images, and I have a lot more fun doing it.
I had always thought it was just the way I approached photography: with a specific list of pictures I wanted to capture. But, hearing David talk about the same thing made me realize this is probably a pretty common occurrence, and one that has a simple solution – to slow down – that I am going to be much more diligent in applying to my own photography.
So, if you want to improve your photography, watch David’s video and see if his advice can help you. It has certainly helped me.