Shoot first, think later. Or not?

johannielscom

johannielscom

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Hi Simon,

today I read a post on the forum which contained this link to a small video with Henry Wessel and the importance of being aware while taking photo's.

http://youtu.be/Myf0IJ7YCRU


Wessel is a strong advocate of 'Shoot first, think later'. His take on photography is that once you stop and consider, the mind gets in the way and spoils the image that could have been.

It got me curious on your opinion, since I saw a direct link to your earlier 'Shooting under the influence' thread.

Meanwhile I hope Istanbul is everything you hoped it to be and gets you more great shots (shot first, thought later, or not?)
 
It's hard to disagree...when his photographs are about as perfect as they could be.

FYI: There is another little video about shooting from his car and maybe a couple of others as well.
 
Generally a good principle, though I'd modify it to when in doubt shoot first, etc. If there's time to think; well, then there's time to think.

Of course, it's entirely legitimate to say that you always have to think to some extent -- at the very least, about whether to press the shutter release or not -- but at that point, "when in doubt" works too.

Cheers,

R.
 
I didn't want to agree with him at first but he makes a good argument on missing the original image (the thing that caught your eye) if you think too long and adjust before tripping the shutter...
 
I find that when I hold my camera to my eye I have a better idea of what the ultimate image will look like and use this in deciding if (or when) to press the shutter button. Maybe a statement of the bleeding obvious but maybe its not so obvious. So I stand about with the camera raised, looking thru the finder and maybe not taking images for quite some time. I was surprised when I first started doing this at just how much easier it is to predict the outcome when I shoot this way. Of course its a bit faster too as you do not need to raise the camera and compose at least not to the same extent. I kind of have a feeling when the elements of an image comes together about how well the image may look. Of course if does not always achieve this - sometimes for technical reasons (like shutter speed or focus) and sometimes something just goes wrong (in street shooting most usually this is because someone walks in front of the emerging picture just as I am about to fire).

Is that shoot first think later? In one sense no (I do think about how the image will look before firing) and in another sense yes (when that pattern of image components comes togther into a nice arrangement I usually dont think, I just observe and shoot almost by instinct).
 
I think Winogrand made a similar point when he said that if he sees something that looks like a photo in the viewfinder, he will do something to change it.
 
Shoot first, think later, even if there is time to think.

In almost every sequence of shots I make of a subject, the first one is the keeper. It's then when the shot happens. No matter in how much effort I put into getting everything perfect in the subsequent ones, they all miss that magic of the moment..
 
I think first, and want to think more. My ideal kind of photography is heading out to the wilds with a 4x5, or maybe medium format camera, and take my time over a few sheets or 1 or 2 rolls.

I like the idea of thinking about all the factors, taking the shot and being happy with the results.

Of course, if you're doing street or sports or something, then you may well not have time for all that.
 
He's a very talented man trying to express something tht can't be put into words. Most of us doing what he does would end up with a load of rubbish with the very occasional gem.
 
thegman said:
My ideal kind of photography is heading out to the wilds with a 4x5, or maybe medium format camera, and take my time over a few sheets or 1 or 2 rolls.


Of course, if you're doing street or sports or something, then you may well not have time for all that.
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I'm glad someone has clarified what type of photography they're discussing. Shooting on instinct, reaction and so on may be, as we're debating, preferable for some instances but I'd rather have some thought go into a portrait of me or a landscape I'd like to hang on my wall.

In my experience, in terms of street type shots, I find shooting first and thinking later often gets you 'the' shot but thinking moments after that initial shot may lead to a far better shot. Do they have to be exclusive of one another?
 
Trusting your instinct is important even when shooting still life scenes or landscapes. I'll often set the camera up on a tripod or get into a particular position in relation to what I'm going to photograph and then I'll bugger about trying different perspectives to see if I can improve what I'm seeing in the viewfinder. I almost invariably go back to where I started!
 
Keith said:
Trusting your instinct is important even when shooting still life scenes or landscapes. I'll often set the camera up on a tripod or get into a particular position in relation to what I'm going to photograph and then I'll bugger about trying different perspectives to see if I can improve what I'm seeing in the viewfinder. I almost invariably go back to where I started!
Click to expand...

Perhaps what you call buggering about is what I call Deep Thought? :D Unfortunately that doesn't say much for me:)
 
I was lucky enough to have some free time to photograph last week and was feeling irritated with myself every time I saw something, but only thought to snap after the moment was gone. I think there's a zen like state of mind that I need to reach to snap on sight, maybe the less I think, the more likely I am to capture what I see.
 
I get more keepers when I am out with my wife. She's not too pleased I've brought a camera, and she certainly does not want me to stop for any time or at all if we are headed down the street. The pressure necessitates quick decisions. Three of four pictures included in this weeks Gallery picks were on our trip out to lunch on Sunday.
 
Shoot first, think later.

Shoot first, think later.

For documentary, reportage or street this may work sometimes... for the rest of photography less.

And "do first - think later" is in my book generally a real bad behaviour...
 
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