The advantages of being lazy

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Even after I've finished setting up a shot, I'll always find something else that can be done to improve it. It may be repositioning the subject, altering the camera angle, removing a stray object, adding a prop, or switching lenses. It might be something minor or something more involved.  At times, though, a mood overtakes me, and the following happens - I get lazy and don't want to fix the issue.

I know this is not the best attitude to have when trying to come up with quality images, and I'm not sure why it happens. But when it does, I lose the desire to make much of an effort. So, I'll simply ignore the needed change, continue shooting, and hope some magic ensues that will save the photograph.

That magic, if it is to happen, usually comes when I reevaluate the photo later at my office. I’ll examine the RAW file on my large, high-quality monitor. This gives me a much better read than the small, low-quality JPG image that appears on the camera’s monitor (Note: whether shooting in RAW or JPG, the image on the camera’s monitor is most likely a JPG). Also, my frame of mind will be different from what it was during the photo shoot. I’ll no doubt be more relaxed and able to see possibilities I previously may have missed. What I might ultimately discover is that I really like the picture. If not, I’ll search for ways to fix the problems using one of my digital editing programs.
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So, it’s more or less of a crap shoot. If I end up liking the photograph as is or with some post-production changes, I’ll keep it. If not, it's trashed.

The high-angle position of the camera works well. The elements of the shot I wanted to emphasize are clearly visible - the model, sign, various locks, and the disproportionately large door. Initially, I planned to remove the extension cord, which was powering my strobes. However, laziness won out. Luckily, after viewing the image in my office later on, I realized how much I liked the cord snaking around under her. I think it’s an attractive design element.

Deborah was sitting behind a wall smoking, as if trying to stay out of view. I wanted to position myself a few inches to my left so that more of her face would be visible. As in the previous picture, I was too lazy to move. But, I’m glad I stayed where I was. I feel what’s shown is perfect. In fact, seeing more of her face might have taken the emphasis off both her cigarette and the dramatic bend of her wrist.

I love photographing dolls. I'd been working with a variety of them and was almost done for the day. Without giving much thought to this setup, I dropped the doll into some fairly tall grass and took a shot. I was tired and my mind had drifted to the meal I was planning to cook that evening and not so much on what was to be the last shot of the day. But looking at the image later on in my office, I was pleased with what I saw. I was very happy with how the grass covered sections of the body while leaving parts of it and the eyes unobstructed. I think the foreground's shallow depth-of-field quickly moves the viewer's eye to the doll's eyes. I also think that the positioning of her arm makes it look as if she's casually greeting someone.

Wally was wearing a hat that I didn't want in this setup. I asked that he remove it and put it somewhere out-of-frame. However, other than placing it on the dusty ground, there was nowhere else nearby to stow it. I could have put it in my car, which wasn't that far away but, true to the theme of this blog, I didn't. So I stuck it on the tree and hoped for the best. And it worked out. I realized that I liked how the brim of the hat seems to point towards Wally's head. And, for no reason I can explain, it just seems to fit in. Now, when I mentally remove the hat, the photo seems incomplete.

I noticed the lopsided blinds on the left window and said to myself, “Oh, I should straighten them before I shoot.” And again, I did not make the effort. And again, after viewing the picture a day later, I was happy I didn’t. The tilt of the blinds adds to whatever else is “off” in the picture - the darkness of the young woman, the slight angling of the camera, the extreme headroom, and the fact that she's wearing sunglasses indoors.

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