Notes and Images from a Small Island (Practice 4 Day 3)

It is Easter Sunday and lots to do.  I am hoping to get out to take some images for The Shape of Water Collection.  However, the tides do not fit in well with my other commitments and so I decide to combine some practice with a dog walk and snatch a few precious minutes experimenting with my camera.  By the time I get to the place where I think there might be some interesting water, the weather has closed in and the light is non-existent.  I decide to leave my camera in the car and then return to collect it if the conditions improve.  The light improves slightly and so I grab my camera for a short burst of photography.

There is lots of debris on the surface of the water which I think might give a sense of context to my abstract images.  I slow the shutter speed down to 1/10 of a second to capture the movement and shapes.  But the images are looking cluttered and lack the simplicity I am looking for and, the grey skies mean the colours are dull too.  There are some deep shadows but none of the glittering surfaces of yesterday to provide some contrast.

What do they say – failure is as important in practice as success?  Well, I certainly did not have a good day.  The tide is flooding in, I know this because losing myself in a few shots leaves me with wet boots.  At least I had left my camera bag further back on the rocks!

So, what went wrong?  What can I learn from my failures?  I was in a rush, my mind was filled with other thoughts, I was not in the moment and I was forcing my practice.  Normally I sit and watch, take in nature and then start working.  I take time to search out a good spot and then work it.  I spend time, rather than snatching a few shots.  I wait for the light and the moment. . .

Flow is important in my practice and getting in the zone takes time, effort and focus.  Furthermore, when I have a bad day like today, this causes me to be despondent and not so keen to try again tomorrow.  The moral of the story is not to go out unless I have the time and focus to commit wholly to my practice.