Getting the One Best Photo
Do photographers still need to consider the one best photo we could take while in a specific place and time? Has digital photography eliminated the need for us to stop and think before pressing the shutter button? Rick Sammon is a big proponent of thinking about the shot first.
I am rereading Rick Sammon's Photo Pursuit in which he discusses his "one-picture promise". Simply put, he encourages his students to consider all the elements that go into taking the best shot prior to physically pressing the shutter release button. Thinking about the best: subject, background, composition, focal length, perspective, etc. helps us to "make a picture, and not just take a picture".
Admittedly, I take too many photos. I never worry about development costs or storage as I usually have several memory cards on hand while out on a shoot. This is especially true when we are out chasing birds. I am not ashamed to admit I use something akin to the spray and pray method for shooting birds in flight. Although I do that less now that I have a camera with a bird tracking feature. I end up with many photos that look almost identical and a small percentage of them are deemed keepers. The point is digital photography and the ease of viewing and deleting photos may have made us more careless about our shooting practices in the field.
For the past few years I have been slowly working on simplifying things in my life. Becoming a more intentional photographer could help simplify my workflow because there would be fewer photos to review and rate. The time saved could be spent on other, more meaningful activities. I am going to try to keep this "one-picture promise" in mind for future shoots but there have been times when I put this concept into practice and those images hold the most meaning for me.
One example is from our 2022 trip to Alaska where we spent a week traveling inland visiting several areas. We had a very quick stop at Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve in in south central Alaska. So quick in fact that I only took 20 photos. But I made one that I really like.
The trees. The trees were the most outstanding feature of the location we were at in the park. The repeating patterns and the contrast in values drew me to these 3 white tree trunks.
