Why didn't you take the shot?

[Heroique]

As many of us know, the “inconvenience” of LF photography is one of its greatest attractions.

For example, the lumbering set-up process, the time-consuming camera movements, the sensitive care for the film – and maybe the most important of all: the effort to pre-visualize. It's enough to slow anyone down. Sometimes, it can get downright frustrating .

But the difficulties, of course, encourage me to give my favorite compositions the attention they need & deserve. Yes, all the hassles teach me (and keep teaching me) how to get the best possible results. And I keep getting better at it .

But sometimes – isn’t this the nature of our game? – yes, sometimes, all the inconveniences keep me from taking the shot, too!

And that’s a subject I’d enjoy hearing more about from you. Especially if there’s some learning behind it.

Please tell us, Why didn’t you take the shot?

What helpful insights can you share about the experience?

[bvstaples]

There have been numerous times I have lugged equipment to a site, set it up, adjusted movements, swapped lenses, metered light, moved the camera, done everything I possibly could to compose the shot, and walked away. What I previsualized just never quite appeared on the ground glass. Sometimes it's because the light changed, sometimes the thing itself changed, sometimes the framing isn't quite right, but whatever it was, I didn't feel the final shot would be right. So rather than waste the shot, I moved on.

So I don't think it's the inconveniences that keep me from taking the shot, but the difference between my previsualized concept and the reality before me on the GG.

Brian

[Mike Anderson]

Forgot my loupe and my glasses. All my small cameras have eypiece diopters attached, so I'm not used to bringing my reading glasses with me to shoot. Simply cannot focus a view camera without some kind of aid.

...Mike

[Bruce Watson]

There have been numerous times I have lugged equipment to a site, set it up, adjusted movements, swapped lenses, metered light, moved the camera, done everything I possibly could to compose the shot, and walked away. What I previsualized just never quite appeared on the ground glass. Sometimes it's because the light changed, sometimes the thing itself changed, sometimes the framing isn't quite right, but whatever it was, I didn't feel the final shot would be right. So rather than waste the shot, I moved on.

So I don't think it's the inconveniences that keep me from taking the shot, but the difference between my previsualized concept and the reality before me on the GG.

Brian

+1. I've set up on more than a few scenes with potential and walked away without burning any film. Sometimes I can come back and try again. Sometimes not.

But even with the discipline to walk away from scenes that won't quite work as photographs, I still sometimes look at a piece of film on the light table and wonder: "What was I thinking?"

[Robert Hughes]

Forgot my loupe and my glasses.

Which reminds me - have you ever noticed that a lot of photographers have poor eyesight? Like musicians that have bad hearing (I'm speaking from experience here).

Why do we have a fascination with activities that compensate for our sensory shortcomings?

[Jay DeFehr]

I waste a lot of film, and I don't plan to change that; it's part of my process. I work with people, so there's a psychological aspect to my workflow absent from those of folks who shoot trees, buildings, etc. If I take too long to set up a shot, my subject can get nervous, impatient, lose interest, etc., and if I set up a shot, and don't click the shutter, a subject can become confused, self conscious, frustrated, or lose confidence in me as a photographer. Any of the above can spell doom for a session, so for me, conservation of film is very low on my agenda. On the other hand, Julia and I were recently shooting 8x10 at a favorite location, and I set up a shot to take advantage of the crisp, hard sunlight, but it was simply too bright for Julia to keep her eyes open. I knew I couldn't get the shot we wanted, but rather than abandon the shot, I made one exposure with Julia's eyes closed. It's not the shot I set up for, but it's lovely, and that one exposure might have made the difference in our enthusiasm for shooting in that location. So, I almost always take the shot.

[Heroique]

...if I set up a shot, and don't click the shutter, a subject can become confused, self conscious, frustrated, or lose confidence in me as a photographer...

I like this insight about LF portraiture!

A case when another is in share of your control, and any click is needed.

(Sometimes, I think my rocks & trees feel the same way. )

[rdenney]

+1. I've set up on more than a few scenes with potential and walked away without burning any film. Sometimes I can come back and try again. Sometimes not.

But even with the discipline to walk away from scenes that won't quite work as photographs, I still sometimes look at a piece of film on the light table and wonder: "What was I thinking?"

This says it all for me, too.

And then other times, others look at the film on the light table, and then wonder, "What was Rick thinking?"

Rick "who has walked away from lots of scenes" Denney

[Preston]

You neglected to put the the following choice in your poll...

I forgot to bring my (fill in the blank)__________ !!!!

The ones that get me most often are the weather or lighting changed for the worst.

--P

[Mike Anderson]

Which reminds me - have you ever noticed that a lot of photographers have poor eyesight? Like musicians that have bad hearing (I'm speaking from experience here).

Why do we have a fascination with activities that compensate for our sensory shortcomings?

I have a Nikon F2, which has a pretty good view finder, I think. That, with a +1 diopter, and decent lens, in some sense let's me see "better". I can focus on near things and far things with the same equipment, whereas without it I need to put glasses on to see near things, remove them to see far things. That camera is an escape from my sensory shortcomings.

I don't know yet how a view camera is going to work out in this regard.

...Mike