Why didn't you take the shot?

[Heroique]

I use a viewing frame to … reject many, many things before setting up …

There’s a lot here. The viewing frame is, indeed, an interesting reason for “not taking the shot.”

Or I should say, for avoiding shots that wouldn’t have been satisfactory.

I think the viewing frame is the most useful field tool that receives the least discussion in this forum. (AA calls it a cut-out card in The Camera; see “Basic Image Management.”) I smile whenever someone mentions it. Or says they've used it. I've taken fewer & better shots because of it.

Yet … I may be in the minority here … some of my best shots happened because I didn’t bring it, or I put it aside. (Never would this cause me to abandon its use.) I’ll just say that the frame, on one hand, is supremely useful in isolating elements in a scene by imposing borders roughly corresponding to a particular lens’ field of view; on the other hand, its usefulness potentially blinds me to additional means of pre-visualizing. If I’m not careful, it monopolizes too much of my attention – w/o my awareness that it’s doing so. As I improve as a photographer, I’ll continue to use the frame – always trying to better integrate it with a way of “seeing” that wants to widen, broaden, grow.

The frame, I should add, is also among the least expensive & easiest to carry of useful tools.

I made mine w/ a mat cutter and leftover piece of mat board.

[Jfnphotography]

Mosquitoes nothing like trying to compose a shoot as you are eaten alive. Was thinking of designing a dark cloth with a built in mosquito net, and maybe a small fan for the really hot days.

[ic-racer]

The subject/composition was there, but the light wasn’t

For me it is all about light. My subject is always light. All we see is the [some of the] light reflecting off the subject anyway, and I work with that concept.

[Michael Clark]

Not an excuse. I have a small 4x4 and also have made lots of spot decisions on parking, sometimes admittedly bad. Like the time I parked in a nearby flowing stream and had to be towed out by a farm tractor. Sometimes I drive back and forth on the same busy road mutiple times looking for a spot to pull aside.

I have walked several miles from parking lots to get scenes not available otherwise. If your too lazy to carry the camera you best stay on the porch and take up kniting instead. Anyone can get easy pictures.

Thats my biggest problem,just getting off my tush.Once I get going I do ok.
Mike