I had someone ask me if I wrote down my thoughts and feelings at the time I take my images. My answer was no, but that’s a good question to ponder. I’m not sure I go through such a process. I’m just moving along with my gut and intuition. I watch the light, the shadows, texture, color and of course the craft part of the exposure. We need a good exposure to help us communicate what we are seeing. But, I’ve never written down any thoughts or feelings at the time of exposure. So, I’ll ask you the same question, “Do any of you take notes at the time of exposure?”
6 Comments
Tom Dills
Monte, that’s a very interesting question. The more I explore the idea of expressing myself through my photography, the more I think about what I am thinking about, if that makes sense. I don’t take notes and never have, but can see the advantage of doing that in some cases. Mostly though, I react to what I see, and only afterward do I think about what attracted me. My first reaction is to think that stopping to take notes would slow me down, take me out of the moment, but it could also get me more into the moment by making me think more about what I was doing.
This is my kind of photo by the way. Too bad you didn’t have someone walking by at just the right moment! 🙂
Monte Stevens
Taking notes feels like it would take away from the moment. When something calls me I compose and press the shutter. There are times afterwards where I will just take it all in. I’m no longer framing and composing, just enjoying.
Paul
Monte, I seriously doubt that I could tell you what I was thinking. Like you, it is more of a gut reaction to the play of light and shadow, but that’s about as far as it goes. Later, when I process, I might think of something else while trying to tease out an image.
Monte Stevens
One of the gifts of our photographs is seeing them on our monitors and stirring up emotions we did not have at the time of exposure. We revisit in our minds.
Earl
I tend to also go with the moment when taking photos. I think of the technical issues I need to address to capture what I want but not so much what might be the meaning. If I thought too much about the meaning I’m afraid I might fall into the “Centipedes Delimma” Paul blogged about and end up not getting the photo I’m “feeling” at the moment. 🙂
Monte Stevens
I agree with you. There are times I look at images after loaded on my computer and hardly remember taking them. Yet, some voice was speaking to me at the moment of capture. Those technical details are on my mind when looking through my view finder as well as experiencing the moment.