Friday’s Photo ~ Surprise!

Posted on by

Deep Red Dahlia with Yellow Center

“Deep Red Dahlia with Yellow Center”

I opened the door to check the porch for packages. A photo op is not what I expected.


There’s an old saying that goes “The best camera is the one you have with you”. Some of my best photos will live only in my memory forever because I didn’t have a camera handy.

Extending this thought, I say get the shot now, in the moment when you first see it. If you don’t, you may never get the chance again. The Sun won’t hit those clouds and bounce the light like that or have quite the same affect on those flowers ever again. I’ve had it happen more times than I can count.

That’s why when I opened the front door and saw this red dahlia, I stopped what I was doing and created this photo right then.

7 thoughts on “Friday’s Photo ~ Surprise!”

    • na, most camera phones work very well, especially the newer models. One of the best photos I’ve ever created was taken with a 2MP camera phone. The point is, any camera is better than no camera at all.

      Like

      Reply

      • Thought about this; this past weekend. And now I think I believe the opposite. The best camera IS the one you don’t have. For those of us that have been bitten by the photography bug, its all too common that a “moment” presents itself and we waste it away trying to capture the shot.

        Rather than loathe the fact that you do not have a camera, or embracing the fact that you have your smart phone with you (thank god….); how about simply trying to enjoying the moment. The best images are in fact the ones that are in your head, and maybe that’s where they belong?

        Liked by 1 person

      • na, We’ve all been there and I agree with with you. If you’re fiddling with your camera you may miss the “moment”, and yes your memory is a great place for all those special moments.

        But, for those of us who have been bitten by the photography bug, we need to practice our craft whenever we can find the time (no easy task these days). You need to know your camera before the moment arrives. Sit with your camera and your owner’s manual and learn something new about the camera or go over something you’ve been trying to figure out. Practice making adjustments to your camera settings with your eyes closed. When you feel you can make the adjustments without looking at the settings or trying to find the right menu or button, try shooting some more mundane moments. Practice using different techniques, shutter speeds, f-stops etc.

        You can also buy a less complicated camera or use a fully automatic mode on your current camera that allows you to point and shoot without thinking about it. I’ve seen some pretty amazing photos created with “point-and-shoot” cameras. Some people believe these cameras are less quality and won’t “take good photographs”. Many “high-end” features in professional cameras have their roots in these little cameras. The fully automatic modes of DSLRs work the same way, set it and forget it. Go and enjoy the moments, but enjoy creating the photos too. As I mentioned a while back, if you’re not having fun while shooting, you’re doing it wrong.

        You never know when that moment will happen, but if you’re prepared you’ll be able to keep those special moments in your memory and have a keepsake photo to share that moment with others.

        Like

      • Something else I thought of, missing the moment is part of the journey too. These missed moments have a funny way of becoming “a ha” moments for the photographer. It’s a perfect time to learn and move past whatever the problem was that made you miss that moment.

        Like

Leave a comment