I have a few rules or guidelines that I try to abide by in my photography, and I’m not referring to the Rule of thirds or Rules of composition, I’m referring to ones that will guide me as a photographer and help me to get those photos that I want.
Rule #2: STOP and take the shot
Many times we regret not stopping, for one reason or another, to take the “shot” that we could see in our mind; we saw it, we thought of how to compose it, maybe even how to process it afterwards, but unless we actually stopped and took the shot, everything else is supposition and a wasted opportunity.
I was driving down the Railway Embankment heading home and saw the colours in the sky developing into what could be a lovely sunset, I saw the clouds low on the horizon and the sun dipping towards them and I knew I had to take a photo of it.
A photo of a sunset, is a photo of a sunset, unless you have something else in the photo that adds interest, then its just a photo of a sunset, and there’s a million of those. As I was driving down, looking for something to use in the foreground, I remembered the Chimney at Chateau Margot, and quickly diverted towards the main Public Road. As chance would have it, I ended up behind some slow moving traffic and could not get to the spot as quickly as I’d have liked, but I got there, didn’t try to change lenses, but grabbed what was there and just shot a few exposures to get it.
Although I could have gotten the sky as I saw it earlier, from the road with houses around and utility wires all over the frame, I spent a few precious minutes to get to a spot I felt better about, and I think I can live with that 🙂
Click on the image above for a better view in the Gallery.
The Michael Lam Collection's Blog 
There’s a skyline that any Guyanese will recognize. It is always important, I think, to make sure you capture something that will give rise to a feeling, and a relationship with your photo. Otherwise its just another pretty sunset.
Thanks Nik,
I think that Chateau Margot has some possibilities as an afternoon photo-stop 🙂
How true it is Mike to ‘stop and take the shot’ – there are many times I have not and later wished I had.. of course lots of times I think that and it makes me do so, which I am almost always glad I did! 😀
Thanks Sheila, many a time I have kicked myself, there are often “good enough” reasons, like you’re late, or the traffic was too heavy… but still in the back of your mind you think, I think just “maybe” I could have stopped… 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.