Think First, Shoot Less
I shoot in digital. My camera is a Canon Rebel XTi - a fantastic first DSLR. I feel that digital is a wonderful way to learn photography as you can shoot tons of photos, experimenting with new techniques, and not have to worry about expensive film and processing costs. This comes with one huge advantage: because of the cost of film, you think about what you are shooting. You take time to compose your shot and ask yourself, “Is this worth one of my pictures?”
Today, I went to the Georgia State Botanical Garden (located in Athens, GA) and decided to shoot a few shots. As I packed my two 8GB cards and an additional two 1GB cards I stopped and thought, “Do I need 18GB of memory?” Realizing that I could force myself into the same situation that a film photographer is in, I loaded only a single 1GB card, good for about 97 pictures on RAW mode or about three rolls of film. Still overkill but it was the smallest card I had. Fearing I could miss an incredible opportunity, I packed the other cards anyway as a “just in case” but vowed to only use them in an extraordinary situation.
The gimmick worked, instead of firing off three or four continuous shots and simply picking a best one, I took my time. I examined different angles before shooting, considering several possible compositions. I made sure my focus was tight and I eased down on the shutter to fight motion blur. Essentially I slowed down which was exactly what I needed to do in the peaceful, wooded area. I’m considering finding a 512MB Compact Flash card to limit me to about 46 shots and thereby truly holding me to an artistic standard. Following this simple idea, I end up with the one of the best advantages of film in my digital world and if I took shot I didn’t like, just delete it and go on with life.
The result of a carefully planned shot.
Happy shooting.
I’m a 19 year-old Telecommunications Arts major at the University of Georgia. I write about film, photography, and technology in addition to sharing ideas, reviews, and materials.
