The One That Got Away
Certain images, the one that got away, stick in our memory forever. I’m talking about those perfect once-in-a-lifetime photo ops that we just missed or irretrievably screwed up. They’re a lost opportunity that haunts us as we wonder, “If only …”. The more we think about these images, the more significant they become. We would have won awards with them. They would have made us famous. The more you imagine, the more inflated the missed awards and fame become. If only… For me there are 2 images in particular that haunt me.
Deer At the San Saba
During a recent photo road trip we crossed the San Saba River on the way to our hotel. As we drove past I saw a pretty scene that would make a nice sunrise landscape shot. There was even a picnic area along the bank that would give us easy access to the river.
The next morning as we got near the river I saw it was a cloudy sky. Despite the less than the perfect conditions, I thought it would still make a nice morning shot. As we pulled into the picnic area two groups of deer, each group with 6 to 8 deer, ran across the river. It would have been the perfect shot. Lots of splashing water and action to make a shot that would have no doubt earned me a Nature Photographer of Year award or some such thing. Sadly, they disappeared from sight before we could even stop the car. I got my nice sunrise landscape shot. However, missing the deer lessened the joy quite a bit.
Perhaps if I had anticipated this kind of thing we could have arrived early. Or we could have approached quietly on foot so as to not scare the deer. I keep telling my self it is highly unlikely we could have planned for the deer to be there. I also know that it is even less likely that we could have gotten into position with out scaring the deer. Still, the two simple words echo in my minder, “If only …”. I’ll just have to be satisfied with the nice sunrise landscape shot.
Les Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris
The first time an image became the one that got away for me was the summer of 2008 in Paris. My youngest daughter had a summer college course and internship in France so we made it a family vacation to take her there. As we started walking up Rue Mahler from the Métro station to the Musée Carnavalet we noticed quite a bit of smoke and heard the two-tone horns of fire engines. Clearly, this was not an insignificant fire!
Just as we got to the intersection of Rue Mahler and Rue Pavée we noticed three fire fighters (Sapeurs-Pompiers) rushing down Rue Pavée. The were straining to pull a large two-wheeled hose reel towards the fire. Apparently, the narrow streets made if difficult to get fire engines close. It would have been a classic scene. Imagine firefighters straining to pull that heavy hose reel. The look of exertion showing on their faces as the rushed to get the needed equipment on scene. In addition, with their shiny, chrome-like helmets they were very stylish as only the French can be.
– The Shot
A year or two earlier, I had stopped using a film SLR. This was in the time before camera backpacks were popular and quite frankly it was very cumbersome to carry around all the gear and film. I switched to using a small Olympus digital. It shot only JPEG at about 3 megapixels if I recall accurately.
The Olympus had an optical zoom. When you turned it on (or woke it up from sleep mode) the zoom would fully extend and settle back to a mid-point. After that, you could then adjust the zoom to where you wanted it. At times this could be frustratingly slow. As luck you have it, this time it started acting up and took even longer than normal to fully startup. Although it only took a few seconds, it was long enough that the Sapeurs-Pompiers and their hose reel passed by and out of sight.
Needless to say, I didn’t get that shot. There’d be no Pulitzer Prize for me. This, of course, ignores the fact that I’m not a journalist and had no way to get my shots out in front of the public. In all likelihood the photo wouldn’t have been all that good. Still, this could have been the one great shot of my lifetime. “I could’ve been a contender. I could’ve been somebody.”
I Coulda Been A Contender Video
The If Onlies
The “If onlies” can be a significant influence on your photography. It’s your choice whether this is a negative or a positive influence. On the negative side, they can trick you into making excuses a habit for not getting the shot or for not going out if conditions aren’t perfect. On the positive side, they help you to stay motivated to be prepared as possible and to do what you have to do to improve your photography skills.
These incidents reinforced for me the need to prepare. The Paris situation also motivated me to go back to a “real” camera. In addition, the real camera would be one that would “knock away my crutches”. The new camera I got had the capability to get a photo of any type in any situation that I would likely face. As a result, I would no longer be able to blame my equipment for the lack of a shot or the poor quality of a shot. It would all be on me. Taking full control and responsibility for your photography is the first step in the journey of becoming a better photographer.
Leave A Comment And Share
Have you got a instance of the one that got away? I’d love to hear your comments and feedback. Please leave a comment in the comment box below.
