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As your ability to create better photographs evolves, you shoot fewer frames, as you don't recreate mistakes you made in the past. Within this concept of evolution lives a mini world of wanting to capture the best image for every situation you encounter. As your skills grow, you become more selective before you make an exposure. And when you edit, you keep only the best.
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With every press of the shutter, I listen to a little voice inside my head that tells me to let every situation evolve. The voice speaks to me and gives different ideas to apply. It reminds me to shoot horizontals and verticals, to try different focal lengths, to walk around the subject, to augment the light, etc. Whether the subject be a macro, a grand scenic, a wild animal, a person, a building, etc., the main message is simple: "Let it evolve."
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Photographically speaking, what does it mean to "Let it evolve?" When things evolve, they get better with time. Spend more time with your subject to watch how the light evolves. Will it look better or worse based on the time of day as the angle of the sun changes? Spend more time walking around your subject to see if you can find a better angle. Move to the left or right to allow the light to emphasize a different aspect. Spend more time to work your subject from a different level. Get down low or shoot from a high angle to create a unique viewpoint. Spend more time experimenting with different focal length lenses. If the focal length you're using is on the long side, try a wide-angle shot to include the environment.
Study the LCD, and ask yourself what you can do to improve the picture; perhaps a touch of flash to open up the shadows; perhaps the addition of a warm toned reflector would be beneficial; maybe zoom the lens to add a creative twist. The next time you choose to "click and run," refrain from leaving your subject too early. Review the image on the LCD and ask yourself how you can apply the above tips to wind up with a winner—let it evolve!
This one is a keeper; worth printing for future reference as it contains the secret to getting the “money” shot: work the subject until all possibilities are exhausted.
Bill Brennan
Good article Russ. This article reminds me of the word “patience”. End of story…
This is how all the old masters of photography worked. One shot at a time that was planned out before the shutter was triped.
Great post and advice! Loved the evolution shots. That first one of the flowers was mind glowingly cool :).