Waiting For Perfection

I've noticed a trend this past year with regards to my photography that has been causing me some consternation. Simply put, I'm finding pleasure in the results and the images I produce, but not so much in the process, which is troublesome. If I'm not enjoying the act of photography, then why bother doing it? Then it would be like work, and I certainly can't have any of that. More often than not lately, my time in the field has been rife with feelings of anxiety and frustration, mainly because I'm not getting that "perfect"light. It doesn't take a genius to see that going in with that mindset is setting oneself up for failure, and falling far short of a genius it's taken me longer than I would have liked to recognize this.

Recently I read an article in Outdoor Photographer by Scott Mansfield in which he states that he shoots at any time of the day and makes the most of what the conditions offer him. This runs contrary to the approach most photographers take. Generally speaking, most landscape photographers shoot during the golden hour, that magic hour surrounding sunrise and sunset. There are some photographers who rarely if ever shoot during the middle of the day. I'm not that rigid, but the vast majority of my photos are from sunrise or sunset. This entails a period of waiting around for the light to happen, followed by an anxious flurry of picture taking as the light continues to quickly change. Mansfield takes a different approach. His creative process entails arriving at a location at any time of day in any type of weather and making photographs. There is no waiting around for the light to change or anything like that. He believes that there are always good photographs to be had, no matter the place or time of day or the weather. My approach lately has been exactly the opposite. I have a predetermined idea of the light I want at a particular location and then wait hours, days, sometimes weeks for that light. Ridiculous! Mansfield's approach allows him to be spontaneous and free, whereas my approach leaves me shackled by the constraints of preconceived notions and ideas. After reading the article I decided it was time to change my philosophy. No more waiting around for perfection.

Moss Lake Outlet

I applied my new found wisdom this week on a one day trip to the Adirondacks. I arrived mid afternoon on a beautiful, sunny day and immediately set out on a hike around Moss Lake. The sun was high overhead and the lighting a bit harsh, not the ideal conditions I normally wait for. This time I pushed those thoughts aside and just decided to see what I see and make the most of that moment in time. The photograph you see here is a result of that mindset. It's not the most spectacular photo I've ever made but who cares, it's plenty nice enough and it's what nature was offering me at that moment. The time I spent hiking around the lake was the most relaxed and joyful photography experience I've had in a long time.