Excuses

by Noella Ballenger

Excuse 1: “Bakersfield is a long way to drive”.

A friend told me about the burrowing owls in a field right next to the parking lot of his office building. He said that he had been working with them and they had gotten so used to his presence that he could walk up quite close. Before they flew, I really needed to come up to see them. Well, Bakersfield is 1½ hours of driving from my home and it was overcast and I really wanted to stay home. Also, there was no guarantee that after that long drive the birds would be there. All good reasons for not going. Finally, after giving myself a scolding for being a lazy photographer, I got in the car. It was just as my friend told me … they were there, accustomed to having visitors with cameras and the photography was great.
More Excuses

Recently, I was traveling with a friend who was visiting from Australia. As we drove up the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, we began talking about the excuses we’ve come up with for not taking an image. Some of them were predictable, but others were more creative.

The excuse I personally use most often is that there’s probably a waterfall or mountain just around the bend that will be better, and then I’ll stop. (After all these years of working as a professional photographer, I still come up with that one.) Other uninspired favorites include the following:

I’ll come back for that shot later.

The light isn’t quite right.

I really need to check into the motel or stop for gas.

I’m not in a hurry, but going five miles out of my way isn’t really practical

I’ll catch it on the way back.

I don’t feel creative today.

I overhear more unusual excuses in my workshops. Some of these gems include the following:

I didn’t plan on shooting more than one roll each day.

I don’t want to run out of film.

My camera’s in the trunk, and it’s too much trouble to get it.

I don’t have the right lens; that one’s at home.

Our excuses for not taking a shot are ways we use to avoid committing ourselves to taking a chance. For example, film is the cheapest equipment we take on our trip and digital cameras are growing in popularity, so the rationales based on film expense no longer work well—unless we invent some lame fear of running out of electricity!

Here are some definite techniques you can use to change your thinking and allow yourself to stop for waterfalls, rainbows, and scenes that beacon:

1. Think ahead and plan for maximum opportunities. My cameras are always cleaned and checked for battery strength the night before I leave on a trip. On the eve of my most recent jaunt, I was in bed drifting off when I realized that I’d need my flash the next day, and I hadn’t checked the unit. I got out of bed and was glad I did. It had been a while since its last use, and one battery had started to leak. I would’ve been out of luck if I hadn’t spent ten minutes checking, cleaning the leads, and replacing the batteries. Worrying about rationing film is a killer of creativity. Plan to take fifty to one hundred percent more than you think you’ll use. It’s better to have film left over than to run short.

2. Be prepared. Your camera should ride next to you in the car or at least be readily available. I was amazed during a recent photo workshop that none of the people I was traveling with had their cameras loaded or available. They didn’t have an inkling of exposure (that can be guessed at in anticipation). Golden opportunities can be missed because failing to be alert and prepared.

3. Insist on taking the time to stop or wander off the beaten path. It isn’t always easy to make yourself stop or go back for a shot, but when you don’t, the missed image will tend to stay in your head and bother you. I have any number of shots that I’m still kicking myself for not taking. I was there, they were there, and I walked away. Not a good thing to do.

4. Take the shot! Even if the light will probably get better or you’ll find that special waterfall just around the bend, go ahead and take this one. You’ll feel wonderful if it comes out great … or if it turns out to be the only shot you find.

5. Make your equipment work for you. If you didn’t take the right lens, learn to get the maximum out of the equipment you did take. Move a little closer or change the angle you’re using to improve the shot. You might not be able to capture the image you envision, but if you work at it, you might create something even better. And, if your camera totally fails, carry a throwaway camera and make it work.

6. Creativity is a process; just begin to do something. “I don’t feel creative today” is one of my old standby excuses. I finally realized that I needed to identify some life themes to help me begin. Once at work, I’d just keep going. Some of the themes I use are water, reflections, weeds, lines, and the color red. If I become blocked and find myself using my creativity excuse, I drag out one of my life themes and begin to work on it. Pretty soon, I begin to see everything more creatively. After that, I drop the theme and keep going.

There are as many flimsy rationales for not photographing as there are photographers. You probably have some special ones of your own. Break out of inertia and just begin. Make yourself stop and look around, use life themes, and don’t allow yourself to use elaborate excuses. Stay honest to your best, most creative self. Smell the roses!

More Excuses!

Noella Ballenger leads photographic workshop/tours to special locations in the West. Visit her site in Apogee Photo Magazine at www.noellaballenger.com or send her an e-mail at Noella1B@aol.com

Write to her at P.O. Box 457, La Canada, CA 91012, call: (818) 954-0933 or fax: (818) 954-0910 for more information on her workshop/tours.