Which type of photographer are you? One who prepares, or one who takes randoms?

[Octarine]

Even the most random snapping will need some minimal form of planning, otherwise it will be a challenge: birding with 50mm lens, sunset without filters, indoors without flash (or only built in flash). And some genres can't go without any planning and preparation, especially when equipment is involved or other parties / customers.
If it's only for fun you can follow these two schools at your own free will and you will see the results. To me it's not right or wrong but use the right approach for the situation you are in.

 

[catchlights]

If you can shoot like School 2 with results like School 1. Then you will be :thumbsup:

I am school 2... anyhow whack... :bsmilie:

i agree with DD123

I also any how whack.

went outing with Mod Ortega, Mod ekin with many other photographers for a Punggol sunrise shoot many years ago,
when everyone set up tripod shooting sunrise, I heard a plane fly over our head, I'm the only one dismount camera run up the slot, and got this photo.



another time shooting a sunrise by myself, to my disappointment the sunrise wasn't nice at all, a couple also shooting sunrise over there, so we are left the site,
I walk about 50m ahead of them, when I know it should be a good spot, I turn around and take a photo of the couple walk towards me. I shot this;




So are these random enough??

am I good?

 

[wildcat]

This is relevant only to my landscape shoots; for all other shoots, I am permanently a School 2.
I am School 2 type of person before I learn enough to know what I should look out for; after that, I become School 1.
When I become School 1, I already have in mind what I need to achieve before I even go down.
Once down, I will adjust according to weather and other conditions, but otherwise, I do have a particular shot (which I probably have taken before, if not many times) that I want to achieve. But if I am not familiar with the place or condition, then I am School 2 lor (which is most of the time now, coz I go out very irregularly and too ad-hoc to be a School 1 shooter).

 

[edutilos-]

If you are shooting portraits or landscapes, you have to be school 1. You cannot afford to waste time thinking of what shots you want only when you are there, the model's time doesn't come free Unless you have money to burn of course. Then again, even if you have money to burn, the model will also get tired. A tired person wouldn't look as pretty as she would be when she's wide awake. Take the shots fast and to do that, you need to already know what you want to take before you reach there.

If you are shooting street or events, you have to be school 2. Afterall, it's the randomness of events that makes it exciting right?

Disagree, for street, you should have a clear idea of what you want to capture. If you look at the greats, while they observed random events, the message and moments that they were looking for was pretty clear...

By the way, there are a lot of people who just shoot headless chicken style for everything. Nothing wrong with that either, just personal preference. I have limited time to shoot so I try to make the most of it.

That said, as photographers, we should all be fluid and not be rigid. If you go out trying to catch the sunset but it ends up that the place is raining: you can choose to waste the trip and go home, or you can try to make the most of it while you can.

 

[PancakesAreAwesome]

Well I personally prefer school 2 because I don't like to be restricted to something; I like the feeling of being to take whatever the heck I want to!

Then again I am only a newbie so I am super casual with photography

 

[kei1309]

Disagree, for street, you should have a clear idea of what you want to capture. If you look at the greats, while they observed random events, the message and moments that they were looking for was pretty clear...

for streets, that "clear idea" comes in a flash, especially if you're on the move. in a split second, the photographer has to come up with the story and the composition, all the while adjusting the settings if needed.

unless of course, it's a static situation that the photographer has been observing for a while.

it comes with experience, and that's what separates the greats from a casual anyhow snapper.

 

[Mythmaker]

kei1309 have said whatever I wanted to say.

The composition, the story in Street Photography comes in a flash.

 

[edutilos-]

for streets, that "clear idea" comes in a flash, especially if you're on the move. in a split second, the photographer has to come up with the story and the composition, all the while adjusting the settings if needed.

unless of course, it's a static situation that the photographer has been observing for a while.

it comes with experience, and that's what separates the greats from a casual anyhow snapper.

So is that school 1 or school 2? :bsmilie:

 

[Mythmaker]

So is that school 1 or school 2? :bsmilie:

To me, anything that's not planned before you leave the house and pack the EQ is school 2. So that's school 2 to me.

School 1 to me is like shooting landscape. The planning starts way before, at home. Check the clouds on whether it's raining. Check the wind direction. Check the strength of the wind. That will determine whether I shoot reflection (strength of wind). If I want cloud trails in my shot, double check the wind direction to make sure it's flowing in the direction I want. Reach location, find the composition, triple check all factors. Fire.

 

[edutilos-]

To me, anything that's not planned before you leave the house and pack the EQ is school 2. So that's school 2 to me.

School 1 to me is like shooting landscape. The planning starts way before, at home. Check the clouds on whether it's raining. Check the wind direction. Check the strength of the wind. That will determine whether I shoot reflection (strength of wind). If I want cloud trails in my shot, double check the wind direction to make sure it's flowing in the direction I want. Reach location, find the composition, triple check all factors. Fire.

It depends on where you draw the difference between school 1 and 2 really.

The description of TS has too many differences. For me, I take the view that school 1 takes the concept behind the image much more seriously, while school 2 goes out without any firm concept in mind.

The seasoned street photographer probably goes out with the mentality that the images have to make sense, and looks out only for select moments. He may look at a cat stretching and shoot it, but it's still very much purpose/message-driven.

 

[keithwee]

So is that school 1 or school 2? :bsmilie:

It's time to start a sch 1.5

When I say I am a sch 1 more , it doesn't mean that we shoot street by spamming shots. Like what many have shared , even though that moment may be candid and random ; I believe at that moment we know our gear ( can do or cannot do) & consider the settings ,what message / story can this moment convey -- and all these within those few seconds.

Is this considered planning ? I see it as so even though it happens in an instant.

Even for sch 2, there may be candid moments during studio , planned events right too ? Even so , chances r one doesn't freak out and keep calm and continue shooting ah.

Ultimately it all banks on our eye to make that judgement call at that moment , to prepare or not prepare hmm , I feel it's slicing the case too finely.

I'm a sch 1.5. Haha.

 

[kei1309]

So is that school 1 or school 2? :bsmilie:

like DD123 said, a combination of both :bsmilie:

 

[daredevil123]

The seasoned street photographer probably goes out with the mentality that the images have to make sense, and looks out only for select moments. He may look at a cat stretching and shoot it, but it's still very much purpose/message-driven.

This I disagree. There are many great seasoned street photographers out there who do not look out for select moments and still produces great images. They shoot almost anything. Once you conform to a certain notion that you have to have shots in a certain way, you are already restricting yourself. great example : Tungtong. Once you seen him in action you know.

 

[kei1309]

If you can shoot like School 2 with results like School 1. Then you will be :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

This is an example

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1324305&p=8631346#post8631346

 

[daredevil123]

This is an example

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1324305&p=8631346#post8631346

I anyhow whack only la.

 

[G-man]

I anyhow whack only la.

I don't believe!

 

[iguanavon]

I anyhow whack only la.

This is school 0, taught by DD123 :bsmilie:

 

[catchlights]

I anyhow whack only la.

无招胜有招。。。。 :thumbsup::thumbsup:


(No stroke victory strokes) Google Translate... :bsmilie:

 

[kei1309]

I anyhow whack only la.

You're too humble

 

[SkyStrike]

I anyhow whack only la.

As if :sticktong


But probably you whack really hard because you already know what you wanted... Did the thinking at home liao, go to the scene and just whack!