Pre-Planning or Spontaneity?
It’s important to find balance between planning and spontaneity.
Some photographers plan every variable in the scene they want to photograph. They go to a location in the hopes of the light they imagined, they have already decided upon a composition, they’ve pre-visualized their photo and do everything they can to make it a reality.
Other photographers don’t plan at all. They grab a camera, go somewhere, and snap a photo of whatever catches their eye.
Both of these methods are perfectly viable in the creation of a great photograph. But if you’re stuck in one of these routines, it can really expand your practice to practice the opposite process.
Ways to be more spontaneous:
Go for a joyride. On your drive, pay close attention to your surroundings. If you see something interesting, pull over and check it out. Take a few photos of the thing that caught your eye.
Go for a walk. Bring one camera and one lens. If something grabs you, devise a way to capture it using the limitations of the equipment you brought.
Pick a location at random. Either write some locations on scraps of paper or grab a local map, and let chance be your guide. Go to that place with no forethought and see what happens.
If you suddenly have an idea for a photograph, act on it. If an opportunity appears, seize it. See where it takes you!
Don’t overthink things. Let your intuition guide you. Trust in yourself, your abilities, your vision, your reactions. Have fun!
An example of spontaneity: I had no plans on going to this location, but an unexpected fog led me to take a walk in a new place. Thankfully, I always have a camera in hand!
Ways to be more planned:
Pick a subject that you’d love to photograph. Imagine this subject looking the best it can be. Think about different lighting scenarios, angles, techniques (long exposure, fast exposure, ICM, etc), color or black and white, time of day, lens focal length. Try to figure out every variable that would make your photograph look the way you imagined. Wait for the conditions to line up, and make it happen.
If you suddenly have an idea for a photograph, give it some thought before diving in. What is it you really want to capture in your image? What is your intention? Sometimes a good idea needs to percolate for a while before it is ready to act on. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself to cultivate this idea, just let it happen naturally.
Set goals. Think about what you want to achieve with your photography practice. List any obstacles that might arise. Devise a plan to overcome these roadblocks and create the art that you want to create.
Review your work. Look at your past photographs honestly. What worked and what didn’t? Learn from your mistakes. The next time you have your camera with you, remember the lessons you learned and put them into action.
Everything about this image was pre-visualized. I waited for a meteor shower and timed the photo so that my location would line up with the milky way. Taken from my upcoming book Mystery & Manifestations.
In my own photography practice, I try to balance these two modes. I will go to a location with an open mind and see what strikes me. Taking photos of the subjects that catch my interest, I then think about how they might look in their best light. When the time is right, I’ll return to that location. I think it’s important to be able to function both with a pre-visualization practice and also with spontaneity. I hope that some of the pointers in this post will help you to find more balance in your own photographic art.
