Unexpected Results Can Be An Unexpected Opportunity

This photo is about “Abstract Contrasts In Line, Shape, Form and Tonality”. It is also about unexpected results and how you deal with them as it isn’t the photo I envisioned. I’m a believer in planning your shots but I also believe that you have to be flexible enough to recognize unexpected results as a possible opportunity as well as a possible problem. As the saying goes, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”

My original thinking was to get a typical architectural shot along The Woodlands Waterway in The Woodlands, Texas. Specifically I was thinking of a shot in the early morning or late afternoon light and doing a long exposure to get some nice cloud movement.

So What Happened?

I got antsy staying inside to avoid Covid so I thought I’d visit the area for a scouting trip. Being mid-afternoon Sunday I knew I’d have the area to myself. I knew the light would very harsh and there were no clouds. However, I figured even though I would not be able to make the shot I was planning at least I’d be out of the house and could shoot some test compositions to make it easier when the light and sky conditions were right.

I shot a number of different compositions at various locations but really wasn’t too excited about any of them. Later while reviewing the photos I noticed that I kept coming back to one particular image or more specifically part of one image. It seemed to have a nice collection of lines, shapes and forms. The harsh light also provided wonderful tonal contrasts. These all combined to create a abstract of architectural detail.

How I Emphasized The Abstract Aspects

The area that captured my interest was the lower left portion of the picture. Making a severe crop by removing nearly 50% of the image area I concentrated the view on this section. You can see the extent of the crop in the slider below. I also further emphasized the contrasts and tonal areas through black and white processing.

So that’s how I got the shot.  However, the more significant discussion centers around being open to opportunity versus sticking to your plan.

To Plan Or Not Plan?

Although I planned for one style of image, in the end I came away with a completely different “take” on the scene. Does this mean my original plan was bad? I don’t believe so. If the right conditions are available I may still try for it again in the future.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe in planning your photo shoot. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t deviate from it. Sometimes you have no choice; “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry” and such. What do you do then? Pack up and go home? Of course not. You look around for something else to photograph.  Sometimes your plans don’t go awry but you’re present with unexpected situations.  A change in light; the scene may have changed from what you knew it as; there are more people in the scene; fewer people. The point is that no matter how well we plan we can’t plan for everything. While that means the unexpected could present problems it also means the unexpected can present opportunities.

I like to think of my shot plan as a starting point; not the end point. You stick with the plan as long as it’s working and then adjust when it doesn’t. Even when the plan is working look for the unexpected to supplement the plan. We just have to keep our minds open to the possibilities. The applies to what’s going at at the shoot and also what we see while reviewing and processing our photos. Embrace the unexpected; you just might be rewarded.

How do you make the most of the unexpected results?  Please leave a comment in the comment box below.