Does taking pictures make us lonely?

[apicius9]

Hi everyone,

I'm just posting this here because it never really was much of an issue with a P&S camera, but since I moved to the G1 this has happened to me a few times, so just as an example:

The last few days I was in Taipei and had hoped to take some nice pictures while walking about in the spare time we had between conference sessions. We went out walking with a group of friends a few times. Most of them are exercise fanatics (as opposed to myself...) and seemed to see some innate quality in walking fast, but they still managed to get a few snapshots with tiny P&S cameras here and there. At the same time, I was trying to take a few pictures on the way - deciding on the right apertures, considering different angles, repeating shots with different settings. As a result, I felt like I was constantly running after my friends, trying to keep up while not getting the time I needed to really get some good shots in - and I am not even talking about manual focusing or changing lenses.... In retrospect, I wish I would have just taken my LX3 for snapshots rather than the G1 plus a bag full of lenses.

I was just wondering how this works for others. Are you taking pictures in situations like that? Do you have to be independent and alone to focus on good pictures? Is this more a meditative thing or can it also be a communicative experience with others? Do I have the wrong friends? Just wondering, because while I enjoy taking walks with friends, combining that with taking more 'thoughtful' or involved pictures seems not to work all that well for me.

Stefan

 

[MRfanny]

get them all to buy a g1 or dslr so your all in the same boat. show off your awsome pics to sway them to get one..lol. nah, its quite a "me time" when i take pics. In the odd occasion that I am with friends, they tend to always wait up for me either during or at the final destination cause they know i stray off. I am a slow walker and they have learned to live with it=)

just make your walk time your walk time and your pic time your pic time. hopefully they will join you when its pic time.

 

[pellicle]

Stefan

I don't mix drinking and driving ... picture taking and social events are point n shoot times

picture taking is something which is my quite time to enjoy nature

I like something to slow down life and make me enjoy what's out there

 

[kweide]

Business events are P&S Time. No time for composing, building up scences etc. Just shoot and have some fun. Thats the way i do....

 

[JBurnett]

Alone and lonely are two different things.

I photograph alone whenever I can. I am a "deliberate" photographer, and for me photography IS a bit meditative. Often, I will need to walk for about an hour before I begin to feel "in the zone".

Occasionally, I will join another photographer friend, or my wife will accompany me. That works OK, as long as the other person isn't distracting me all the time.

In larger groups, there are limits to what one can do. My wife and I have been on two walking/hiking tours in Ireland with parties of about 10. Everyone else had a P&S set to full auto. Fortunately, they were reasonably tolerant of me bringing up the rear; I'm a fast walker and could usually catch up. For sure there were shots that I missed, but the trips were also good practice for deciding and shooting quickly. And that can be a real advantage at times!

For "shooting with a group", I suggest sticking to one lens and work within that limitation. If a REALLY great opportunity requiring a different lens presents itself, change lenses, but then leave that one on and work wth it. Shoot RAW for the best chance to recover if the exposure is off a bit.

 

[Paratom]

I think it has to do with expectations.
Dont expect too much.
Dont expect to have a lot of time for taking pictures if you are on a business trip.
Dont expect to have much time for photography when you are with a family.

And-bring the right gear which allows you to use the time and situation.
Specially in situations with limited time its not only important to have fast gear, but also to know the gear to be able to be fast.
I am faster with a M9 than I am with the gh1 of my wife- but the reason is that I dont know the gh1 well. (or maybe it has too many functions for my limited brain).

Conclusion. Dont expect to be able to do 2 things at one time. Either accept to photograph quickly in between more spontanuos, or plan tophotograph and therefore cancel something else.
And choose the gear to do so. Dont bring your View-camera for a Sundayafternoon walk. And dont expect your family to wait until the sun is deep enough for the perfect light. Shoot what you get and share it with the people around you-that way your photography will not make you lonely but even connect you.

 

[apicius9]

That's what I was thinking also, in the end it is too much to expect people in a group to adapt their pace to the photographer. So, trying to learn more and increase my skills with the camera is something to be left for the 'me time'. I am still at a point where I need a lot of time to 'see' things, so I am still a bit slow in general, even with a kit lens. And even more so with reasonably fast manual focusing which feels like I have to re-learn again, and I am still slightly off focus more often than I like.

Stefan

 

[JBurnett]

... so I am still a bit slow in general, even with a kit lens. And even more so with reasonably fast manual focusing which feels like I have to re-learn again, and I am still slightly off focus more often than I like.

RE: Manual-focus lenses. Sometimes when I know in advance where I want the focus point, I'll pop the camera into "focus assist" before bringing it to my eye. A half-press on the shutter release brings back regular view, and then I frame the shot. Though it takes time working with one lens, eventually one can "see" approximate framing before looking through the viewfinder.

 

[photoSmart42]

When I'm in the mood for serious picture-taking, I either go alone or I go with someone who brings their own camera (i.e. my wife) and is ready to do the same thing I am. If I'm in a group of people doing some sort of group activity, then I either take my P&S, or more likely I use my cellphone camera to take quick snapshots of interesting subjects. Some of the better pictures I've taken have been with my cellphone or with my P&S - sometimes you don't know how the basic camera will play around with lighting, shadows, etc., so it can create some interesting effects all on its own.