s.u.i. - shooting under the influence

[SimonSawSunlight]

i feel no shame in confessing that i do it. sometimes more than i would like to, in hindsight. but it's gotten me some good pictures, pictures that i might not have taken otherwise. changing perspectives is not a bad thing in photography, and things certainly look different from under the table.
also, i can proudly claim not to have lost or broken any of my gear and such during one of these manoeuvres. or maybe i'm just lucky.

what's your take? if you have pictures to show, please do.



ps: as a musician on the other hand, i generally avoid drinking before gigs, especially when playing the drums in jazz bands.

şerefe!

 

[nikon_sam]

I have told many people that "Photography is my Drug of choice..." does that count...???
Truth be told I don't drink or take anything that alters my brain or it's ability to function clearly...don't need or want to...

 

[N.delaRua]

Living in a city where drinking is so ingrained in the culture, going out essentially includes drinking. I've been shooting a friends band for a little while, and I think drinking has not hurt my compositions but likely caused me to press the shutter button more often even when the light meter and settings say that may be a bad idea... I like my results. My last roll of Illford 3200 has some really thin negatives, but those where shot at f/4 with no light so I expected to miss some shots.

I think pressing the shutter with less inhibition is a good thing... especially with film because I try to be so selective when I am sober that sometimes I go out and don't even take a single shot!

Edit: with respect to playing music (guitar), I don't mind having a couple of drinks. That loosens me up and makes me want to take more chances, but there defiantly is a tipping point that is hard to define where to much drink means sloppiness and bad rhythm means bad music.

 

[grapejohnson]

I drink with my friends a lot, so it's not a surprise that most of my favorite pictures were taken while drinking.

kandaci by scottkessler, on Flickr
weed on the other hand is a lot more hit or miss.

Untitled by scottkessler, on Flickr
I thought this next one was going to be completely incredible while high and it was pretty disappointing, to be honest.

Untitled by scottkessler, on Flickr

 

[bsdunek]

To me, drinking is something I do when everything is done and I'm relaxing in the evening. A few bad photographs don't hurt anybody (as long as I'm not getting paid for it), but other things can be very affected. I find I can't play my horn very well after a couple of drinks. I would never get out a gun or try to fly my plane after even one drink. I sometimes drive after a glass or two of wine, but never if I've had more.
Just my way I guess.

 

[aeturnum]

Shooting drunk is always good fun. I get a lot of junk and a lot of pictures that are interesting to me. Helps me go in new directions.

 

[redisburning]

weed on the other hand is a lot more hit or miss.

Untitled by scottkessler, on Flickr

18 views

that's a ****ing crime; what a photograph.

I have taken some photos drunk. I dont drink that much now, and I drank even less in grad school when I was mainly doing the social drinking thing (now it's an issue of private enjoyment, I never drink to get drunk personally). I dont think it really made much of an effect on my photos since I've always been more of an impulsive or instinctual clicker rather than a particularly pensive one.

don't drink and drive, tho.

 

[KM-25]

In my line of work, it is often unavoidable....:angel:

 

[Katie]

I have several rolls... just have issues posting here, as I don't usually put them on flickr. Have them on my website, but cannot link from there.

 

[Doug]

I have told many people that "Photography is my Drug of choice..." does that count...???
Truth be told I don't drink or take anything that alters my brain or it's ability to function clearly...don't need or want to...

Same here... hindering my ability to function is hazardous.

 

[charjohncarter]

I got some, Rancho Leonero:

and about fifty years ago:

Sometime I think I do better sui.

 

[koven]

just realized i have way too many of these eeek


Untitled by MrEllis, on Flickr


Untitled by MrEllis, on Flickr


Untitled by MrEllis, on Flickr


life by MrEllis, on Flickr


natashaaa4 by MrEllis, on Flickr


r money by MrEllis, on Flickr


jess by MrEllis, on Flickr

 

[andersju]

I do it every now and then. It can be a fine combination. I suppose the under-the-table level of drunkenness combined with photography is the closest some digital-only people come to the experience of shooting film, in that they get to be surprised later on by pictures they can barely remember taking.

 

[Exdsc]

I like to photograph under the influence of caffeine and sugar...

 

[grapejohnson]

18 views

that's a ****ing crime; what a photograph.

I have taken some photos drunk. I dont drink that much now, and I drank even less in grad school when I was mainly doing the social drinking thing (now it's an issue of private enjoyment, I never drink to get drunk personally). I dont think it really made much of an effect on my photos since I've always been more of an impulsive or instinctual clicker rather than a particularly pensive one.

don't drink and drive, tho.

Thank you so much for the kind words, man. I tend to take a lot of pictures as well, drunk or not. I was definitely drunk for this one, though.

beer by scottkessler, on Flickr

 

[helen.HH]

actually I don't like shooting 'SUI'...
prefer to be in control of my senses when Capturing the Moment
So just a Beer or a Spritz is enough for me

I do Love shooting in low light & Bars

at home, kicking off my shoes and making Cocktails is a different story...


Tanteo in the mix... by helenhill_HH, on Flickr

 

[kossi008]

I've done it. Taken some OK pictures while drinking; but the results with weed, which invariably makes me think I've just taken THE picture of a lifetime, are just too big a disappointment afterwards...

 

[Roger Hicks]

When I started working professionally, as an assistant in an advertising studio in London in the 70s, part of my job was to open the first bottle of wine at about 11:00 am and to keep 'em coming until we all went home that night. Now the buggers all drink mineral water. It's mostly cultural, and it was more fun in those days.

There's also the question of how far under the influence you are. There's a difference between having a slight glow on (half a bottle of wine or a couple of pints) and being well drunk (a couple of bottles or eight pints); and, of course, there are many steps in between.

Then there's whether you can hold your booze. Some people are better photographers when pissed as farts than they are when they are sober. Others are miserable killjoys and rotten photographers, drunk or sober.

Cheers,

R.

 

[anjoca76]

When I started working professionally, as an assistant in an advertising studio in London in the 70s, part of my job was to open the first bottle of wine at about 11:00 am and to keep 'em coming until we all went home that night. Now the buggers all drink mineral water. It's mostly cultural, and it was more fun in those days.

There's also the question of how far under the influence you are. There's a difference between having a slight glow on (half a bottle of wine or a couple of pints) and being well drunk (a couple of bottles or eight pints); and, of course, there are many steps in between.

Then there's whether you can hold your booze. Some people are better photographers when pissed as farts than they are when they are sober. Others are miserable killjoys and rotten photographers, drunk or sober.

Cheers,

R.

I agree with Roger. It really all depends. I have friends who are sloshed after a drink, and others who can polish off a 4 or 5 pints and you would never tell. I suppose I am somewhere in the middle. Like Helen, I enjoy a few drinks in the evening, but not when out and shooting. Now, I have certainly been out with my camera while have a couple pints in a bar or restaurant and have snapped a few shots, but I see that as different than getting drunk and then going shooting.

For the record, though, I see nothing wrong with it. To each his or her own.

 

[Turtle]

To add to what Roger said, I would say similar culture changes are responsible for the terrible bores driving Formula One cars these days.

For me personally, a few or quite a few drinks can be part of my normal existence. Photography is part of my normal existence too, so the two naturally overlap!

There could be a significant US-Europe cultural split on this one, as there is on alcohol consumption in the more general sense.