Traditionally at the start of each New Year, it is a time to reflect on the year gone by and resolve to improve in the coming year.
My major photographic resolution is to slow down and concentrate on visualization before shooting.
Researching the recent article tell the story reminded me of the importance of this process.
As a journalist, who also takes photographs, too often, I end up trying to do two jobs at once and the result is something missing from the reporting and the pictures. This is why big publications have journalist and photographers covering a story.
This does not mean meditating for hours on a subject. Rather it involves just a brief pause, concentration, and analysis of the subject. In the end, this should actually speed up the process as a clear visualization of the subject then suggests the appropriate focal length, aperture, and shutter speed.
Top photojournalists have the ability to go through this process quickly and constantly so they are ready and waiting to capture decisive moments.
As with anything else, becoming proficient requires practice and to make it an automatic part of the image making process.
Another aspect is the reinforcement of the principle that we should never stop learning. The constant striving for improvement is a hallmark of the human race. Sometimes we head off in the wrong direction. However, learning from mistakes is an important part of progress.
One way of applying this to photography is to treasure your bad shots. Study them carefully and work out why they are bad, then decide how to make them better and go out and try again.
At a recent visit to my busy dentist, a lengthy wait presented the opportunity for in depth analysis of the paintings and photographs on the waiting room walls.
This helped my visualization and I feel I now take fewer shots of a particular subject and still end up with more good shots.
