for me. So when I’m visualizing I know exactly how I want this thing to look – I even pre-visualize what this could look like in post-production. Then I fantasize about it a little bit and think, ‘What could I put in here to make it the absolute best picture it can be?’”
MAKE A SHOOT PLAN AND SHOT LIST
Note: I use “capture”, “image” and “shot” interchangeably to mean a photograph. I use “shoot” or “capture” as the verb; the action of photographing. I’m not a snob about always saying “capture” or “image” (example: “nice capture” or “great image”). I use “shot” to mean “an image captured deliberately,” as opposed to “snapshot” – one taken quickly as a toss-off.
The action of visualization also extends to your planning before you even arrive on the scene you’re going to shoot. I do this all the time when I’m traveling. For example, when I went to Paris, there were certain images that I knew I wanted to come back with. One was the Eiffel Tower, but it had to be a unique shot, not one that looked like a cliché or postcard – that was as far as I’d visualized it before I arrived there. And by the way, that is the trick to capture an image that has been photographed a million times: Find some new angle or a new way to approach it that is your own way of looking at it. When I was at the tower, I tried various angles and ways of looking at it until I captured this image:
» Eiffel Tower, Paris, Marc Silber
I recommend that you make a shot list before you go on your next vacation. Do some research ahead of time to see what’s already been photographed, and to get some ideas for when and where you might shoot. That in itself can add a whole new level to your travel, guiding your entire trip with new purpose.
When you are shooting an event, particularly a wedding, there are certain mandatory shots that you must get, so you don’t leave out the bride’s favorite aunt or niece for example. But on the other hand, you want to capture those spontaneous moments that no one could have anticipated, which we’ll talk more about later. The answer then is to write a detailed shot list and get each and every shot on it, and then get your spontaneous shots.
A shoot plan where you plan and sketch out what you intend to shoot is also helpful, when this makes sense. Your drawing can be simple and not necessarily artistic, as it is just a guide. When you get to the scene, you’ll already have some ideas for where and how you’ll get the shots you want. It’s useful when you have a tight schedule to follow, such as an event or performance. This will also cause you to think through all the details so you can create the photographs that you intend.
For example, your son or daughter is graduating from high school or college (or you are), and you want to come away with some really memorable images. There’s little chance that you’ll get those memorable shots from way back at the venue. Thinking like a photographer, you plan how to get up close and get a really great image. This is one of the advantages of being a photographer: it can afford you great access, right past the normal barriers!
Your shoot plan then drives all the other items that must be in place to capture that great image: the equipment you’ll need (maybe a tripod, telephoto lens, etc.), the location you’ll want to arrange access to ahead of time (as above), and the timing of the shoot itself. This planning all comes under the heading of visualization.
HOW ABOUT BEING SPONTANEOUS AND
“CAPTURING THE MOMENT?”
That is a very good question and shows that you’re paying attention and thinking about what I’m going over with you.
The best answer is from a photographer I introduced you to in the last chapter: Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Cartier-Bresson captured what he called the “Decisive Moment”, where he photographed his subject at exactly the moment that captured the true spirit of their action. In order to hit the exact right moment, he had to be prepared for the precise instant to press the shutter. If he waited until he saw it, chances are that because of the lag of his finger pressing the button and the lag of the camera itself, by then that moment could have passed. So by being aware of the action and being prepared, he was able to judge the exact moment to press the shutter an instant before that decisive moment occurred.
Nancy Newhall, a biographer of photographers, described his process: “…you photographed the developing action until the climax was reached and you achieved ONE picture out of the whole roll, or even several rolls, which summarized the whole. For this kind of picturemaking you must be forever alert. The action happens just once in all time. There is no retake ever. No prearrangement, no direction will ever bring the same unmistakable flash of insight into actuality.”
A great example of Cartier-Bresson’s “Decisive Moment” is his image of a man jumping over a puddle (Google it). By being prepared for the action, he was able to capture the man a split second before his right foot hit the water. When he saw this man about to make the leap, Henri must have visualized the image in a split second and immediately readied himself to capture it – which is all part of visualization, but greatly sped up to match the pace of the action taking place.
» Polo, Atherton, CA, Marc Silber
I have an example that combines many of these elements in the photograph above. I was on assignment from Gentry Magazine to capture, as they put it, “some exquisite images of a place you thought you already knew.” I visualized various images that I wanted to capture and that I believed it would surprise people to learn were right in their backyard, a suburban area of Silicon Valley.
I knew I wanted to capture the polo field in action as part of my shot list. I situated myself, anticipating where the action on the field was going to occur. I wanted to shoot a tight image of the players together at the decisive moment, not when they were scattered around the field. The moment was there; by visualizing it, anticipating the action, and pressing the shutter at the exact right moment, I was able to capture the players in a tight group, with their mallets forming an arc. A moment later they were scattered again.
Here’s another example of visualizing the final image and anticipating the action of my friends jumping off a sand dune in Morro Bay, on the California coast. The sun was behind them so they were perfectly silhouetted. I took a few frames from the side, but that wasn’t particularly interesting. (you can see these on page 121) Then I had the idea of getting below them on the sand dune and capturing them in mid-air, so I moved into position and told them to jump (like calling “Action!” as a director). I anticipated it correctly and was able to capture them in an arc, which again a split second later fell apart.
» Friends Jumping, Morro Bay, CA, Marc Silber
What about just getting the shot? Aren’t there times when you’re out for a walk to the store to pick up beer and pizza, and you see a shot and take it, completely unprepared? Yes, of course, and you should be ready for such and have your camera (even if only a smartphone) ready at all times. Just remember this phrase from Louis Pasteur: “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” The moral here is that the better prepared you
